WI - Day 1

Mase & I are skipping work & daycare for a couple of days & flying out to WI to spend time with my sister & her family & participate in the annual Down Syndrome Walk. Unfortunately Shane couldn't get off of work to join us so he is staying home with the bulldogs for what is to be a nice, quiet, relaxing weekend I am sure with out me or Mase around.

We had a 9am flight to Milwaukee which was perfect because it wasn't too early of a morning to leave with a 2 year old, load up the car, make the drive up to the airport & hop on the shuttle to the airport.

My little guy is such an awesome traveler. We had talked in the car of how he needed to listen to Mama, stay close by me, be a good boy & he far exceeded my expectations as a single Mama traveling with a toddler.

We got to the airport in plenty of time, checked our bags & the car seat & then Mase & I headed to the gate. We had about an hour wait so we killed some time by watching the planes land & take off which Mason loved! Then right before we boarded we made one last stop to potty & got in line to get on the plane.

Our 1 hour & 15 minute flight to Milwaukee was smooth, quick & uneventful. Mason & I had apple juice & watched a movie on the iPad & before we knew it we were landing. My sister lives 75 minutes north of Milwaukee so I rented a car & Mason fell asleep 5 minutes into the drive & slept the whole way.

We arrived to my sister's house around 1pm & spent the rest of the afternoon catching up with my family & Mase had fun playing with his cousins. Later that evening my little brother arrived from KC & the littles were so excited to see Uncle Steve!

 Popsicles with cousin Jensen

 

Playing Lego's with cousin Tanner

 

Everyone was pretty tired by the end of the evening so we all headed to bed fairly early & prepared ourselves for a fun, busy weekend ahead.



Cell Phone Dump

This month's cell phone dump....

Belated birthday gift from one of my Mama Besties - Jen (those pumpkin cookies w/cream cheese frosting were Da Bomb!!)

A sick little boy with his iPad, headphones blankie & pillow

Look who's cute little face is on a billboard.....my niece Dana!

Beautiful site in the sky on my way home from work

Mason found Daddy's dirt bike helmet....one day soon my little man :)

 

Watching movies with my sick little guy. Do you think this boy loves his Mama?

A little bit OCD - just like his Mama

Coffee & chocolate cake sprinkled donuts at work - awesome way to start the day!

Stitch Fix

I was talking to a co-worker of mine the other day about how my life has totally changed since I had Mason. She couldn't understand (obviously she doesn't have any kids) & wanted an example of how so I shared an example with her. Before Mase I would go shopping & buy lots of things for myself. Now when I go shopping it is always in the kids section & I am on the hunt for what bargain I can get in a 2T - LOL :)

I told her I missed shopping for myself but how shopping for Mason is much more fun. She then shared with me about this online service that personally shops for you & delivers wardrobe options to your doorstep. It's called Stitch Fix & she told me I should check it out.

Fast forward 2 weeks & while talking with my sister she starts telling me about this awesome online service called Stitch Fix & how awesome it is. She had just gotten her first package, loved it & told me I had to try it.

So I broke down & signed up for Stitch Fix.

For those of you who have never heard of it, Stitch Fix is a personal styling service for women. You tell them your style, size (they also do maternity fixes) & budget preferences & they send you a pretty little package of 5 items to try on at home. Each box is unique & hand-picked just for you by your own personal stylist. You have 3 days to decide which items your keeping & what you are sending back.

It's as easy as.....

1. Create an account & fill out the style profile based on your size, style, budget & lifestyle. It's as easy as saying "Yes, I love casual chic" and "No, please don't send me anything fur or pleather." 

2. Schedule your Fix. I personally have signed up for an every other month Fix, meaning that a box is automatically shipped to my house every other month. Not sure you’re up for a monthly or bi-monthly commitment? Then schedule a one-time Fix - however often it fits your needs. You will pay a $20 styling fee when your stylist selects the items in your Stitch Fix. This $20 fee is applied as a credit toward anything you keep & buy from your shipment. If you don't buy any of the items you don't receive a refund of the $20 fee.

3. Try on your items. Seriously, it felt like Christmas at my house when I received that SF box. Each piece of clothing comes with a template card that shows you how to style/accessorize each item & Stitch Fix encourages you to be creative with your pairings.

4. Decide and Check Out. You have three days to determine what you would like to keep & then you need to check out online. If you keep all 5 items you will receive an extra 25% off the price of all the items. Also, I should mention that you are only charged once you “check out” at Stitch Fix. The box comes with a bag and a prepaid USPS return label so you can easily ship back the pieces you aren’t interested in.

Every Fix gives you the opportunity to provide feedback on the pieces, which allows the stylists to get to know you better & make future Fixes even more customized to your liking.

So my 1st SF box came this week & here is what I got:

 

A pair of boyfriend jeans, a sleeveless dressy blouse, 2 tunic tops & an infinity scarf:





And this awesome template card giving you ideas on what to pair your item with & how to wear it:

I ended up keeping 3/5 items. The boyfriend jeans, the purple sleeveless dressy blouse & the blue striped tunic were all keepers. I did not like the colors in the scarf & the back of the green top was a black suede material that I didn't care for so those got sent back.

I was a little surprised at how pricey the items were but they ended up being good quality, it is an every other month "treat" & I didn't end up buying all items - although it probably would have cost the same to have bought all 5 items with the 25% off?! But I honestly wouldn't have worn the scarf or the green top.

So my September Stitch Fix package wasn’t a total hit, but that just might be a good thing. It is probably better that I don’t always want to end up buying the entire box & it’s a lot easier when you don’t love everything. I feel that if I keep at least one of the items in the box so I don’t lose my $20 styling fee, I will be happy!

You can also create a Stitch Fix Inspiration board on Pinterest for your personal stylist & pin some of your favorite outfits. That way he/she has a good idea of what kind of clothing is your style & can better shop for you.

My sister informed me this week of a Facebook group called Stitch Fix B/S/T & discussion where you can buy, sell, or trade Fix items as well as discuss with others what looks good on you, what you should get rid of &/or keep. I am finding out that a lot of people will buy all 5 items for the 25% off discount & then go to the FB group & sell/trade what items they don't want to keep. Such an awesome idea. Almost like cheating the system :)

Kind of a fun little treat every other month for this Mama who doesn't get out much to shop for herself. If you are a busy Mama like me & think you might be interested in signing up for Stitch Fix just click HERE to get started! And don’t forget, the better feedback and more information you give, the better chance you will have to get amazing Fixes that work for you!

"Glamping" - part 2

Day 1:
After the tornado event the evening before, the rest of the weekend turned out to be beautiful & perfect for camping! Shane had everything all set when we arrived later in the morning! The RV was up & running with water & electricity, the campfire was all set up, groceries were bought & put away & the RV was all ready to be lived in by the time we arrived.

 

We spent the day hanging out & enjoying our little family of three + one :) There was a cute little squirrel that lived next to our campsite & he was not shy about hanging out by us. Every time we were outside he would come near us & Mason had fun chasing him & trying to feed him crackers.



The boys spent a lot of their afternoon chasing each other playing tag & playing catch with Mason's new baseball glove:



We passed the time by going on a walk on one of the many trails, gathering sticks/wood for the campfire, we checked out the boats on the lake, played at the playground & by then it was time to start making supper. We grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, made corn on the cob & ate outside on the picnic table.

Mase & Daddy waiting patiently for supper



 After supper Mama cleaned up the dishes while the boys started the campfire. Once all the dishes were put away I joined them around the campfire & we busted out the marshmallows. We took turns helping Mason toast his marshmallows & he LOVED eating them. I have to admit so did Mama! They were oooey, gooey & pretty darn tasty!



Once it got dark we headed inside the RV & got ready for bed. Shane stayed out by the campfire while I got Mason ready for bed & I later joined him with a cold beer once Mason fell asleep. It was so peaceful hanging out around the fire with the hubby! It had been a great 1st day of camping & we were looking forward to what day 2 had in store for us.

Day 2:
Since we were close to home, Shane woke up early (as usual) & ran home to let the bulldogs out & feed them. It was 9am when I finally woke up & Mase was still asleep also. I couldn't believe I had slept that late! I can't even tell you the last time I have slept in past 7:30am! Shane came back shortly after I awoke & got the coffee going & started making breakfast. By the time we finished eating & cleaned up dishes it was late in the morning so we decided to go for a walk & play at the playground.

After burning some energy at the playground, we headed back to the RV, ate lunch & then walked up to the lake to see the boats.



While at the edge of the lake Shane was teaching Mason how to skip rocks on the water. He had SO much fun throwing rocks into the lake & dang near had a meltdown when we tried to leave.

He also spent a lot of time looking for "Nemo" in the water :)

Once we got back to the RV it was getting late in the afternoon & it was time to start getting packed up & head back home. While we were waiting on Daddy to get the outside of the RV all packed up & ready Mase & I did a little coloring to pass the time:

Mase & I headed back home around 3pm while Shane stayed at the campsite for a little while longer. He ended up leaving the RV at the campsite for one more night & taking it back to the storage place the next day.

We had SO much fun on our first "glamping" trip & we are looking forward to many more family trips next year. There are already plans to meet my sister & her family in WI to camp, a trip out to Colorado & lots of little weekend trips around the area.

Now I just need winter to hurry up & blow on by & for spring to get here :)

"Glamping" - part 1

Definition of "glamping" - A form of camping involving accommodation and facilities more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping.

It all started with my husband asking me what I thought about taking Mason camping sometime. Now those of you who know me I'm sure don't see me as the camping type. Well you just might be right. I can honestly say I have never been camping before so other than hearing from my family & friends what it all entailed I really didn't have anything to base my opinion on.

I immediately had visions of us pitching a tent, making food on a fire & the three of us gathered around the campfire toasting marshmallows. Sounds kind of fun. Pretty sure Mason would love it. It can't be that awful.....can it??

So I asked a few more questions about camping equipment, where would we go, when he wanted to go & he responds with "well I have actually been looking into buying a camper". Um - ok. A camper sounds nice. So I start asking what kind of camper he is thinking about buying & he says "an RV". Clearly we are not on the same page here.

The hubby started showing me pictures of ones that he was "interested" in & we spent a couple of Saturday's "looking" at RV's. The more we looked the more I liked :)

Then came the day where the husband found "the one". He sent me pictures of it asking what I thought & honestly I thought it was WAY more than what a little family of three might need but then I started visioning family going with us & Mason have a couple of friends go with us when he was older & it seemed perfect.

And with that said, we became owners of an RV......

 

Our 1st "glamping" event occurred this weekend. We decided to stay close to home & reserved a site out at Hillsdale State Park. Shane spent most of the day Friday setting up the RV & campsite. Unfortunately, I ended up getting stuck at work late (which later turned into a blessing) so the plan was for Shane to pick Mason up from daycare, head out to the campsite & I would join them when I got off of work.

I hadn't talked to Shane the rest of the day & after work I stopped in to Target to pick up a few things for the weekend. The weather was starting to get nasty & I could see a big storm moving in from the south so I hurried to get in & get out. As I am checking out, I overhear the lady behind me talking about a tornado that had just touched down near the area. Then the girl said it was spotted over Hillsdale Lake - the exact location of our campsite. Where Shane & Mase were supposed to be at.

My heart stopped. Time stood still. I was trying to pay for my items, dig my phone out of my purse & call Shane all at the same time. Of course he didn't answer. By now my stomach is in knots, I have NO idea where my husband & son are & I am about to drive south into this storm.

Shane finally calls me back & I ask if they were ok, if the camper is ok, where they took shelter at & he seems to have no idea why I am acting crazy with all the questions. Turns out he picked up Mason & decided to wait for me at home & planned on going out to the campsite later in the evening. He also was oblivious to the weather going on around him or the campsite 15 miles down the road.

Once I made it home through the torrential downpour, we started watching the news & these were the images of the tornado that was located right over our campsite:

 

Once the storm passed we got into the car to make our way to the campsite not knowing what shape our newly bought RV was in or what kind of damage there was at the State Park. Unfortunately, when we got there the police had barricaded the park & wasn't letting anyone in due to all the damage that had been done. So we turned around & headed back home to watch the news & see what more they were saying.

 

They had released some pictures from earlier in the evening of some of the damage that had been done at the campsites:

 

After seeing these pictures, Shane had already decided our camper was destroyed & was stressing out about the money that had been lost. Me being the calm one kept trying to reassure him that I'm sure the RV was just fine but secretly I was sick to my stomach & was afraid to see the damage done to our RV but clearly one of us had to remain calm & it wasn't my husband.

We all went to bed late that night & Shane was up at the crack of dawn after a restless night sleep. It was 6am when he woke me up & told me he was headed to the campsite. 30 minutes later I was awoke again by a text from Shane that read: "not a scratch on it."

Which I responded with: "see I told you there was nothing to worry about" & then immediately said a prayer thanking God for sparing our RV & another one for all the people that had sadly lost theirs in the storm.

Whew - thank goodness all was ok at our campsite. However the campsite located right next to us not so much. We soon discovered that all those awful pictures the news had posted of the destroyed campers was at the site right next to ours. So sad seeing so much damage.

Shane got back home, we all ate breakfast, showered, packed up & headed out to the RV & our weekend of "glamping" had begun.

I will never know why Shane changed his plans that evening. Shane doesn't even know why because he changed his mind in the car after picking up Mase. What I do know is that it was God above who intervened. It was God's doing for keeping them home - safe & sound & keeping me at work late. There is no other explanation.

Psalm 27:5

"For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling"

 

to be continued...

A Day Off

My dear friend Deanna, who lives in Austin, was in town this weekend for her 15 year high school reunion. Ugh  - that makes me feel old seeing how my 25th reunion would have been this past summer! Needless to say she is the "baby" in my group of friends!

I ended up taking today off to spend with Deanna & my Mama Bestie Jen. Mason also got to enjoy a day "off" from daycare & spent the day hanging with Deanna, the Mama's & Miss Ava Jean as well.

Since Jen & I both have brand new houses, Deanna wanted to see them both so we started our morning by having the girls over to Casa de Taylor. I made homemade caramel rolls, brewed a pot of coffee with some yummy Pumpkin Spice creamer & awaited the girls arrival.

 

They came, they toured, they ate, they enjoyed & then we were on our way to spend the afternoon at Deanna Rose Farmstead.

Deanna had never been to the Farmstead so she had so much fun watching the "littles" walk around like pros showing her all there is to do there.

We saw the calves, fed the chickens, gave the baby goats bottles of milk, fed the ducks & the fish, saw the baby quail chicks, had ice cream together & enjoyed a beautiful day outside together all catching up.

 

After conquering the farmstead we all headed on over to Jen & Ava Jean's house. Mase ended up falling asleep in the car on the way over which was good because that boy turns into a grizzly bear if he hasn't had a nap.

Once we arrived, we enjoyed getting the tour of Jen's new home while Mase & Ava played in the playroom. We hung out for awhile longer visiting & then it was time to head back to our house.

Later that evening us three met up with our other girlfriends & had dinner at Cheesecake Factory. The kiddos kept each other entertained while the adult ladies got to eat, drink & catch up.

It was such a great day off during the work week! Just wish I was able to have a day off every week :( Seeing Deanna was awesome & definitely wonderful to spend the day with such good girlfriends.

Block Party

This evening we participated in our 1st block party in our new subdivision. This is an annual event sponsored by our builder & real estate agent for the subdivision & it was a great way to meet other neighbors in our 'hood!

The street in front of the office was shut down & tables were set up for all the food. A few of the neighbors spent the entire day out in the street smoking the meat to be served at the potluck. Our builder actually had bought all the meat & paper supplies/utensils which I thought was really nice. 

Everyone was instructed to bring a dish or dessert to share as well as a lawn chair. We bought a special lawn chair for Mason earlier in the week to take camping & he was so excited to try it out!

We joined all our neighbors who live in our cul-de-sac & enjoyed sampling all the yummy food people had brought. I chose to make my Oreo Pudding Dessert & it was a HUGE hit! There wasn't even a spoonful left when it was time to go home!

Neighbors from our cul-de-sac

 

We hung out with our neighbors until it started to get dark & then we packed up the wagon & walked the two short blocks back home. 

Mase had so much fun playing with all the big kids from the neighborhood & even met a few new friends that are his age! He did manage to stop for 2 seconds to take a selfie with Mama :)

It was a fun evening getting to know our neighbors better as well as meeting other people in our subdivision. Looking forward to attending this annual get-together every year!



Urban Air

I am always looking for fun places to take Mase to around the area - especially for the upcoming winter time where we are stuck inside with nothing to do. My friend Jen told me about this new place that opened up in Overland Park called Urban Air so we decided to check it out today.

Talk about SO. MUCH. FUN.

It is a huge building that has 2 wall-to-wall trampoline arenas - one for little kids & one for big kids, a trampoline runway, foam pit, slam dunk track, trampoline dodgeball arenas, Warrior Course and a 4 level indoor playground. Little kids & big kids of all ages are welcome to jump & play. We spent 3 hours there & Mason (& Mama & Daddy) had a ball.

Mase jumping into the pit

 



 

 Having fun jumping in the trampoline arenas

 "Swimming" in the ball pit in the 4-level playground

 

We went during the weekend & I felt this place was kind of pricey for a couple hours of play (around $14). Definitely much cheaper during the week but it is a great place for ALL ages & it will wear a kiddo out! We got home & Mase took a 4 hour nap so I guess you can say it was worth every penny - Mommy Win :)

 

We will definitely be going back to this fun place soon - especially this winter!



DS Walk

It's September 1st & that means two things in my little world: fall has officially begun & the fundraising for a very important event in our family has commenced!

As most of you know, that cutie right there is my 1 year old niece Dana. Crazy how much she has grown in a year!

One month from today on October 1st, my family will be traveling to Wisconsin to once again join my sister, her family & all her amazing friends (known as "Dana's Daisies") in helping raise awareness for Down Syndrome. We will all be participating in the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin - Fox Cities 6th annual awareness walk.

The DSAW-Fox Cities has provided my sisters' family with so much support, education, resources & opportunities in the short time they have been a part of this amazing group. They have been a HUGE reason why Dana has done so well with her development & learning thus far. This organization & their events are really important to our family & I am working hard to help support them.

This walk is fully funded by participation &/or monetary donations. All the money raised for this walk stays within the Fox Cities community & is used on the children & their families that live there. Better yet, it is also a charitable tax-deduction!

I am posting this today asking for your support in helping me reach my fundraising goal. If you would be interested in helping me reach this goal, you can visit my page & make an online donation here: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/account/328250

Thank you for taking the time to read this post & considering donating to this awesome cause! Please remember that no matter how big or how small the donation, every little bit helps these amazing children & their families!

Miss Dana & our family thanks you :)