Friday Favorites: Guilty Pleasures

Well HAPPY FRIDAY TO YOU! Honestly, with Summer here and absolutely no commitments or schedule (like Mother's Day Out or BSF), I wake up TOTALLY unsure of what day it even is most of the time.

And even though the extra hours wrangling my little bandit leave me exhausted by the end of the week, I am really enjoying my long days with him and freedom to just kind of wake up and decide what we wanna do that day.

Per usual, I'm linking up today with Erika for Friday Favorites!

I'll admit that I'm having a little trouble coming up with a topic for my Friday Favorites as I'm using most of my favorites moments throughout the week for the Summer O' Fun Recaps!  So I'll change it up today and go with something TOTALLY random! I'll fill you in on my favorite
"Guilty Pleasures".  These has really changed for me since becoming a Mom...so here we go:

1) Going to a movie by myself: I used to think that going to a movie alone was probably the most depressing thing you could do, and now I think it's the most de-STRESSING thing to do.  Studio Movie Grill is not far from us, so to me there is nothing better than ordering whatever you want and actually being able to eat it all by yourself in the quiet of a theatre where you are not anyone's personal jungle gym. There always seems to be a Groupon for the tickets, too! This is certainly becoming one of my favorite pastimes. ; )

2) Taking a nap: Listen, my family has always believed in naps, and as a SAHM, I believe in it more than ever! All I need is about 20-25 minutes of some quiet shut-eye and I'm a new person. I realize this makes me sound super couch potato, but seriously, when G goes own for his nap, this is the only guaranteed break I'll get during the day. I don't have a silent commute, lunch break, (or even private bathroom breaks) while G is awake, so sometimes I indulge in a little nap.  Not every day, but when I feel like I'm losing it, I clock out and lay down.

3) Chocolate Cookies on Friday Nights: There's this Nestle Tollhouse brand of break-and-bake cookie called Dark Chocolate Chip and I'M OBSESSED.  I eat 2 EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT. I get so excited about my cookies that I even have a song. Kroger used to carry them, but I CANNOT find them at Kroger anymore.  I was devastated when they stopped carrying them.  I finally found them at our local Tom Thumb, and so I buy like 5 packs at a time. They are SO UNHEALTHY, but hey...it's my guilty pleasure.

4) Cherry Coke at Sonic: Need I say more?! The ICE...the cherry...the caffeeine. I would drink one every day if I could.

5) Spouse-less TV Binging: Don't even judge. You know you like the control of the remote when your spouse is away! Now listen, I would choose my hubby being home on time above ALL ELSE...but somebody's gotta pay the bills, right? ; ) Prince Charming has been working late a lot on his business launch, so when the cat's away.....the mouse will watch girly TV.  The Bachelor, Say Yes To the Dress, Hart of Dixie, Pretty Little Liars....give me ALL the girly! Right now I'm actually binging "How I Met Your Mother" (PLEASE don't give it away.) Jeremie and I actually do have some shows that we love to watch together. But hey, I'm no fool, I know that when I'm not around, he is more than excited to tune in to ALL THINGS ALASKA, Gold Rush, Alone, etc. If I get sucked into one more episode of Naked and Afraid, we're getting another TV. 

Bonus: And now that you think I'm a lazy slob who naps and watches TV all day while eating chocolate cookies, I will inform you of some productive guilty pleasures:

• I LOVE waking up before everyone else. This was hard to start in the beginning, but if anyone gets up early with me, I'm just put out. I love to have my coffee, my quiet time, and collect my thoughts before the tribe gets going.  
• I also LOVE making the bed.  I feel like I can move on with my day once the bed is made. It instantly makes our room look straight and instantly makes me feel productive!  

So that's it! There's my guilty pleasures! Would love to hear what yours are! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Summer O' Fun Week 3!

Week 3 is in the books! I can't even believe that June is already almost over!!! It has really flown by! I actually received a sale paper from U.S. Toy today that said "Back to School"..... and I was like NO MA'AM. Good grief, let us enjoy summer!!! I feel sure that immediately when the clock strikes midnight on July 4th, everything will be back to school related and they'll be trying to us sell sweaters and scarves while it's still 108 degrees.  

Anyway-I'm looking back at these pics from Week 3, and like WHOA! THAT WAS ONLY ONE WEEK?! We were certainly trying to make up for lost time from being out of town! 

Last Monday, I took Greyson to Safari Run to get his wiggles out.  This place is a huge indoor jungle gym with an arcade.  It's great. But G is still a little too small and nervous to navigate the jungle gym without my help.  So instead of sitting in the comfy chairs while G played (like I envisioned), I was 30 feet in the air pirate-climbing a catwalk.  Sadly, I did not get any pictures a midst the chaos, because I was as afraid for my phone's life as I was for mine.  A giant plastic wrecking ball and the iPhone 7 just doesn't sound like a good match. 

We did have a great time, and G especially enjoyed the motorcycle game at the arcade afterwards. 

We pulled out the good ole Wal-Mart pool and splashed around. Greyson REALLY wanted me to "get in a swim", and I told him that'd be like trying to put a Great Whale in a fishbowl. 

This place was not originally on our Bucket List, but we met up with some friends at the new Oak Hills Splash Pad in Carrollton and it was a blast! It's got a a fun contraption with two slides, a small little water feature the tots can play in, and an awesome Pirate Ship playground! This place is FREE and fun, so we'll definitely be back! 

G wasn't really into going down the slide, but he loved hanging out at the bottom where all the water was! 

Look at this amazing playground!!! 

And wouldn't this be picture perfect if my little muffin didn't look so miserable?...Do you know what that face is saying? "I NEED A FIG BAR AND A NAP OR I'M ABOUT TO LOSE MY MIND and you'll regret ever bringing me here, Mom"

Greyson was most entertained by these little riding toys.  I looked up at one point and this little girl had joined him! I love how kids are free of inhibitions and just play together! 

Friday we headed to Tom Muehlenbeck so we could work on some swim skills. Look at my little beach babe.

I love this place because it's got a huge shallow area for the tots that is almost totally separate from the big pool.  G is already much more comfortable in and around the water this year, so it's even more fun than it was last year.  I still look at the moms sitting in the lounge chairs while their big kids safely swim on their own, and I'm like "Will that ever be me?" I'm not trying to rush it by any means, but it almost seems like that stage will never actually happen. But I'll be crying my eyes out one day when G wants to just be dropped off at the pool and doesn't need or want me in the water with him. (When that day comes, if ANY of you faithful readers are still following, you can remind me of this post!) 

Friday night we left G with a sitter and hit out for bowling with our friends.  

Funny story-After we left, I realized I'd forgotten my wallet in the beach bag, so we had to turn around and go get it.  Greyson had been crying when we left so I didn't wanna go back inside. So I called the sitter and told her to just throw the beach bag on the front porch. When we pulled up, I realized the blinds were still open, and was like "Oh Lord, Greyson's still gonna see me!" So I BOOKED IT LIKE A BURGLAR across our front yard and grabbed the bag. Oh, the things we do for a Parent's Night Out. 

The next day was actually my birthday, so naturally, I wanted to go to Legoland.  My friends made fun of me for this, but I really wanted Jeremie to be able to do this with us, and his work is about to explode.  So family time actually sounded better than a facial on that day.  (ON THIS DAY I WOULD CHOOSE THE FACIAL.) 

Just kidding. We had a great time! 

The Lego replica of Dallas/Ft. Worth is just unbelievable. I can't imagine how many hours went in to the planning and execution of this exhibit! It's unreal!

The 4D Movie was super cute! 

And even though I'm not a big Star Wars fan, this exhibit was incredible too! 

Greyson was big enough for 2 of the rides, but we sadly we only got to ride one.  We were gonna do the other on the way out, but it was mysteriously "shut down" for 30 minutes.  Well, 30 minutes to a hungry toddler may as well be 2 hours, so we split.  That was a bit disappointing.  

My official review of Legoland is 3 stars. I will say they've made a lot of improvements and updates since I took my friend and her little guy in 2015.  It's not the biggest place in the world, so it gets crowded fast. Since it was raining, we didn't get to go out to the splash pad area, which G would have loved.  (No fault of their own, though.) There is another activity called the "Forest Ranger Pursuit" where the kids can drive little battery operated jeeps.  Greyson was DYING to do this, but you have to be 4 years old to drive them.  I wish they would've announced/warned that the Kingdom Quest was closing too.  They also totally skipped the exhibit when you come in and the machines actually make the Legos and spit them out.  Greyson would have loved watching this. G was also not quite tall enough to go into the jungle gym area, which looked super fun. So all in all, even though we had a great time, I think G would enjoy it more when he's older.  

Afterwards, we ate at the Rainforest Cafe, which is within the mall. I had NEVER been to a Rainforest Cafe, and listen, I LOVED this! I'm sure they're about all the same, but I'm a sucker for atmosphere, and this place did not disappoint. They sat us in the tiger corner, and every 10 minutes or so, some or all of the "animals" would move and make their noises.  Greyson was totally entranced.  This is the best concept for child distraction while you dine!!! With all the decorations, aquariums, and animals, I thought this place was super cute! 

The food was sort of pricey (they are selling the experience), and it was decent.  I got a burger, which I always feel like is pretty safe.  Overall, I'm so glad we went! 

I came home and opened gifts, cards, and ate the most fabulous Ice Cream cake ever! Jeremie nailed it with this one! 

That afternoon we swam at a friend's pool, which made our poor Wal-Mart pool seem more miserable than it already is.....

Greyson INSISTS on wearing his goggles because he is a "Scuba Diver"

This week we've been playing a lot of "Firefighter"...

He tells me I can wear the "special hat"...(how clever, he's trying to convince me the cheap flimsy one is  "special") while he wears the good one. We also have to wear our "masks" for air. This boy is SOOOO in to firefighting. 

We've had swim lessons almost every day this week and Greyson finally turned a corner.  Apparently a Twix and a Paw Patrol toy is the ticket. Just kidding. Sort of. Just like everything else, I think that when Greyson decides on something, he's good. And he's decided he likes to swim and he likes Ms. Patty.  I've been working with him on praying and so when he told me he was scared on the way to swim, I said "What do we do when we're scared?" And he said "Pray to God." So we did.  We asked God to make him brave.....tear...tear...tear....

And when we got in the car afterwards, he said "I BRAVE". 

Also on our Bucket List this week was a picnic at The Star , which is the Cowboys headquarters in Frisco.  They have an outdoor football field that's a replica of the stadium field...it's always open to the public! So we grabbed some Sonic, put on a Prescott jersey, and ran some drills. Just kidding. Sort of.

So fun that this is only a 10 minute drive away. (And FYI-for those of you with older boys...they do VIP tours of the facility that I hear are fun!) 

Our friends met us there and it was more photo shoots gone wrong....

Little Issac and Greyson are just 3 weeks apart and big buddies....

Although the turf was like playing ON FIRE, we had a great time and Greyson talked about it all afternoon...

And that's it for Week 3! Even though Summer has me like #WHOA and I never know what day it is when I wake up, we are having a ball. These are memories and days I know I will always cherish!

Hope your Summer O' Fun is a BIG HIT and I'd love to hear what y'all are up to!

Ketones by Katie{s}!

Well hey there and Happy Tuesday! 

I'm excited to bring you my first official-ish sponsored post about Ketones! I just HAD to title this post "Ketones by Katie{s}", because clearly, I'm Katie, but my sweet friend who is a distributor for the Pruvit company and the Keto/OS product is KATIE too! So it just made sense. 

Here's Katie with one of her little people...isn't she darling? And yes, she's always as fun as she looks.

So Katie is rocking and rolling as a Promoter for Pruvit, who makes this product (a drink mix) called Keto/OS. I kept seeing her posts about how much more energy she has, better mood, better sleep, more focus, etc. So we were on a Mom Date one day (we left the kids with a sitter and said PEACE) and I asked her all about this magic drink mix. And even though it sounds like magic, it actually makes total sense. 

I can't COME CLOSE to explaining it, but essentially, the fat burning state of our bodies is called Ketosis. This process involves a natural chemical in your body called Ketones. But our bodies are rarely in this state because first it has to get through all the carbs, sugar, etc to get to a fat burning state. So dedicated athletes are really the only ones who actually reach the Ketosis state often. 

So this drink mix essentially puts more ketones in your body to help you burn fat, but since it cuts past all the carbs and sugar, it also helps inhibit the sugar high and low effect.  This result is more energy and focus!

That's as close as I can come to explaining, so watch this neat video for more details...(click "Watch Now" when you enter the site.)

So Katie hooked me up with 5 days of drink mixes and I got to sippin'......

I loved the Maui Punch flavor. I mixed half the packet with 16 oz. of water after breakfast, and then again after lunch. I also liked the Orange Dreamsicle flavor, it reminded me of the old Flinstones orange push-up pops! The Chocolate was not my jam, but I'm weird about milky/chocolatey flavored drinks (despite my deep love for chocolate). 

I love how it didn't give me a "caffeine high" or shaky feeling.  I simply felt more focused. I noticed I was way more efficient with my time; I would look up and couldn't believe that I'd done what I did in only 30 minutes. (It's usually the other way around!) 

I also didn't feel the big urge to nap while Greyson napped (it's always so tempting), and instead actually finished a couple of projects that I'd been procrastinating.  

Like my entry wall for example...arranging, printing and hanging pictures on this wall has only taken me FIVE YEARS.....insert crying laughing emoji....

So if finishing a 5 year project doesn't motivate you to try it, I don't know what will!

Along with the flavors I mentioned, I loved this recipe page that gives you several examples of how to give them a little flair, like the Maui MaxTai, The Thinner Mint, Keto Limade, or Root Beer Ketone Float!

I also found this FAQ page very helpful!

You should definitely try some Ketones yourself! You can start with a 5 day pack and see what flavors you like! The Orange Dreamsicle and Chocolate Swirl are 5 packets for $25 and Maui Punch is 5 packets for $35 (it has twice the ketones, so a little more!) Katie will deliver locally or shipping is $3 flat!

To order your starter packets, or if you have any questions contact Katie here!

Thanks, Katie for letting me try this product and now maybe I can move on to hanging the paintings that have been propped up on my headboard for 6 months! ; )

Friday Favorites: "Greyson Says"

Well yesterday was all sorts of busy between the pool and getting ready for Parents Night Out, so I'm catching up today with my Friday Favorites! Linking up with Erika today...she's got all kind of super cute and fun things from a staycation at the Gaylord to cute beach towels and tops....

This week we've been so laid back and just enjoying the freedom from schedule during the summer.  We've been hitting up some of our Summer O' Fun activities, so I'll save all our weekly happenings for that post! 

Meanwhile, I feel like Greyson's personality, preferenceS, feelings, thoughts, opinions, have skyrocketed over the last few weeks. He says THE funniest things. And they're all more adorable in his cute toddler voice.  It cracks me up and it just makes me realize more that he's his own little person developing. Here's some good ones I've heard lately:.......

1) FREEZE LIKE A POPSICLE! We were dancing around the other day and he told me this, and I about died! I'm assuming he learned it in school....

2) "You're so beautiful.  I love you BIG and TALL" YES YES YES TO ALL THE POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS I finally get to hear after pouring every ounce of energy into this child over the last 2.5 years!!! He'll say them at random times and it just melts my heart. I was trying on a dress the other day in a fitting room and he told me: "Mommy, you look so pretty.".  And of course I BOUGHT THE DRESS.

3) "Jesus Lives In Texas." Yes sir. Yes He does. I did correct him that Jesus is everywhere, but I do feel like "God Blessed Texas with His own hands"..... ; ) (Sing it with me, folks...) 

4) "I look like Daddy.  Daddy handsome." Well, I guess that his backdoor way of being quite confident in his looks.  I don't think Greyson will struggle with self-image. He does think that anything that makes him look like Daddy is awesome, like wearing his hat backwards or his new "summer shoes". 

5) "When I get big, I drive a cement mixer and pour concrete in cracks".  These are the dreams of toddler. And I love it. The paper pushing business of this world is still unknown to him and a construction site is more exciting than the zoo to him.  I think it's in this boy's bones. He is OBSESSED with all the "mighty machines" and tools! 

Life just wears him out.  : ) 

I never know what I'm going to hear...(well, actually, he's quite the repeater, so sometimes I DO know what I'm going to hear.)

This little guy is so excited and amazed at life in general. I love watching him "see things" for the first time and form his opinions/likes/dislikes! I'm sure I'll be updating this list often!

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Summer O' Fun Week 2

We spent the larger portion of Week 2 in The Mighty Mississippi. My sweet Grammy is not doing well and we usually take a trip there in July anyway, so we went ahead early!

Since J had to be at work early, we had a LIIIITTTLE extra time in the airport.  (Like 3 hours extra.) If you haven't had the blessing of spending 3 hours in an airport with a toddler, I suggest you put it on your bucket list. It'll bring you closer to Jesus. 

I do feel like someone has given Greyson an extra shot of Kryptonite these last few weeks (or is this the new normal?), so he was extra rambunctious. Thank goodness the flight was on time and we made it to MS with no problems. (Despite the problem with the blinking button I noticed the pilot was having before take off.  I wish I didn't do this. I watch the cockpit like a hawk, as if there's something I can do about it.) 

When we got to MS, we went straight to my Grammy's house and got some energy out in the backyard. Greyson was already making CC work for it. (I'm on the patio sippin' lemonade like, "Hey, this is the grandchild you begged me for....")

Greyson loved Grammy's house (because it's awesome) and he found the "toy closet". Most of these toys were ones I played with which were the same ones my MOM and her siblings played with! So we had retro hour! He was amazed.

My Mother-in-law came to get the little cherub and a lot of our time was spent at the nursing home over the weekend....

And my Grammy would NOT BE HAPPY with a bad picture of herself, so I'll share with you my fabulous Grammy.....

YES MA'AM. Isn't she lovely?...

Meanwhile, I'm getting pics from Nona like this.....

And this....

                                         

                              

      And this...

If baby wants an entire train track, baby gets...

They had a BIG time and I'm so thankful for me DEAR DEAR in-laws. 

My mom and I did manage to get some time away. (I even got a toddler free shopping trip to Old Navy...you can read about here.) We also hit up a concert in the park and dinner one night! Although the circumstances were heavy, I did enjoy some long overdue one on one time with my Mama. 

                           

We sort of look alike. ; ) 

On Sunday I headed to my in-laws to pick up the little bambino....he spotted me pulling up from the "Ranger".....

I spent the next few days at my parents house, where the country fun continued....for real....both of our parents houses are like big amusement parks for G, complete with ATV's, shops, tractors, etc. 

My dad has a HUGE work shop...(seriously, their neighbors call it the Taj Mahal) and Greyson is completely OBSESSED with it.  It has every tool and machine imaginable. Greyson calls it the "POP SHOP" and that's where he wanted to be ALL DAY ER'DAY. And listen, while I'm not a 100% girly-girl, there's only so much tool identification and fake screwdriver/hammer work I can handle. #wherestheteaparty

Pop was eating it up though.

There were many rides on the tractor.

Look at those sweet hands. Pop and Greyson's birthdays are just days apart. I remember on Greyson's first birthday, Pop telling him: "Greyson....you're ONE...and I'm SIXTY-ONE." I feel like this picture is just priceless!

CC's popcorn machine is always a main attraction too..it's the little things, right?

My "hair girl" is in Mississippi, so I figured I'd get a trim while there. (Once you find a good one, there's no turning back!) My mom was with Grammy and there was no way that I was taking G with me alone to the hair salon.  So Pop tagged along and we grabbed some lunch at McDonald's and he was in sole charge while I went across the street for my hair cut. I could tell he was a little nervous, which I thought was hilarious, being that he raised 3 kids of his own. (He's says he has amnesia from it all.) He did great and took G to Dollar General and Fred's, and of course they came back with a new toy. 

By the end of the weekend, my Grammy was back at home, but is still doing rough, so we'd all appreciate your prayers. It was hard to leave her, but we are certainly glad we went! Greyson ended our visit with her by rolling around on her bed and making her some "toast" with the little plastic toaster she gave him.  Sweet memories tucked away in my heart.  : ) 

We got back on Thursday, just in time for Father's Day weekend! 

We hit up the Arboretum on Saturday and had a big time with Dad......

Again...gorgeous background available but not much cooperation for a family photo.....I give up.

I did catch this little gem...these two are BEST BUDS and I love watching them together.

On Sunday, we rolled the Toddler Dice and took G to his first movie, Cars 3.  We could probably all quote the original Cars, so we couldn't wait to see the new one! G sported is "Mater" shirt and off we went! 

The movie was so cute and Greyson did incredible.  Perhaps it was the 20 pounds and 2 gallons of lemonade that kept him busy, but nevertheless, it was a good experience.  He squealed and laughed through all of it! Another checkmark on the Summer O' Fun Bucket List! 

And while it's hard to believe, this is actually the BEST picture I could manage once we were actually inside the theatre. 

And that's it for Week 2! We're still kinda slow goin' during Week 3, but we're having fun! 

Hope your Summer is great so far!