Last Day of School + Teacher Gifts

Another school year has come to an end and I am so happy to have my people all together under one roof for the next two-ish months. We are so looking forward to Summer and all the adventures we'll get to have together. I am always super sad when the Summer is over and my babies leave me to go back to school. I'll never be a mom who looks forward to school starting back and getting a break from my littles. Sending my kids to school and them being away from me all day has never quite felt right to me. This year will be even tougher because Wyatt will be starting Kindergarten. He's so ready. I'm so not. But we won't talk about that for at least another two months. Right now we're going to enjoy our time together each day and soak up the sun, fun, and lots of memories!

Walker is moving on up to second grade. He's a natural when it comes to school. He loves learning and it comes easy to him. He's a super reader and he just doesn't have to try very hard to understand most things. Most things. The tying of the shoes is one that he just can't seem to remember to do these days. He's my little rule follower and has already been holding me accountable in the week that school has been out. We have a Summer Bucket List, a calendar, and a chore chart that he loves. And let's be real, I do too. We are two peas in a pod.

Walker's teacher this year was Mrs. Floyd.

Walker's favorite color is red.

Walker's best bud is Westin.

Walker's favorite subject is Recess.

Walker wants to be a scientist when he grows up.

Like most things these days the end of school snuck up on me quickly. I knew exactly what I wanted to get for Walker's teacher and I ordered it just in time. It was scheduled to arrive the day before school ended but got rescheduled for the next day which was the last day of school between 12 and 4 pm. The last day of school is an early dismissal day and they get out of school at 1pm. Luckily, the UPS man rolled up to the door at 12:45pm and I was able to wrap it, print off a free template from Pinterest, and get it to the school just in time to hunt down Mrs. Floyd in bus duty and let Walker give it to her. I love the colors in the umbrella and I love a good play on words. Plus, Mrs. Floyd said she needed a new umbrella so I count it as a win.

Wyatt went to Mother's Day Out twice a week this year. He went to the same school that Walker went to when he was younger so I knew he would enjoy going and be well taken care of and boy was he! Mrs. Andria was a terrific teacher and Wyatt learned a lot this year to prepare him for Kindergarten in the Fall.

Wyatt's teacher this year was Mrs. Andria.

Wyatt's favorite color is purple.

Wyatt's best buds are Evan & Bryant.

Wyatt's favorite subject is Recess.

Wyatt wants to be a baseball player when he grows up.

I really wanted to get Wyatt's teacher and some of the staff a gift they would treasure. It's no secret I sell Thirty-One and I love to gift it to just about everyone but I also love supporting my mom friends who are creative or own their own businesses. My friend Ashley began making things out of quilts and I knew they would be perfect since Wyatt goes to a church Mother's Day Out. I knew they would be cherished. I let Wyatt pick out which cross went to each person. We gave one to Wyatt's teacher, the MDO Director Ms. Kristy, Ms. Angela who works the front desk, and the sweet lady who works the car rider line every morning. She was always in a good mood even when we had just rolled out of bed and were still half asleep! Wyatt did a great job picking out which one to give everyone and they all loved their handmade and personal end of the year gift.

We were so proud seeing our little boy graduate from Pre-K! And I just have to include this picture below because it is SO Wyatt in his truest form. He was scoping out the bling he was going to get when his name was called. He is our funny man and jokester and I'm so glad he's ours!

The day after Wyatt's preschool graduation we had Kindergarten Camp. Wyatt got to go on a tour of his new school and do a fun craft activity with the Kindergarten teachers. That Class of 2030 will put ya in your place REAL quick. Time is such a jerk. It seems like 2030 is SO far away but in a blink that cap and gown will be much bigger and so will my little boys.

You can find that super cute umbrella HERE.

And join my friend Ashley's page HERE for more quilted loveliness.

Rainbows and Unicorns: Emme's First Birthday

This past weekend we celebrated our sweet little girl turning two and my Facebook Memories brought up all the feels with pictures from her very first birthday so I decided to humor Facebook and devote a whole blog post to my girl's first birthday party. Take that Facebook and all your feels.

One of the things I love so much about being a mom to Emme vs. the mom I was to my boys is that I just let things happen naturally. I didn't stress about her party theme and in a way our love for Unicorns found us. Our church was having a youth yard sale and I found the most perfect little glass unicorns in pastel colors at the yard sale. I needed some things to put on her shelf in her room so I grabbed them for $1 each. That's it. No big story there. When it was time to plan her first birthday party I was in TJ Maxx and found the most perfect plates and party supplies for super cheap and I just couldn't pass them up. They reminded me of unicorns and rainbows and a theme was born.

See? They are perfect, right?

This picture shows the colorful ceiling we attempted to recreate from Pinterest. It added lots of color.

My friend Erika makes the most adorable and delicious cookies.

These rainbow and unicorn cookies were a bit hit at our party!

Check her out on Facebook HERE

Our birthday girl was so tired by the time we did cake and ice cream 

but she sure woke up when it was time for presents. She loved everything

but this baby doll was her favorite present. 

As an activity I found these felt coloring sheets with unicorns and princesses at Michaels that were perfect for the kids. See those unopened packs on the end of the table? Those were supposed to be rainbows but none of us adults could quite figure out how to do them until the party was over.

They later became part of my Noah's Ark preschool lesson at church.

Our love for unicorns has just grown since this fun first birthday. Later in the year I stumbled on the most perfect Halloween costume for Emme at TJ Maxx and our love for Unicorns continues!

The Finish Line

The other night we were celebrating the end of regular season baseball with a team party at the bowling alley. My husband had a coaches meeting at the field so he met us at the bowling alley after his meeting. On the way home he pulled up beside us at a red light and made silly faces at my children. Because they're boys they immediately yelled for me to "Race him! Beat daddy home!"

Let me pause here and say that we did not once go over the speed limit or drive dangerously but we "raced" daddy home. We started on highway 280 so there were multiple lanes of traffic but as the "race" went on I could tell we were going to win. The boys were so worried about daddy beating us. Even when Chris got stopped at a red light and we pulled ahead they continued to ask where he was. Every single car that got near us they panicked asking, "Oh No! Is that Daddy??? Don't let him beat us!" I kept telling them he was nowhere near us. We got this, boys!

Eventually the two lane road turned into a one lane road and the one lane road turned into a country road and the country road turned into our finish line. As we pulled into the driveway, finally, Walker said, "Ok, I think you are right mommy. We are going to beat Daddy." I couldn't help but reply and say, "Walker, I have been telling you all along that we would win. Why are you just now believing me?"

And in the exact moment those words came out of my mouth my heart was so convicted. It's like I heard God say to me, "Brittany, I could ask you the same thing." Why does it take pulling into the driveway, crossing the finish line, to finally breathe a sigh of relief and say, "Ok God, NOW I trust you"? I think of how much calmer the ride home would have been if my boys would have trusted me from the beginning. We could have talked together, laughed, or had a dance party. Instead they were so focused on what was coming up behind us and whether or not we would win. I knew we would win just like God knows how every single race will turn out. When we face a problem we have two choices. We can constantly worry about what's coming up behind us or what's going on all around us or we can put our trust in God from the starting line and have a much calmer race knowing that whether we win or lose, he's running right beside us always.

"Dear Lord, forgive me for the races I have tried to run by myself. Forgive me for the times I have turned around and took my eyes off of you at the finish line. No matter what obstacles are coming up behind me I know that if I keep my eyes on you it doesn't matter who or what passes me. Thank you for your love, mercy, and grace."

Tuesday Tips: A Guide to Shopping at Aldi

When I stopped teaching and we went from a two income household back to a one income household we knew that changes had to be made and we would have to make sacrifices. Our boys were still pretty little when I came home but as boys do, they have grown and so have their appetites. I always knew I'd have boys who liked to eat...they get it honestly! But I thought this sudden appetite increase would be well into the teen years. Boy was I wrong!

When I was working we were shopping at Wal-Mart and spending $400 every two weeks. By the end of that second week our cabinets were empty. We decided to try shopping in bulk so we purchased a Sam's Club Membership and spent $400 per month but it didn't take long for us to figure out that Sam's is best for snacks and drinks rather than meals and sides. In January of this year we began the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover and created a family budget. We allocated $100 per week to groceries and I decided to give Aldi a shot. I'm now basically the Aldi Spokesperson on social media. Ok, I'm kinda joking...but I do post about it every single time I go because I know how expensive groceries are and I'm all about sharing ways to save money with my people. When I post my Aldi runs I almost always get asked the exact same questions so I have put together a shopping guide for you and want to show you around the store.

Tip Number 1:

There are two things you'll always need to bring with you to Aldi: A quarter and your own bags. One of the ways Aldi keeps costs low is by having you pay to get your cart. You put a quarter in to unlock your cart and you return it to get your quarter back. You also bag your own groceries but let's be honest...this type A gal kinda prefers it that way anyway.

 

  

Tip Number 2:

 

One thing I always suggest to my friends who are trying Aldi out for the first time is to walk through the store first without a buggy and just look around. Then exit, grab your buggy (with your quarter!), and walk back through the store. This will help you know the layout of your Aldi store and where things are located plus you'll be able to get a feel for the products that are offered and check out some of the prices. This is the entrance to my Aldi store. Aldi is a much smaller store and everything is grouped together according to food type. The aisles are small and are made to go through one-way. There are no cut-throughs but you don't really need them because the size of the store makes shopping quick and easy.

 

 

 

Tip Number 3:

 

I had tried shopping at Aldi a while back and dismissed it because I felt like I wasn't getting enough compared to the Family Sizes or Party Sizes at other stores. I was telling a friend about it and she said, "Just buy more." Lightbulb moment, ya'll. Yes, your bag of chips or box of cereal may not be a Family Size but just buy another bag. At $1.49 per bag you can buy two bags and still be cheaper than the Family Size at other stores. We are some cereal loving fools over here so I was really hesitant to try their cereal. So far, so good. Our favorites are their version of Frosted Flakes, Captain Crunch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Cocoa Pebbles. We have tried just about every kind and we honestly have loved them all with the exception of their version of Lucky Charms. I'm a Lucky Charm snob but I have a dear friend who loves the Aldi Lucky Charms so try it and you decide.

 

 

 

Tip Number 4:

 

They have wine. Enough said.

 

 

 Tip Number 5:

 

They do sell items other than groceries. They have laundry detergents, toilet paper, paper towels, ziploc bags, toiletries, and even miscellaneous items such as kids books, garden furniture and accessories, flowers, lanterns, toys, appliances, and more. 

 

That 3 Tier Planter was calling my name today.

 

 

 

 

Tip Number 6:

 

I think one of the assumptions about Aldi is that the store and food is dirty or the food doesn't last as long compared to produce at other stores. I'm here to tell you that the store is clean and the produce is just as good as any other store. We shop at Aldi every two weeks and have not had to throw anything out because it has gone bad. Some of our favorite fruits to get at Aldi are raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, apples, and grapes. Some of our favorite vegetables are sweet corn, peppers, broccoli, and squash.

 

 

 

Tip Number 7:

 

You can find name brand items at Aldi. I wouldn't go in looking for a certain brand but you may be pleasantly surprised at what you find. It is not 100% off brand. Sometimes you get lucky.

 

Bonus Tip: Stop meal planning. Just stop. Go buy meats, veggies, fruits, sides, snacks. That's all you need. If you want to cut your grocery budget plan your meals around what you have not your grocery trip around a meal plan.

 

 

Tip Number 8:

 

The meat is safe to eat. And more than that, it's delish, and much cheaper than other stores. Remember my Lucky Charm-ish loving friend I mentioned earlier? Her husband is a chef and he approves of the meat at Aldi. So there ya go.

 

 

Tip Number 9:

 

Here's what my buggy looked like at the end of our trip. We spent about an hour in the store but I usually knock it out in 30-45 minutes. When you are ready to check out you put everything on the conveyer belt and they put it into an empty buggy that the person before you left. When you are ready to leave you take your full buggy and leave your empty one for the next person. There is a large counter where you can bag your items. This is Emme's favorite spot because I let her sit up there and she gets a snack from the buggy while I pack everything up.

 

 

 

Tip Number 10:

 

Don't forget your quarter! There are no cart returns in the parking lot so make sure you return your cart to the front of the store and take the lock from the cart behind it and put it into your cart and get your quarter back for your next trip.

 

 

 



Here are a few more pictures from today plus a picture of my receipt so you can see the cost of each individual item and my total.

 

 

 

 Our budget is $100 per week and I shop at Aldi every two weeks so I pull out $200 in cash when I go to Aldi. I always tell the cashier to let me know when I am close to $200 so I don't go over my budget. I have yet to go over my budget of $100 per week and today was no different.

 

I paid $195.82 for two weeks worth of food!

 

Shopping at Aldi has cut our grocery bill in half and it can do the same for you. If you have an Aldi nearby you should definitely try it out and use my tips for a successful trip.

 

Let me know what you think. Have you ever shopped at Aldi? What did you think? If not, do you plan to? Try it out! I promise you won't be disappointed!

 

And P.S. If you need some super cute bags that are perfect for all your Aldi trips check out www.totetribe.com