Swimmingly Along

Today was the start of swim lessons. To say that the girls were excited is an understatement.

Sassy, aren’t they! Moira couldn’t wait to get into the pool, she kept asking me to come with her and get in. I am so thankful that she is not scared of the water like a lot of other toddlers can be. AJ made friends right away with some of the other little girls waiting to get in while Gabby took it all in. I think Gabby is starting to feel a little self conscious in her suit so I am really being mindful not to pick at myself in mine, even though I am not the biggest fan of swim suit season, lol.

I can’t stop looking at this photo…. they are getting so big so fast!

I’m looking forward to this new Tuesday routine of ours!

 

Capture the Gift

One of my goals this year is to capture the gift of my everyday life. Gratitude leads to happiness and I’m determined to have a very happy year. I received an early birthday present- a lovely little camera. Even though we have a DSLR I really wanted something that I can just stick in my purse or pocket, carrying a big camera isn’t easy with my monkey baby. I did a lot of research and the Canon Powershot ELPH 110H came up as being one of the best point and shoots available. =) Yay!

Isn’t it cute?! I’m super excited to see what daily crazy silliness I capture. I’m also interested in improving my photography skills. Photos like this encourage me. This is one of my Christmas presents, a set of beautiful pink vintage Pyrex bowls. I’m hoping to get a few more pieces for my birthday coming up.

So that is it, a simple attainable goal. An attitude of gratitude you might say. What are your self improvement goals for the year? Anything major?

App review- Princess Fairytale Maker

Have some little ones that love to play on your iPhone or iPad? I sure do! I was getting bored of hearing the same old games going on when my iPhone was borrowed so I went in search of some new apps for the girls to play and discovered the most amazing and fun app called Princess Fairytale Maker.

Seriously folks, you are going to want to play with it just as much as your kids! And although the title is “Princess” there is stuff here for boys as well. Basically your kids use stickers, colored pencils, crayons, and more to create a scene. Then they hit the voice record button and can tell a story about their picture, while moving the stickers around to help tell the story! There are so many elements from fairies and mermaids to food and animals. All of it is adorably structured and I love hearing the girls tell their very own story.

What’s even more impressive is that you can group scenes together to make a bigger story. Love, love, love! Here are some more screen shots from the game, which you can buy here. =)

If you are going to buy an app for your kids then I highly recommend apps by Duck Duck Moose… there are lots more to choose from so check them out!

10 Things to Do Before Summer Ends

Well folks, it’s almost here. The end of Summer.

Kids are school supply shopping and in some places school is already in session. The temperatures are back to comfortable and I have been in jeans, flip flops, and tee shirts again. Yay! However, there is still time to get in some summer fun before summer ends. Here is our top 10 list!

10. Nature Hike-  Venture to paths less traveled, bring a magnifying glass and a jar, snap some photos, explore the beauty of nature!

9. Have a picnic- Simple… whether you are a city dweller or a country family. Pack some yummy food like picnic on a sticks, salads in mason jars, and some fruit salad, plop a blanket somewhere, enjoy each other. (People watching is a big plus for picnics in my book!)

8. Stay up late- pitch some blankets and pillow forts, pop in a movie, make some awesome marshmallow popcorn, and let them stay up super late… fun fun fun!

7. Get some ice cream

6. Get wet- whether its a beach, canoeing, a waterpark, or a new pool… get there asap!

5. Find it fresh- go fruit picking or to a farmers market, make something fresh and delicious… then share the recipe with me, lol.

4. Get Messy- have a water fight, a mud war, dance in the rain… just get messy. My suggestion- take some washable paint, put it in a freezer baggie, add some baking powder and vinegar… stand back and watch it explode!!! =) (Making pop explode is fun as well!)

3. Find a Fest- There are tons of county fairs, city festivals, and other fun frollicking to be had. Ride some rides, eat some yummy and oh so bad for you food, and enjoy the sights and smells of a summer tradition. (The Cleveland Feast of Assumption is August 15-18th… whoo hoo!)

2. Pick a Park- Make a day of it and explore a whole bunch of new parks in one day…

1. Have a Party- throw together a last minute porch party… doesn’t have to be fancy, just grab a whole bunch of chairs, some friends, and have everyone bring something to share. Don’t think about it, just do it!

I Pinned It and Did It!

There are many things that I have pinned and then did, especially recipes and crafts.

This is probably one of my favorite ones so far as the kids could do it and the results were adorable!

This is the original pin and original post that the pin originated from:

… and these are the ones we made. The girls really enjoyed using the pipe cleaners to stamp and a brush to add blue and gold glitter!

Instead of using puffy paint we just plain acrylic since I have so much of it… the results are very pretty and I can’t wait for them to all sport their shirts this week!!

I think I am going to make this a series of sorts since I do make and create a lot of things that I add to Pinterest…

anyone who wants to add their own Pinterest experiments please do so!

Cheers!