This weekend....

I could use another day of this. :) This weekend has been really, really full.
Lots of baby snuggles.
Lots of relaxing.
LOTS of cleaning. (I got overly excited about a purchase of a Shark Sonic Duo!)
Art projects with Katie Shae.
Baking a cake with her just because.
Playing outside and snapping some pictures of my oldest and youngest while my middle baby boy was having his ABA therapy.
Watching Walk Hard and laughing at it all over again.
Celebrating finding the perfect rugs for our kitchen, finally.
Getting organized for the week ahead.
The only sad part is that my husband has been sick with a fever today and I miss him!

I'd like another day of this weekend, please! <3

Yes, please!

                                                      image via Pinterest
This past week has been an emotionally draining one.
I'm learning more and more the importance of separating myself from people who are drama and negativity walking and being around people who are happy, loving and positive.
Here's to more of all of the above with the people that I love!

Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.

Winners!

CONGRATULATIONS!

To my winners Amanda and Courtney N! I delivered the Story Lines books to them today and can't wait to see what their kiddos do with these books. :)

Thanks also to all of you who shared or "liked" this post on Facebook!

Giveaway!

 

Compendium never fails to inspire me!

I have a long-standing love affair with their beautiful collections of quotes and uplifiting images, and I love that they also have products to encourage artistic expression in kiddos. J My little Katie Shae was so excited to break out the crayons and tell a story about a brave little kitten saving the world! ;)
And how precious will it be to look back at this story illustrated by her as a seven year old? Really precious. J
These pictures are just a few of my favorite pages from her finished book…I love them.

 

I want to share this fun experience with two of my blog readers! Please enter a comment below and I will pick two winners and send you each a copy of a ready to illustrate book from Compendium’s children line! (You can check out the full line here)

You don’t have to have a blogger ID to comment, just hit “anonymous” and add your name and contact information.

 

xx Charin

 

The luckiest...

These pictures have made me smile so many times today...this is my youngest baby and my oldest baby doing what they do best. :) Snuggling and being oh-so-sweet together! Katie is 7, and Parker is 6 months old. She's like his second Mama and it is so cute to watch them interact. He watches her with so much love in his eyes and starts kicking up a storm and grinning when she comes near him.
I'm blessed to see the relationships between all three of my children grow.
This first day of the weekend has been perfect! Lots of snuggles to go around, relaxing, and knowing that in this house there's a lot of love to share. :)

xxoo

Healthier eating for the working Mama

I have a confession. My “breakfast” has consisted of a Dr. Pepper and maybe a cereal bar for the past I- don’t-even- know- how- long.  A lot of times I wouldn’t eat anything at all in the mornings, and then fall victim to the bowl of tempting candy that sits next to the employee entrance at work. Aside from when I was pregnant. Then I was eating fairly healthy. ;) I am working on making healthier choices just for me, and my non- pregnant health.:)

 

I recently stumbled across the term overnight oats and thought I’d google. I found this website that’s loaded with tons of recipes and ideas and decided it was time to stock up on some supplies!

 

I have made several varieties and have loved them all!
So far, I’m sticking with a base of :

1/3 cup of raw oats

1/3 cup of vanilla almond milk

2-3 tablespoons of plain vanilla yogurt

(I’ve heard greek yogurt is great in it, but I no likey the greek yogurt)

 

Mix it all up with whatever add-ins sound yummy to you.:)
Here are some that I’ve tried.

 

A small handful of fresh blackberries, a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar and a sprinkling of chopped walnuts

 

A sliced fresh strawberry and a sprinkling of dried blueberries

 

Sliced fresh green apple, walnuts and a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar

 

Just mix everything together and stick it in your fridge so it’s ready to eat the next morning.:) I have a small tervis tumbler with a lid that’s perfect for this.

I’ve topped it with granola just before eating it also. So good!

I just thought I’d share some healthier eating inspiration. Nom-nom.

Here's to making small conscious decisions towards a healthier self. :)

She's so happy...

 

Life has been crazy busy lately. So, so busy! I have been looking for a way to get back in the groove of slowing down just a bit, enough to appreciate where I'm at right now. :)

Spotting this fun challenge here at 100 happy days has me excited to document the every day! Looking back at the last 100 days, a LOT has happened in my life. It may not seem like it when you're living it.

Join in, friends! :) You can read all about it on the 100 happy days site and play along by posting photos with a #100happydays hashtag. :) I'm starting today. Monday's are good like that.

I'm going to be sharing my photos on Instagram! You can find me by searching username "charinkellie".

**Spoiler alert, day one may or may not be a pic of a ridiculous book. :)