Friday FIVE

Its' FRIDAY friends!!!!!!!  I am doing my happy dance that another week is over and praying we are inching closer to FALL weather.  As always I didn't really theme my Friday FIVE, but they are 5 things I am loving this week!

1.  Life Savers!
A friend of mine emailed me with bad news last Sunday.  Her computer crashed and went to computer heaven and took with it ALL of her photos ...as in EVERY photo she had of her almost 2 year old and not everything was in the cloud.  I of course had a panic attack:  what was in my cloud, was my back up working, what if what if what if.  I called my IT guy and he said PICTURE KEEPER so that is what I ordered.  Of course the day after I ordered it, I find it for half price, so I am making myself feel better by sharing the deal with you!  Essentially it works on both Macs and PC's and the best part is after the initial back-up it only saves new photos when you plug it in.  There are 3 different sizes:  4,000 photos, 8,000 photos and 16,000 photos.  The BIG one sells for $99.99 and Plum District has it on deal for $50 and if you order today and use code FRIDAY13 you can save an extra 13%.  You can purchase it HERE.

2.  Photo Cards
In the 11 years since PGG has been open I have never ordered my cards early.  I am usually the last one....but there is a first time for everything.  We got a few great photos of the littles when we were out of town and I just used them and GOT IT DONE.  TO celebrate I am passing on a discount to all of you!

ALL photo cards are 25% off AND we are also giving you your choice of FREE return address printing or return address stickers!!!!  Simply enter code:  S13H25 at checkout!  The sale runs through October 9th!  That is almost a month for you to pick your favorites and GET IT DONE.  You can see all designs HERE.

3.  My New Water Bottle

I like COLD water, if I could make a water slurpee to take to Crossfit I would be thrilled.  Mr. G brought home this water bottle from Target last week and I am IN LOVE.  The top unscrews and you can either fill it with ice or do what I do and fill it 1/3 full at night and put it in the freezer and then top it off with cold water and I have FREEZING water during my workout.

4.  Fun Jeggings

I need to log A LOT more Crossfit WOD's before the word jeggings and my name are used in the same sentence, but Mini K is a big fan of jeggings, NOT leggings.  Target has some super cute ones that we picked up to pair with her Crewcuts tunics.

5.  Unexpected Finds

I walked into a boutique in Georgetown today as they were putting a shipment on the floor and spotted this table.  I had them put the bubble wrap right back on and brought it home.  Give me the weekend to add some books and an antique crystal lamp and my reading nook in the living room will be done.  I have been searching for a table like this and am happy that I can cross it off the list and now I am just on the hunt for an antique barley chest.

That's my 5.  I hope you have had a great week and please let me know if you posted a Friday FIVE!

Never Forget

This day always make me count my blessings and give thanks to the men and women in the military, and their families who go to work every single day knowing that freedom is NOT free.

I love that so many schools are teaching kids that today we remember those who were killed by helping others through service projects big and small.  

A post about anything but being thankful today just doesn't seem right.  Mini K saw the flag on the Pentagon first this morning and then as we drove by Arlington National Cemetery I heard her tell Baby C that is where heroes go to rest.  9-11 was and still is a day where so many Americans became heroes, they answered a call to action they never thought would come.

God Bless you and your family today and always!

Have You Met Ellie?

Ellie had another name...it was PV Body, but she changed it.  "She" is still amazeballs and I think all of my friends need to know her.

I will confess I have a slight addiction to Lululemon and have been known to wear it even if I am not going/coming from Crossfit or a run, but there are only so many pairs of $100 yoga pants I can "need" before I cut myself off.  That is when I met Ellie.  Remember I said she had another name?  Well we go way back.  Think of her as a cousin to Julep Maven or Citrus Lane, but she is the cooler cousin because:

1.  You get to choose your box EVERY SINGLE MONTH

2.  If you spend too much quality time with her and need to take a break, there are no hard feeling and you can visit a month or two later

Ellie is $49.95 a month and you can pick ANY 2 pieces in the collections to arrive at your doorstep!  From tops to pants to capris to jackets and they are all AMAZING.  The quality is great and so are the prices.  You can join HERE.

My current favorites are the Copacabana Tank.  It is cut slightly longer so I don't worry about it riding up during pull-ups.

My other go-to have been the Queen of Everything legging.  I swear I think these magically "hide" 10lbs.  The do NOT stretch out and the detail at the ankles is just plain fun.

So I wanted everyone to meet Ellie, I won't be mad if you become friends.

Friday FIVE

It's Friday!  In our house that means family movie night and today is Mini K's choice...cheap mexican food for dinner and now Soul Surfer.  Just quality non-violent family fun...so while I am watching was too much blood on the big screen for my taste, here are my Friday 5!

1.  Deborah Lippman Gel Lab Set
For the record, I rarely do my own nails, but the world's best personal shopper at Neimans convinced me I needed this and she was RIGHT.  You use your favorite polish, mine is Julep, and the topcoat and 16 days later, no chips!  I am sick of the color.

2.  Needlepoint
I picked up a few finished ornaments for Mini K's birthday tree today and couldn't leave the store without picking up a couple of new canvases.  Oh Shift, time to thread the needle.

3.  Candy Corn
Clearly I am on a health kick...NOT.  It's officially fall when I see the candy corn.

4. Matches
I received this match striker last year and LOVE it.  I hope she comes out with another one this upcoming holiday season.  This is something I never would have purchased for myself, but adore and think of the person who gave it to me every time I use it!

5.  Schwings
Ok these aren't technically one of MY favorites for myself, but they have made birthday party shopping a breeze!  Mini K wants to give these to everyone!  We pair them with some lip glosses for the girls and candy for the boys.  The best part, they fit on all shoes and come in just about every color.  Mini K's favorite place to shop is my friend Linda's boutique The Purple Goose and they will soon be carrying them!

Happy Friday...now I have a movie to watch!

Little Things

I am a big believer that its usually something little that makes you strike up a conversation.  So many of you I know in real life and some of you I only know through email, and maybe there are even some people that read this blog that I don't even know.  If you have a blog, please post something similar about yourself as I think it always fun to see what we have in common.

So on this Wednesday, I thought what gets me through the week and this is what I have come up with...25 things that make me smile

1.  Opening my mailbox to a stack of shiny new magazines

2.  Making cookie dough with Mini K and delivering it to friends just because

3.  Coffee table books, I love to give these as gifts, but rarely buy them for myself

4.  Finding something when I am out that I know would be a great gift for a friend, I FIRMLY believe that a present should be something that someone will love that they would not normally buy for themselves

5.  The first day I walk into Starbucks each year and see the red cups!

6.  An icy cold fountain diet Dr Pepper, yes I know soda is not good for me, but I said I was being honest

7.  Lululemon workout clothes.  There is just something about them

8.  Being able to wear a sweater and shorts/skirts and not being too hot or too cold

9.  Charm bracelets.  I love to be able to look down at my wrist and remember loved ones and good times.

10.  Needlepoint. This may make me an 80 year old woman, but I do not care.

11.  Friday Family Movie Night.  We all put on our pj's and watch a movie in the family room.  This week's is Mini K's pick and we will be watching Soul Surfer

12.  Finding a new product that I know my clients will love and being able to tell them about it.

13.  Wrapping gifts.  My high school job was gift wrapping for a boutique in Dallas and I love making a Texas sized bow.  I will also confess my ribbon organization is in need of major help!

14.  Bar snacks.  Seriously, I could live on a good snack mix and chips and dip.  If you follow me on Instagram you know my current favorite is the new Greek Yogurt French Onion by Helluva Good.  AMAZEBALLS

15.  Lip gloss.  I will try them all and love to give and get them as gifts.

16.  A GOOD pedicure.  This is NOT to be confused with a pedicure, there is a difference, especially for a runner.

17.  Handbags.  I am picky and if it isn't one I can ass down to Mini K, I don't buy it.  I can then justify them as investments.

18.  Champagne.  It is my favorite cocktail, there is something about the bubbles that can turn a bad day around.

19.  Crafting.  I have been thinking about emailing a group of girls to come back fall wreaths for our front doors.  It is more fun with friends!

20.  Good fitting jeans.  If I find a pair I like, I buy 3 pairs of them:  one to wear with boots, one with heels and one for lengths in between.

21.  Mascara. It is a working mother's best friend.  A good mascara can turn a night with little sleep into a 12 hour hibernation.  My current favorite is Illegal Lengths...I am open to suggestions so fire away.

22.  Tocca candles.  They immediately transport me to a vacation.

23.  White towels.  We only have white towels and I match the monogram thread to the color of each bathroom or person that will be using them.

24.  Tervis tumblers.  I don't want to count how many we have, but I will say they have their own cabinet.

25.  MONOGRAMS.  I know this will surprise no one that knows me, but I monogram everything:  furniture, fabric, clothing, jewelry, shoes and even parts of my house!

So there you have it, 25 random facts about me that you could have lived your entire life without knowing!

I confess I am going to try and finish a needlepoint project tonight...at least I stayed up late fro an old lady!

She Can Google

This realization was how my week ended last week.  For those of you that have been reading since the beginning you know my mother came down with thyroid cancer over a year ago.  The doctor's blamed it on the fact that she had survived West Nile Virus and in the buffet of cancers this is the one you want.  The problem is this is my mother's 3rd round of new and exciting cancers and this one has needed a LOT of radiation and waiting.  The waiting and treatment mean that she can't be with Mini K and Baby C like they are used to...

I had a choice, to tell her the truth a year ago to to avoid it.  We told her Nana had cancer, it was a sickness and she was going to need strong medicine and we needed to pray for her a lot.  This worked until last week, when Mini K snuck onto my computer and googled cancer.  The tears came, and the talk of dying and I of course kicked myself for not thinking she would do this and adding it to the list of names on parental control.  Mr. G and I locked her from every bad word we could think of, certain websites all together, certain phrases, anything with an age limit, but we never thought about the word cancer.

So Mr. G took matters into his own hands and promptly booked us a long weekend at the Homestead in hopes of distracting her.  In hindsight it might be one of the weekends I look back on forever.  We checked in and the kids promptly demanded the pool and lazy river.  So off we went.   As soon as we walked into the pool Mini K sees her friend M from tennis and thinks her daddy arranged that too!

So we spent 4 days doing everything as a family unit.  I mean meals, chess, exploring, swimming, hanging out, tye dying t-shirts, watching fireworks.  I will remember this weekend when she tells me to walk behind her or drop her off a block away.  I prayed all of the time together would make her stop thinking scary thoughts of things we cannot control like cancer.  Thoughts 7 year olds should not have to process.

We came home yesterday and as I dropped her off at school today she told me she was still sad, but she was going to think of all of the things that made her laugh when she is with her Nana.  When I picked her up the first thing she wanted to do was call her Nana.  She went to practice and then we took Baby C to the playground and thankfully I tucked 2 healthy children into bed tonight and promptly called my momma!  This too shall pass and I pray daily she beats this like she has done before, but tonight I rest in the knowledge that she knows not only how much I love her but how much my children love her and as I watched two little kiddos fight sleep I have the peace of knowing they know how much I love them.

I keep flipping to these photos of the littles from this weekend and cannot help but smile.  If you know them, then you know how much this is them...EXACTLY.

So many people have loved ones far away, going through things far worse, and I hope and pray for safe returns and happy endings, but what you control is if the people in your own life know how you feel about them so TELL THEM, because I realized last week with a click of the mouse that you can never tell people enough!

Friday FIVE

It took me all summer, but I am so happy I am blogging again!  Mini K is back in school and Baby C goes back to preschool on Tuesday.  I can almost feel the fall air (it may only be in my head) and I am actually looking forward to packing up my open toe shoes and white jeans and pulling out the fall clothes...I just may have to crank the AC!

Mr. G surprised us with a MUCH NEEDED trip away this weekend, but I wanted to post before our road trip begins!  This has been a summer of ups and downs with some family health issues and the past few weeks have just been a lot.  I tend to force myself to  be busy when I am feeling stressed as it helps me focus on the positive and not the things I cannot control.  My Jesus Calling book, some quiet time and creating distractions have made this summer so much better.

1.  Just Because Gifting
I challenge each one of you to do this for someone this week.  There is something about surprising someone with a happy that makes you feel better yourself.  I swear it's better than therapy.  So this week, surprise a teacher at your child's school with lunch, take flowers to a friend in a new vase, deliver cookies to a neighbor or take a shiny new coffee table book to a friend.  Just do it!  Life is full of these little moments that when you look back you will hopefully see more of them than the stressful stuff!

2.  Lists
We make them each season.  I do not like the term BUCKET LIST so we just make lists of everything we want to do as a family each season.  I look at it as teaching the kids to make goals and follow through with them.  Our fall list includes:
1.  Start a Happy Plate (I will post on that next week)
2.  Mini K wants business cards, she has promoted herself to bow tie expert at the Grove!
3.  Apple picking
4.  Make homemade caramel
5.  Have some more cookouts

3.  Books
We have had a bunch of happy mail lately:  birth announcements, weddings, new homes and big birthdays and I always like to include a hardcover book with a note so they can keep it and remember.

For a new home I try to either find something on the style of house if I know it, or their personal decorating taste and make sure to out their full address on the inside so they remember why I have it to them.

For weddings, always a fun cookbook!

4. Pillows
Let's just say after 4 more arrived this week from our fabulous seamstress, Mr. G has CUT me off on ordering any more pillows for awhile!

5.  Vests
We will NOT discuss how many I have, but as soon as I saw this camo one in the J.Crew catalog I knew I had to add it to my collection.

As always my Friday FIVE is all over the map, but as a working momma with 2 kiddos that is my real life!  So this Labor Day weekend, I hope you are laboring on something you truly enjoy and PLEASE let me know if you are posting a Friday FIVE and share your Just Because Gifting too!