Get Crafty with a Giveaway

We all know I love to craft, create, decorate and then redecorate! But there are times, that I don't have everything I need, or can't find everything I need in my disorganized chaos craft room. There are times, I don't want to take my two littles out shopping so I can get crafty...its lazy I know, no judging. 

That's where my friends at Mulberry Crate come in. {I'm not receiving any compensation or free products for this post, just sharing an amazing idea, and an amazing small business that love and wish I would've thought of.} Have you heard of them? These girls pack every little thing (glue, paint, glitter, foam brushes, etc) you need to create 2-3 seasonal crafts *guests or hosts may need to supply scissors, irons and ironing board depending on the crafts. Everything is packaged so neatly and cute. They also include colored detailed directions so even if you aren't that crafty, you'll be able to fake it well. 

{part of my Valentine's crate. It also included a glittered hoop art and specimen art}

I'm so addicted to their crates that I'm starting my own little collection! I've completed a Christmas crate, a Valentine's crate, a St. Patrick's day crate

                              

and I'm hosting my 2nd MC party in a couple weeks! And speaking of hosting a party, it'll be the easiest party you'll ever host. You email them your date, they will get back to you with the shipping cut off date and will set up a party listing on etsy for your party. Everyone will order directly through etsy which means you aren't handling any money, any payments just directing your friends in the right direction. The MC girls will then ship the crates directly to you. All you have to do is have the space to craft...and some snacks and wine to share...it's always a nice touch. Depending on how many crates are ordered you can even earn a crate at a discount or even free, just for being a hostess!

I love them so much that I am hosting a giveaway! Here's your chance to win a mini-spring crate shipped straight to your house...on me! I want you to see why I love MC. 

                  

a Rafflecopter giveaway I'd love to use the Mulberry crate crafts for my mantle, but until I actually have a mantle my little nook dresser will have to work. Where will you put yours?

xoxo
Angela

Be sure to like them on Facebook, heart them on Etsy and follow them on Instagram to stay up to date on their current crates. Email them at Mulberrycrate@gmail.com for more information. 

Little Misters' Style

As a mom of only boys, I know that shopping for boys may not be as much fun as shopping for cute little ruffles, bows, dresses and the million accessories that all go in wardrobes for little girls. But I do think dressing boys is easy: jeans, tee shirt, shoes, sweatshirt {for cooler mornings} and optional hat {for over-due hair cut days}...see super easy and quick.

{He's showing me his road runner...can't you see it in his hands?!?}

{He was being shy}

Jackson's outfit- shirt: Shaun White from Target

jeans: dENiZEN from target...go quick they are on clearance! We love this brand, we have 3 pairs.

shoes: Nike from Famous Footwear

Funny story about Jackson, on his Christmas list he asked for red pants, blue shoes, green underwear and a yellow shirt...what 3 (at the time) year old asks for clothes for 1 and 2 for such specific clothes? Yep my kid. He hasn't gotten a yellow shirt yet, but he has the rest and loves those red jeans and blue shoes!

 {Remind me why I buy my kids toys when they are perfectly content playing with rocks?!?}

{"I say cheese when you take my picture, momma?"}

Preston's outfit: TeePee cardigan from The Printed Palette

plain white undershirt from target

Jeans: baby gap boot cut

Shoes: Converse  from Famous Footwear

Over the years and with a 8 year age spread between my 4 boys, I've watched my style for them change. I used to keep clothes to hand down to the next boy, but now I just save my very favorite pieces and donate the rest or hand them off to friends or family.  Has your style for your kids changed over the years? Have you gotten more casual or more adventurous?

Linking up with Cassie at Live.Laugh.L0ve. If you have little boys, join us won't you?

                                                              

It's a double link up kind of day...so I'm linking up with these girls:

xoxo
Angela

Rainy Day Fun

We are spoiled in sunny Southern California, very spoiled. We basically can enjoy amazing weather all year long, fun outdoor activities ALL year long {hello beach trips in January!}....at least until it rains. You see, coming from a girl raised in Washington state, for most of her childhood, I wasn't always so lucky, and really have little pity. We played outside as often as we could but there were times (months) that we had to keep ourselves occupied inside. My brother and I got creative, we'd play games, we'd watch movies and eat popcorn, I'd bake cookies all to pass the time until we could get outside again.

                  

When it rains in SoCal, we really don't know what to do with ourselves. I love the rain, I really do. I love getting cozy on the couch with a good book or a movie. I love playing games, getting crafty and baking the day away. But if I have to go anywhere outside our house, you'd swear we are all preparing for Armageddon. No one is able to drive, we fumble with umbrellas, over-sized jackets, hats and gloves, and don't forget the shiny cute new rain boots that have most likely never actually been rained on.

It's been raining all day for the last two days, and I've loved it. We've built forts, watched movies, drank hot cocoa, and got crafty with our new rainbow loom. If the rain subsides on Sunday like it's supposed to, I may actually miss our indoor time, but I know that if it continues too long, my boys {and most likely myself} will all development a vitamin D deficiency and may even go a bit crazy...

 

                                 

    

Then we will need to hit the spray tanning booth before returning to our normal beach going, bike riding, outdoor playing lives. So before we develop a vitamin deficiency and go crazy I need a little help. How do you all cope with the winter blues? How do you keep your kids busy when they are stuck inside? What are your favorite family activities? 

*And my apologies for those of you who don't live in SoCal and are possibly buried under feet of snow, email me your address and I'll send you some gloves or a hat...I don't need them often.

xoxo
Angela

Coffee Date

If we were meeting for coffee today, I'd first off apologize for looking like a walking zombie. Jim has been out of town all week and holding down our fort and four {still at home} kids is tough, and exhausting but at the same time reassures me that I can do hard things. I can handle this whole parenting gig...thank goodness or I'd be a little over my head with five boys, right?!?

                  

If we met, I'd probably complain that I'm sick and tired of my poor babies being sick. Preston started off the week with a croup-like cough and even with a steroid and an inhaler, he doesn't sound any better. He's not sleeping any better-unless of course its when he's supposed to be awake...

                    

I'd tell you that with Jim being gone this week, my half marathon training has not gone well. I've had to run on the treadmill, and I hate running while staring at my blank wall. It makes me feel like I'm running in a padded room. I'm excited to get back to my routine with my running buddy and group.

I'd tell you how excited I am to get busy again this weekend working on the boys' room switch. I'm loving how it is all starting to come together. I love that Jim and I are having a great time building...yes building the furniture for the big boys' room. I feel such a sense of accomplishment that once it's finished, I can say that I did the whole room, from top to bottom. How cool is that?!?

                   

I'd tell you that I'm excited for Jim to be home. I've missed him, the kids have missed him. And while I know there are many more families who are separated for longer than 5-6 days, it's amazing how much of a team him and I are. We compliment each other, we help each other, we work together and when he's not home; I feel like a coach without my team captain, peanut butter without chocolate, wine without cheese...one by itself is fine, but so much better together.

But enough of my whining, how are you? What have you been up to this week?

xoxo
Angela

I'm the kinda girl who...

                                        

-worries too much

-almost always says "yes" when people ask me to do something for them, then stresses out because my plate is too full

-cares {sometimes} too much

-loves to decorate and redecorate my house

-loves my loud boy-filled house

-has no self control when it comes to sweets...thanks for that dad

-has craft ADD and often has 5 or more half-finished projects going at once

-loves to cook, but hates to clean up afterwards

-hates the city. I love to visit cities but could absolutely never, ever feel like home living in one

-wants to live in the country with a big ol' farm house surrounded by horses, chickens and rabbits...Jim couldn't disagree more

-doesn't wear heels, I don't like being taller than Jim...it makes me feel like an amazon

-played soccer for over 12 years and loves watching my boys love it like I did

-is training for my 1st half marathon and just hoping to not die before running across the finish line

-has a hard time letting things go

-loves to read but struggles to make the time to actually do it

-loves a clean house, but not as much as I enjoy watching my boys play and destroy it

-loves taking pictures but fills awkward being in them...unless it's a selfie...and then I'm all over it

-is indecisive

-loves my life

xoxo
Angela

linking up with Holly from Hey, Hollywood. Head over to meet some more friends.

My Love Hate Relationship with Exercise

We all know that exercise is good for you. We all know that we need to get active, be healthy, eat better. But for crying out loud why are things we need to do so damn hard sometimes?!?
     

My attempts to get healthier are nothing new. For nearly 3 years, I've been a member of my local Fit4Mom (formally Stroller Strides) workout group. I love every minute of it. I love that I've met other mom friends. I love that they keep me accountable, keep me motivated and push me when I need it most. But one of the things I love even more is that my littles love going. They know that when I have my workout clothes on we are heading out the door and they'll get to see their friends soon. When the kids are happy, mommas happy. And when they're happy, momma gets to workout!

Last year, I challenged myself with a no-kids workout through Fit4Mom and completed two sessions of body back, think boot camp type workout. {more on that journey here} For once in my over 10 years of being a mom, I was putting myself first, my health first, my fitness first. It's hard to do that as a mom. I'm always there cheering on my boys as they play sports, but finding the time for me to sneak away isn't always easy. I know I couldn't have done it without Jim's support.

I recently decided to challenge myself once again. I joined a running group and signed up for my first 1/2 marathon. My oldest boy has been a runner for 8 years. He ran as part of "running club" in middle school, cross country and track in high school and now runs at college. He loves it, he's amazing at it. I'm not like him. I want to like running, I want to have the desire to go for a quick run when I have nothing going on, I want to not gasp for breath like a struggling hippo being chased by a Lion. I'll get there...I hope...eventually.

For now I'm kinda-sorta-not entirely-hating running, at least on nights when I run with my running buddy or group without my kids. On days I have to push my nearly 100 pounds of kids and stroller, I hate running. On days when I have to run in the middle of our California winter of 85*, I hate running down to my core. On nights when I have to skip my group and run on my treadmill and stare at the wall, I hate running even more. But, I keep going. Why? Because I'm stubborn, because I paid to torture myself with running, because I just signed up for that 1/2 marathon and I WILL finish that run. Because I can do this!

If you happen to see me struggling for air on the side of the road while pushing my 100 lbs of kids and stroller, please pull over and help me push them. Or hand me a candy bar! That may do the trick. Better yet, run ahead of me with said candy bar, that'll really get me moving!

   

How do you fit exercise in? What are your goals this year?

xoxo
Angela

Sunday Social (on monday...because I'm always late)

I never used to be late, then I had kids. So in typical me fashion, I'm joining a Sunday link up on Monday. Better late than never I guess. Right? Or is it better never than late?

This weeks questions and answers...

                                                  

1. What is your favorite breakfast food?

Does coffee count as breakfast? I know its the most important meal of the day, and I know I'm supposed to eat breakfast, but on most days I don't. BUT...if I'm in Washington visiting my parents and brother's family, I HAVE to go to a small hole in the wall restaurant, Uncle Dave's. They have the BEST biscuits and gravy. And when I say best I don't just mean in the area, I mean like I've tried just about every place close to me and none of them can touch it. And please don't hurt me my southern friends, I've even tried restaurants on our road trip through (part) of the south and Uncle Dave's is still better. 

2. What is the best way to spend a free day?

I have 4 (at home) kids, is there ever really a "free" day? If we really don't have anything going on,  I love playing with my boys. We live on an amazing street with lots of kids, so we go outside and let them run around like crazy monkeys as often as we can. After they run wild for a while, I love family movie nights with the big boys. 

3. If you had an airline ticket to anywhere in the world....where would you go and why?

I've never gone to Hawaii and really want to go. Jim's gone many times back in his Navy days and really has no interest to go again, but I think that I could convince him to go to another island. But if I could choose to go anywhere internationally, it'd be either Greece, Italy or Ireland.

4. You can only leave the house with one thing...what is it?

My iPhone. I really is practically attached to me. Remember the times when people would have to actually meet at a certain time and would have no way of calling or texting to see where the other person is...yeah me either. It seems like a lifetime ago.

5. How do you take your coffee?

At home: brewed using my Keurig, then I add lots of my current favorite creamer---girl scouts thin mint. delicious! If I'm at Starbucks, I get a peppermint white mocha with n0n-fat milk and no whip. I try to venture out and I'm never as happy as I am with my PWM.

Be sure to link up with Neely and Ashley to find some great blogs and meet some new friends!

Have a great Sunday Monday friends!

xoxo

Angela