Mid-Year New Years Resolutions Check-Up

6 months into 2016.  The time has been absolutely flying for me, especially now that we are into summer and have so many activities going on.  When I was looking at my plans for my posts this week, I couldn't believe that it was already time to review my new years resolutions and evaluate my progress.

And I have to say that sharing my goals and progress with you every three months has been interesting.  Part of me really likes the accountability, but the other part of me feels like I'm letting you down when I don't accomplish my goals or work on them like I know I should (even though they are all personal goals).

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Summer Mantle Inspiration

Summer is in full swing here in Utah, complete with 100+ degree days.  So. Hot.  My poor kids, who love being outside, come in by 10am with red cheeks and requests for popsicles to try and beat the heat.  Crazy stuff.

Since summer got here, we've been busy enjoying the nice weather and playing as much as possible.  As a result, my spring decorations never really got put away and my only summer decoration was the cute pallet art I made a couple months ago.

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Font Friday: Patriotic

Can you believe the month is almost over?!  I sure can't.  Next month we'll be celebrating the 4th of July, which is definitely one of my favorite holidays, both for what it celebrates and for the fun surrounding it.  Plus, because I live in Utah, I also get to celebrate Pioneer Day (our state's founding celebration).  July is just one big month of fireworks, celebration and remembering those who have served, and are currently serving, our country.

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My Week In Pictures

Almost 2 weeks ago, I broke my phone.  I ordered a new one the same day it broke and was told it wouldn't get to me for 10 days.  I was pleasantly surprised (read: ecstatic) when it showed up on my doorstep four days early!  If you're anything like me, you use your phone to take pictures.  In fact, that is what uses up most of my phone's storage space.  Ever since I got my first camera in junior high (yay for film!) I've been taking pictures of anything and everything.  When I can't remember where we were or what we did on a holiday a previous year, I check my photo albums.

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Summer 2016 Walmart Beauty Box Review

*I am reviewing this box by choice and have not received it for free, nor have I received any other compensation from Walmart.  All opinions are my own.*

A year and a half ago, I got an email from Walmart about signing up for a quarterly/seasonal beauty box.  It boasted full size beauty products and lots of other great samples for free plus $5 shipping.  I was intrigued so I signed up with the knowledge that I could cancel the subscription at any time if I didn't think the products I received were worth the $5.

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Kid Science: Elephant Toothpaste

As much as I love the summertime and the sunshine and letting my kids play outside, there comes a point every day where it's just too hot and we have to come inside and cool off.  I made a commitment to myself that I would try to have a balance between structured time and unstructured time this summer, but I haven't been doing as well on the structured time with my kids as I would like.  So at the beginning of the week, I decided to do a little experiment that I've had on my mind for the last little while, but hadn't gotten around to: elephant toothpaste.

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How To Host a Successful Yard Sale

Each summer, my mom would hand us boxes or bags and tell us to go through our room and get rid of the things we no longer liked or used.  She also had us help with going through other rooms in the house.  Then we'd price the items we wanted to sell so we could put them in our yard sale.  We had to get up early on the day of the yard sale and help set up, try and sell things to our friends and then take it all down and give away anything that didn't sell.  For as long as I can remember, we did this every single summer.  Even after I moved away to college, I could count on my mom holding a yard sale.  I learned how to let go of unwanted/unused items, how to price to sell, how to count change and many other skills.

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American Fork Canyon: Granite Flats Campground

When I imagine going up the canyon, I think of narrow, winding roads with thick trees and brush all around. I think of cozy little picnic spots nestled in the trees and a river or stream flowing nearby. This is probably due to the fact that I grew up living within a short driving distance of American Fork Canyon in Utah.

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For The Next 10 Days...

Friends, let me be honest.  Today has been rough.  Actually this whole week has been a little challenging.  And for the first time since starting this blog, I didn't have a post up and ready for you this morning.  (For those of you who have been following me for a while, you might have noticed that I post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday every week.  And if you didn't notice, well, now you know.)

Back to today.  This week in my little city of Springville, UT, we are celebrating our city's founding with a week long of activities, events, movies under the stars, the carnival and so on.  We've been here for five years and we always make a point to go enjoy it together as a family.  But I've been really busy this week trying to prep for a yard sale I'm doing to help out my in-laws which has left me little time to enjoy the festivities.  So yesterday I decided that I was going to go to at least one event during this week: the hot air balloon festival.  And it just so happens that it starts at 6am.  I asked my daughter (age 4.5) if she wanted to go and she was really excited regardless of the early wake up time.  I thought it would be a good opportunity for some mother-daughter bonding time.

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My Little Sunshines 2 Year Blogiversary Giveaway

My friend, Britt Hanson, who blogs over at My Little Sunshines is celebrating her 2 year blogiversary!  Britt and I actually met about five or six years ago through my younger sister.  We were at my sister's apartment for her birthday party and she and I were the only married ladies there so we immediately bonded.  Since then, we've mostly kept in touch through social media, watching each others pregnancies and kids growing up and life in general.

Britt is teaming up with me and two other awesome bloggers in celebrating her 2 year blogiversary by giving away some of her favorite things! 

You can check out more about the giveaway HERE on her blog and to find out more about the rules for entering the giveaway.  You can also enter below.  The giveaway will run for 1 week from today and the winner will be announced next Wednesday, June 15.  Good luck and I hope you win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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46 Ways To Have Fun This Summer {plus a FREE printable}

I am totally one of those people who LOVES to-do lists.  I get a ridiculous amount of satisfaction when I put a little check mark next to something that is on my to-do list and sometimes I even add things to my to-do list that weren't there when I first made the list, just so that I can check it off.  Eat breakfast?  Check!  Brush teeth?  Check!  Make sure kids eat their veggies at dinnertime?  Double check!  ('Cause ya know, I have two kids...) *wink*

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Mod Podge Notebook

If you are anything like me, you like notebooks.  Big, small, patterned, solid.  I've got them scattered around my house and at least three in my diaper bag.  You never know when you're going to need to make a note or a list.  I'm also one of those people who really likes to write things down and I still have a daily planner.  (My husband buys me a new one every year at Christmas.)

And while deep down I know the purpose of a notebook is just to write things down, another part of me just loves pretty notebooks.  However, I don't like spending an extra couple dollars just to have a pretty print or a cute quote on the front.  Do you feel the same?

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Summer 2016 Reading List

One thing you should know about me is that I LOVE to read.  I learned how to read before starting kindergarten and I've been devouring books ever since then.  Lots of late nights and too-soon mornings because I can't seem to put a good book down.  I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I am part of a book club.  It is so much fun for me to read books and discuss them.  I even considered getting a degree in English when I went to college.

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