Family Game Night!

One thing our family really enjoys is playing games together. We've done a family game night since they were little; learning valuable lessons like turn-taking or how to count money by playing Monopoly or learning to deal with disappointment as one child would end up in a puddle tears when he had to slide down the big slide while everyone else was at the top in Shoots and Ladders and then seeing how he could make a come back and win the game. Not only has game night been a tradition in our family but it's also a way for us to connect, to talk, to laugh and to simply enjoy being present together. 

  

As they get older the games have become more complicated and LONG! I don't understand some of the games we play (Dungeons and Dragons!) and basically just go along for the ride. But this game, Rock Paper Wizard that we recently bought for L's birthday is awesome! 

It’s great fun for a family of 4 or more or for a large group of friends, ages 10+.

"Choose your wizard’s spell and cast some magic by repeating one of the hand gestures found on the cards in front of you. Everyone says 'Rock, Paper, Wizard' aloud, and upon saying 'Wizard', forms a hand gesture and points it towards a target/person. Each card describes the spell’s effect, which can push an opponent towards the exit, advance yourself towards the hoard, or manipulate the coins each wizard must collect to win."

I love that it's fast paced, easy to understand and that there are no dice involved. :)

What games is your family enjoying right now?

Old School Paper Planner- Unplug to tune in.

As an entrepreneur and small business owner, it’s hard to unplug. Especially when you are the person that does it all for your small business to keep it running; marketing, creating the schedule, development of classes being offered, customer service inquiries etc etc. I know that I need to be tapped into my community and commenting and liking posts in order for the computer algorithm to put my posts in front of my customers. But like all things, there is a balance. And I find myself creating similar “rules” for myself like I did when I realized that I needed to stop drinking. Limiting my time on social media and putting parameters on myself in order to not get sucked into the void of scrolling.

I struggle with the Facebook and Instagram temptations every time I pick up my iPhone. EVERY SINGLE TIME! I find myself getting on my phone to check my calendar and then twenty minutes later I am sucked into scrolling through beautiful pictures on Instagram. I laugh with my friends and will say “it’s a problem” but honestly.....it is wasting so much of my time.
I admit that, step one.

So I posted on Facebook :) to see if anyone else out there uses a paper planner. Like old school, a pen to paper monthly and weekly calendar planner and I was surprised by how many of my friends, yoga students, and family members have felt the same way that I do and have gone back in time to using a paper planner. Sixty-five comments later and I was feeling inspired plus I now know about all the great choices of products to choose, research and learn more about.

During my recent move as I packed up boxes and unpacked those boxes that you move from place to place that hold “memories”,  I came across the paper day planner that I had the year that my ex and I separated. The year I went back to fundraising for a nonprofit and also the year I started teaching yoga to earn additional money. It was fascinating to see before me all the things I did that year and how I conquered quite possibly one of the hardest years of my life. Of course, at any time I can go back to look at a previous year on my google calendar but as a friend pointed out, on my facebook post, google calendars feel cold and sterile. There is something magical about handwriting, even the crossed out and messiness of what the calendar becomes.

I decided on The Happy Planner by Me and My Big Ideas. I like the flexibility that I can add additional pages and notes to it and/or move things around. I also really like the structure of it, on the weekly calendar views there are three areas to write in so that I can categorize my goals and to-dos based on what aspect of my life that they fit into. I am still getting used to it and getting over the overwhelming feeling of creating a perfect, beautiful planner like the pictures I see on Instagram but like my planner, I am a work in progress.

Clutter Free Bathroom Ideas to Simplify Your Life

Raising two teenaged boys and making time for my marriage, family, and friends while also running a successful yoga studio and health coaching business is time-consuming. 2018 is the year that I am making a change in how I spend my days from my work time, family time to my volunteer positions. I am choosing to live with intention. You could say that is my "theme" for this year.

Choosing how I spend my time and with whom during those big open chunks of time on our weekend calendar is exciting and soul fulfilling. But what about those small little windows of time where you need to vacuum the house or scrub the tub? Not so much! I believe that if I simplify my house, even more than it already is, that doing these chores won't occupy as much time in my schedule. I don't feel as though I have a time management problem per say but I am seeing how these little household tasks that I do each week are occupying more time than I would like to and hiring a cleaning company is not in the budget right now.

So I started looking at the tasks that I do around the house with a detective type eye, analyzing the movements. What am I touching and how? Am I constantly having to move things in order to complete the task? Could I just get rid of that?

One of the areas under attack is our bathroom. We shop at Costco so we have these huge bottles of shampoo and conditioner, the supersize ones with their pumps, balancing in the corners where the tub and the wall meet. They have to be removed in order to clean the tub. And then on the bathroom sink, we have 4 people's toothbrushes and two different kinds of toothpaste and each week all of that is being moved in order to clean or constantly being knocked over as you try and clean just one side of the sink at a time. It seems like such a small problem but these little moments of time are where I believe I can simplify my life.

So after way too many hours thinking about my bathtub clutter problems, I scrolled through Amazon and I found this handy dispenser made by Better Living. I filled it with our Costco shampoo, conditioner and body wash and said goodbye to the giant bottles in the tub. Now the corners are clutter free and it makes cleaning the tub as enjoyable of a task as it can be. You do have to commit to its location because once it's installed using silicone, it can not be moved easily. For the bathroom sink, I went into our attic and pulled out the Ikea spice rack that at one time served as a small shelf for books when my kids were in bunk beds and I didn't want them to get out of bed to put their nighttime reading away. I installed it on the wall next to sink and have their toothbrushes and toothpaste in one area off of the countertop and now they are in charge of keeping their area clean. I placed me and my wife's items in a glass vase on the sink which can easily be moved to clean in one movement. Little changes like this can make a daunting task of cleaning the bathroom a little bit more enjoyable and most importantly will take less time to do. Have you learned some space-saving tricks to save you time when cleaning the bathroom? I'd love to hear them in the comments!

Curly Girl Hair Product - Ms Jessie's Coily Custard

I've recently started growing my hair out and like many curly head ladies I have spent so much money trying to find the right products that work with my hair. After filling an entire shelf in our hall closet with curly hair products that I refer to as "the rejects". I posted on Facebook asking my friends with curly hair what products they are loving and couldn't live without. To my surprise about twenty curly head goddesses commented and there was only ONE duplicate!
Holy moley- how is a girl to decide???
I took the one duplicate recommendation and did a bit more research on the brand and decided to try Ms. Jessie's Coily Custard. And I am happy to report that I have found the perfect hair product for my curly hair!
I practice the Curly Girl method and use the Deva Girl No-Poo Cleanser every third day along with the One Condition. I only "wash" my hair every three days and on the days in between I spritz my hair with water and use Quenched Curls- Curl Moisturizer/2nd Day Curl Refresher.
This curly head girl is happy with the results!

L.L Bean Backpack Review

I don't often write reviews of products but when I was going through some old photos I can across this sweet gem from 2 years ago and was drawn to write about the boys backpacks. They have used these L.L Bean backpacks for 2 school years and they are still in great shape. We haven't had any issues with zippers or the wheels. I highly recommend investing in a L. L Bean backpack. It seems like a lot of money to spend on a child's book bag but it is made to last through elementary, middle and even high school. Buy once and buy well.

Adopting a New Dog from WARL

We didn't think we were ready to open our hearts to another dog so soon after the death of our beloved Elgin. But Dharma was depressed. After two months of non-stop whining and crying we realized that Dharma needed a companion. We went to the local pounds, but never found a dog that met all of our requirements.

• Not a puppy
• smaller than 40 pounds
• good with kids
• goos with other dogs
• female

We cyber stalked several of the local rescue organizations. Lost Dog Rescue Foundation, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, Best DAWG Rescue, Operation PAWS for Homes . Lauren adopted Elgin from Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) ten years ago and it seemed appropriate to go back there and visit some dogs. We saw several that we liked but they didn't meet all of our requirements. We waited a bit longer and decided to take another trip to WARL and then we found Chloe. She was in the puppy room, which we didn't plan on going into because we didn't want a puppy but the boys begged to "just look".
Once we met Chloe, I knew she'd be a perfect fit for our family. She is actually four years old, not sure why she was in the puppy room. We all adore her and she's fit in so nicely into our family. I highly recommend going to WARL the next time you are looking for a dog or cat to add to your family.

Great Educational Game for Kids- Mini Veritech

Recently we scored a Mini Veritech tile set with workbooks from Freecycle. I had never heard of this before but after a google search it seemed exactly the type of thing that my youngest son would love. And he does! Several of the workbooks go up to age 12. And begin at age 4 years old.
It's a great activity for my son, who is 8 years old, to do on his own. He's the type of child that would rather play games than play with action figures. And I am always looking for games that are both educational and not electric. This fits the bill!
I highly reccomend investing in a set for your children or your classroom, it would make a great "centers" activity.
  
From the website: 
12 tiles - numbers on one side and a geometiric pattern on the other, enables children to complete all the self correcting exercises with little or no guidance. The illustrations and varied themes, combine to stimulate and sustain the interest of children while they develop literacy and numeracy skills (and discover natural science depending on the workbooks used.)

Why should you hire a photographer?

The most important reason for hiring a photographer should be to get everyone in the family in the photo. Not one of those pictures where the camera is on a timer and one person runs into position and everyone has a plastered smile on their face….those never turn out authentic.

Often times the mom is so busy taking the photos that she never puts herself in front of it to capture her with her children. Or else the parents take turns taking the pictures of family events but you never see the parents together. Is this you?

Capturing family memories is so important and that is why I started my photography business, CocktailMom Photography. I adore capturing families just as they are…laughing, crying, and full of endless love.

I often get asked why photographers charge what they charge verses going to one of those photo places in the mall. Well first of all, location. Outdoor photographers don't use a back drop, nature provides the best view. Another difference is the quality of the pictures, the amount of time that the photographer spends with you to capture your family to get the best possible shot verses feeling rushed because there is a waiting room full of other restless children waiting their turn.

But the biggest difference is photoshop!
I spend hours after the photo session editing pictures in photoshop and here is an example  of a "before" picture- Straight out of the camera verses an edited picture.

Now the girl in this picture is gorgeous! (she's also my niece.) On this day she had a wee bit of acne on her chin and a random stray hair across her forehead, nothing major but a tiny amount of editing to even out her skin and pop the color of her jacket to really enhance just how gorgeous she is in person.

Make the investment in capturing your family by hiring a professional photographer each and every year. Our children grow so fast and these are the pictures that we will cherish when we are older.

Home Depot Kids Workshop

If you are looking for a free and fun thing to do with your kids this weekend head over to your local Home Depot for the Kids' Workshop. 

On the first Saturday of each month the children can participate, along side of their parents, in a building project. 

My boys love to bang nails and build so this project was perfect for them, their very own cork boards for their bedroom. Each month there is a different project and you do not have to show up right at 9am; you can come anytime during the hours of the workshop. Check with your local store to find out the exact hours. Please note you have to be present with your child to build the project, this is NOT a drop off program. 

And the best part -it's FREE!

Learning How to Make Change with Money

I love all the wonderful resources on TeachersPayTeachers. Recently I received the Piggy Race Game, and knew it would be a perfect game to play during spring break.

Directions: Spin to see how many spaces to move. Show the value on your space with coins. If you show the correct value, you get to stay on that space. If you don't show the correct value, you have to move back the number of spaces you spanned. The first player to land on finish and show the value correctly, wins!

The boys enjoyed counting out the money, I don't think they even realized they were learning! I added an extra challenge that they could not repeat the same coins if they landed on the same spot, which happened a few times. Take a look at Teachers Pay Teachers, there is bound to be something that your children will enjoy.

Spread the Word, Just Don't Say It!

Norwich Free Academy R-word Campaign

I came across this video as we all do; someone posted it on Facebook. After watching it I had to do more than just "like" it. I had to "spread the word". 

This video moved me beyond words. Hearing each young adult talk about their feelings and how such a hurtful word affected them...it's made me reevaluate all the words I use. I can honestly say I don't use the r-word or "stupid" but I know there have been times when my words have hurt someone unintentionally.

Let's be more mindful of our choices of the words we use, even if we are using them in jest. 

Words are powerful things- Spread the word, just don't say it!

   

Story Cubes

One of the recent toys in our house that I LOVE is Rory's Story Cubes. It's often hard to find a toy or game that can be enjoyed by a range of ages, and this is it! Wee ones love it, older kids who are tired of playing "baby games" enjoy it and it forces the adults to tap into their inner child. 
The rules are simple, there is no winner or loser- there is only creative thinking.  

From the website:

Roll the cubes.

Begin with ‘Once upon a time’, and tell a story that links together all 9 face-up images. Start with the first symbol that grabs your attention.
Rory’s Story Cubes® can be enjoyed solitaire or by taking turns with multiple players.

Remember there is no wrong answer, the goal is to let the cubes spark your imagination.
It really is that simple!

I think every classroom should be equipped with this game. We have had hours of fun in our house creating stories and using the cubes to spark imagination for the kids and adults. This would make a great gift for anyone! 

My Anthropologie Wedding Dress

I bought my wedding dress at Anthropologie randomly, we were out shopping for something else, I saw it in the window. Within minutes I was trying it on. As I opened the dressing room door Lauren had a huge smile on her face and said "that's the dress!"
The only problem was it was strapless. I have large breasts and after nursing two babies, strapless bras aren't comfortable for prolonged periods of time. This is originally what the dress looked like.

It had tiny little straps that weren't large enough to hide bra straps. So I cut the bow in the back of the dress and used that fabric to make larger straps to hide my bra straps. I still had the fabric for a bow in the back, but instead of a bow I simply tied it. I loved how comfortable it was to wear. I'm thankful that I chose a dress that I will be able to wear many more times throughout our lives. 

(Wedding Pictures by Jessica Shepard)

Oh, and that adorable flower on my dress I bought off Etsy by Emerson Made. Sadly you can't get them anymore. The blog, Junebug Weddings, did a wonderful post about them.

Ikea Blog- Home

(this picture is pulled from the blog)

I've been an Ikea junkie for years. Lately I've been trying to ween myself off of Ikea and buy more "big girl" furniture pieces. Antiques or furniture that doesn't come packaged flat in a box. But in my heart there will always be a special place for Ikea!
When the catalog arrives in my mailbox I pour through it the way my children do a toy catalog, I love the pictures of the rooms. I feel inspired and creative....all from an Ikea catalog!
Well today I learned that Ikea has a BLOG!!!! OMG!!! Talk about eye candy. It's written in Swedish but google has a handy translate button on the top left corner, I think you need to have google as your search bar but I'm not 100% sure on that. Pour yourself another cup of coffee and enjoy the beautiful pictures.
http://livethemma.ikea.se
Hopefully it will inspire you as well.

Jessie Mary Photography

When Lauren and I set the date to get married I wasn't like other brides combing through stacks of bridal magazines. No, that's not for me. I've done this before, remember? I knew what I wanted and the number one thing on my list was finding the best photographer. I spent hours looking at photography websites, searching for someone who would be willing and able to photograph a gay wedding. (Yes, there are people in the world who will refuse to take pictures at a gay wedding.)
Through a recommendation from another photographer Jessica Shepard entered our lives. After chatting with her on the phone and learning that our lives have taken similar routes from living in NYC to Seattle and also being a mom...I had this feeling in my gut that she was the photographer for us. And I was right, I am ecstatic with the pictures she took at our wedding.

We exchanged vows privately with a small group of family and friends at the Washington DC courthouse. The room is really small and you are only allowed to have 12 people, we are a family a four which means that didn't leave a lot of room for invites.

The day after our wedding Jessica emailed us one picture, a teaser of what was to come. I opened the email and inhaled loudly, I told Lauren "This is the picture! I don't care if the rest look like shit, this is the ONE!"

Thankfully we ended up with hundreds of pictures that were fantastic. Check out Jessica's blog, she posted many more pictures that truly captures our day. Thank you Jessica, we are overjoyed!!!!

TOMS Shoes

TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One.  I personally can't speak about these shoes as I have never worn them but the mission of this company really speaks to me.  I will say though, that after watching this video they are on my list of "things to buy".  It also helps that I can finally get sparkly shoes in an adult size! 
Tom's One Day Without Shoes 2011 is taking place in cities all over the world on April 5th.  Join the movement and go barefoot on April 5th and change lives.

Contessa- Frozen dinner goes green

 

There are nights when you just don't feel like cooking.  And if you are on a budget going out to eat may not be an option.  For those "non cooking" nights I highly recommend Contessa frozen dinners.  First of all, they are the first Green manufacturing frozen food plant in the USA.  Located in Los Angeles, the new plant is certified by the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).  Contessa’s Green Cuisine plant achieved Gold-level certification.    Also their specialty seafood cartons are made from recycled material, printed with soy-based inks. 

This is a company that I can feel good about supporting with my purchasing power!

The Jambalaya meal is a 2 person serving so in order to make it serve my family of 4 I added a can of diced tomatoes and a can of chili beans.  I topped each bowl with shredded cheddar cheese.   A delicious dinner for a "non cooking" night.

 

Portable North Pole

This is the coolest thing I have seen.  Portable North Pole is a personalized video message for your kids from Santa.  I made one for each of the boys and they watched it with wide eyes.  You plug in information to make it personalized for your child; for example the city where you live, your child's age, their grade in school and a very real looking Santa appears in the video.  This will make any child a believer in Santa.
You can also create a video for adults.  Nothing like Santa telling your partner to pick up their undies off the floor!  Enjoy!

MCP - Photoshop Actions

I'm not one to look for shortcuts. I like to learn, I enjoy the process.
But when I recently saw MCP Photoshop Actions featured as a giveaway on Ali Edwards' blog, I had to have it. It's a shortcut, yes. I have been struggling with this desire to buy Photoshop actions for over a year and I kept telling myself...you can do it yourself. And I can actually. I'm really good at editing pictures in Photoshop. But in all honesty I just don't have the time to edit the 100's of pictures I take on a weekly basis. It's so much easier to hit one button and then go back and slightly tweak. I am so happy that I finally made the decision to buy these awesome actions. They offer interactive online training, workshops, and free Photoshop video tutorials on their website.

3 Things I am loving right now

These vintage children's blocks I picked up at the cutest cottage store in Lessburg, VA. I could have bought the whole damn place, I loved everything. A daily reminder on my desk to simply "be". It's a lot harder than you think.

Aveda Personal Blends Pure-fume.
I am not a perfume type of person. My favorite smell of all time is clean laundry. I've been known to compliment random people when I can smell the scent of fresh, clean laundry wafting from them, their reply "oh this just came out of the dryer"...yeah I know. I recently went to the Aveda store and discovered my personal perfume. You go through 21 scents and narrow it down to your favorites which are then blended to give you the scent you like the best. I love how light, and clean my scent is. I highly recommend giving it a try.

Simply Home Yankee Candle in Autumn Pumpkin.
My mother is the greatest. On one of her recent shopping trips she smelled this and knew I would LOVE it and I do. Oh how I do. My house smells like fall, it's heavenly.