Outside Projects

Outside projects are so much fun!  We enjoy writing with sidewalk chalk, painting on a canvas, painting bird houses, hula hooping, tie dying t-shirts and plenty of other fun outdoor projects/ hobbies! Samantha even came down the other day and wanted to go bird watching with her Daddy before dinner!  Not sure how many birds were spotted, but she got our family outside before dinner and it was nice to get out and breathe some fresh, although hot and humid, air!    

It is really hard to convince our children to step outside these days- we have all become so happy and content with being inside, in the comfort of our AC (not that it is a bad thing) but a little sunshine and playful imagination will go a long way with helping our children to become more well rounded- not to mention their happiness and health!

I hope that everyone is having a happy day and is enjoying their weekend!

~Casey

 

This is the tree that we hang our painted birdhouses from!

Tie Dying!

Bird watching with Daddy!

MAKE UP!!

I love MAKE UP!  I have been a very brand loyal customer until recently.  In my own opinion, there are certain parts of brands that can be interchanged with a lesser expensive version.  For example, I have always used Christian Dior Extase mascara or Bad Gal Lash mascara (both are around $27 a tube) until I tried the Ulta brand mascara, Lash Icon ($10 a tube), and I LOVE it!! It goes on smoothly and it makes my lashes look very long and full! The next thing I have tried is eye shadow.   Maybelline has a 24 hour cream eye shadow that I use just about everyday!  It is really great- I will even put a little on before I go to the gym and it does not sweat off.  I do, however, continue to love my Dior shadows and I have not found a powder eye shadow that is as soft as Dior's yet.  I have always used the Dior Airflash (air brush foundation) which cost $65 per can!  It is wonderful and I love it, but I was going thru it so fast.  I did find another air brush foundation called Aero Minerals, this was also found at Ulta.  It is a great substitute for the Dior Airflash and the Aero Minerals only cost $14.99!  I have tried and tried to find a good substitute for Bare Minerals powder- I have tried L'oreal, Revlon and Maybelline's mineral powder and there is no comparison- Bare Minerals powder, in my humble opinion, is still the best.  Eyeliner, I like to use gel eyeliner, it is smooth and it goes on with a brush so easy and it is so light on your eyes.  I have used Bobbi Brown, Dior and Maybelline's and believe it or not, the Maybelline brand went on the easiest and I did not have to keep reapplying to get the liner darker.  Maybelline also kept its moisture in the pot better than Bobbi Brown eyeliner.  Dior's liner stayed moist, but it need 3 or 4 applications before I could get it to the shade that I liked.  Lipstick- I think I have 50+ lipsticks at one time!  This is definitely my favorite part of make up.  I use Revlon, L'oreal, Dior, BUT my two favorite brands are Chanel (lipstick and gloss) and Buxom (lip plumping gloss)!  I have been purchasing the same color of Chanel lipstick and gloss since Samantha was born and the color never gets old!  I have tried a so many of the lip plumpers and I really think that Buxom outshines them all!  They have the best color selection and it really does plump your lips!       

Well, that is my 2 cents on make up.  I hope that you all enjoyed reading this and I also hope that if you know of a good brand to share, that you will share it with the rest of us!

Have a wonderful day and SMILE- it's contagious!

~Casey

Here are a few of my favorite 'deals'!  I also have in here the Sephora wrinkle filler.  It is wonderful!

Getting ready...

This is such a bitter sweet time for me, as well as most moms out there.  I look forward to the routine, but I will miss being whimsical and sleeping in if we 'feel like it'.  Summer break is coming to an end and another adventure is ahead - for us it will be 1st grade!

When Samantha was a little, tiny baby, we were told to enjoy every moment because they grow up so fast.   It does feel like we just brought her home from the hospital and instead we are starting 1st grade next week.  She is so excited to return to school, as I am sure most children are, to see her friends, find out who her new teacher will be and who will be in her class.  It is amazing to me how most children embrace the change and yet some of us parents have such a hard time with it.   

It is very funny to see the different emotions in the hallways; crying, laughter, nervous, quiet smiles, 'high fiving', etc., and that's the parents that I am talking about!   I will be on the crying side- as I always am- and Kevin will be telling me that I have to leave the parking lot..... Yep!  I am 'that' mom!

Good luck to all the parents out there who's children have started school and will be starting soon!  If you cry, know that you will be in good company- I will be right there with you!  And if you are the happy, 'high fiving' type- thank you, you guys take the edge off and make what seems so scary to some parents a little bit lighter.

Enjoy your babies, hug them tight!  They don't stay little for long (although I wish they would)!  Thank you to all of my friends who have held me up after dropping Samantha off at all of her first days of school, preschool and yes even mother's day out (I think I cried for 2 weeks all the while Samantha was having a blast).   Enjoy your year and I hope that all of the children make the best grades that they can!

~Casey

Samantha with her GG and Pop

Birthday time!!

What a great time of year this is for us! Six years ago on the 9th of August, our little miracle was born.  Kevin and I tried for 7 years to get pregnant and one hurricane and a major move to San Antonio, we found out that we were pregnant!  What an exciting time this was for us!  So many memories flood my mind- calling my parents and then calling Kevin's parent's- Honey even told me that Angelina and Brad (Pitt) had just announced that they were pregnant too!  So, I have to say this was a very joyous time and we all celebrated this miracle that we had been given. 

The due date was set for Sept. 14 and we thought that we had all the time in the world to prepare.  Little did we know that our little angel was going to make a surprise appearance on Aug 9 (only 4 days after her grandfather's, Sam, birthday).  She was beautiful and tiny and absolutely perfect for our new little family!

Happy birthday to my sweet, beautiful angel!