Friday Favorites

I wanted to share not one...but TWO favorites for this Friday! Crazy, I know! But they go hand in hand & work better together.  

After have a "oh-my-gosh-I'm-almost-30-are-those-wrinkles-I-see-in-that-picture?!" meltdown...I decided to get a little more serious that an undereye cream & daily moisturizer. After researching what exactly I needed and then finding the best ones for the best price, I settled on these and have not been disappointed! 

After about a week of using them I was spending time with family and someone commented on how smooth my skin was. Now don't ask me why someone in my family was caressing my cheek but they were. Needless to say I think it's working! I have the most sensitive skin and this hasn't had any bad reactions and has only made it better. So I thought I'd share my finds with you guys in case you're in the same "please don't let me need botox" mentality. So first step after I wash and tone my skin I apply this vitamin C serum.

 A little bit goes a long way. And then immediately after I apply this retinol cream.

And of course I still put on my under eye cream because those suckers ain't going away anytime soon!

Happy Moisturizing, friends!!

Happenings Lately (& not so lately...)

Hi friends!!  It's been so long!  Truth be told, I've just been so busy that taking the time to make tutorials or blog content was no where near the top of my list.  It's just so much work that my "real" work and family life was where my focus was.  Standing ovation to all the women out there balancing it all!  So what exactly has happened?
We moved! (a whole 1.5 miles away, but STILL!)

Then I got super sick because...

I'm pregnant!  

And suddenly I'm in my last trimester.

I'm still working as an Instructional Aide, still crafting, teaching lettering when I can and trying to keep my home functional.  

What's to come? Hopefully...more blogging!  I do miss it.  Obviously it'll take another hiatus when baby boy comes, but I'm planning on at least trying to keep the train on the tracks.  (Is that even a real saying? Just go with it...)

All of this to say, thank you for staying with me! Thank you following along on Instagram or Facebook or right here! Say hi and I hope to be back here soon!

Summer Printable Puns

On Instagram I shared a few cute puns from end of the year gifts and camp hand-outs. These mini pinatas were actually from the .99 cent store!  I was as surprised as you are! I also grabbed some original horse pinatas, cactus & unicorns...because you'll never know when you'll need a mini pinata, right?! 

So I grabbed these and filled them with candy for my son's teachers and my co-workers and they were a huge hit!  I whipped up cute tags and tied them through the precut holes, and then just used some washi tape to hold the tag in place to cover the hole I stuffed the candy in.

The other one I shared was from a hand-out I took up to girl's camp with me for the Young Women in my church right after school let out.  I grabbed an image from the lds.org blog, printed it as 12 to a page so they were nice & small.  Then I circle punched, hole punched, and tied with twine to glow sticks! I'm just a sucker for a good pun printable, so I thought I'd share these ones!

download this image HERE

 click on the image to save the full size version!

Before Your Next Target Run...

this is a sponsored post and all thoughts & opinions are my own.

I recently got on a coupon kick, anything to save some extra money to put towards shopping, am I right?!  I found a few different ways that I've been using, but one of the most surprising ways I found was coupons through Groupon.  SAY WHAT?! I know!! 

And the best part is there is a huge list of stores, like Ebay, Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walgreens, Aeropostale, Home Depot, Macy’s and so many more. Groupon has all of your shopping need covered- so no matter where you're shopping, you can save some extra money.  

I'm gearing up for back to school shopping at Target so I hopped on Groupon and there are 71 deals and coupons for Target! One of my favorite deals for Target is $5.00 off $50.00 plus free shipping! This deals is not only good online but, in store as well.

So get to shopping, friends! 

Take (the whole family) Out to the Ballpark

My family and I were hosted by the Diamondbacks at Chase Field; all thoughts & opinions are 100% my own.

I was raised on baseball, from my dad to my brothers, Major League games to Little League games, I loved every single minute of it. I still do! My baseball-loving heart just about exploded when my son chose to start playing t-ball this year. So when we got to go check out the Arizona Diamondbacks game opening week, I couldn't have been more thrilled! 

They took us on a tour starting at the Diamond Suites, and I'm already trying to figure out a way to get back in one with some family for the perfect family fun night. There are so many things to do with the kids at the stadium, it's definitely geared towards family members of all ages. 

Right now there's a "Virtual Reality Bullpen" on the main concourse in towards center field where you can put on those cool V.R. glasses and experience practice through a Major League baseball player's eyes. 

Then we went up by the Sandlot near section 332, where my son's 2 favorite places are. The Kids Club & the super sweet play areas.  Baxter, the team mascot, is also up there at certain points of the game signing autographs and taking photos.

 The Kids Club is free for kids 15 & younger & when you sign up at the stadium, your child gets their own membership card that they can scan at every game for awesome rewards. And even better, they can get a free ticket to every Sunday game with their Kids Club card! Be sure to bring your ticket with you to one of kiosks when you scan your card.  The last game we went to, he got his very own Dbacks t-shirt...all for free! 

Right next to Kids Club is a big playground for them (check the height requirements for both this and the "toddler play area"). This has finally made it possible for us to get through 9 innings of baseball with a 5 year old, whoever made this happen is a genius! It's supervised by awesome Diamondbacks staff members and holds a limited number of children so that it's never too crazy.

 To save money, check out the Value Pack includes a game ticket, hotdog or Subway sandwich and a regular-sized drink for just $25. I love that there are such affordable options for tickets at every game. One of my other favorite things about this stadium is that you can bring in your own food (be sure your back fits the size requirements), because I love snack just as much as my child does! 

The whole stadium is fun to just walk around, it's family friendly and the perfect outing no matter what age your kids are! 

Use promo code PHXKIDS for up to 40% off the May 14th Mother’s Day game vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates. The first 10,000 moms will receive a free clutch.

A Fresh New Year

I wanted to wrap up 2016 and look forward to 2017 with this post.  This year seems to have flown by, but then when I look back, so much was packed into it!  We had a great year full of immense blessings, strengthening challenges, and lots of family time.  I think those were my favorite parts, time spent with family on trips or weekends full of laughter and joy.  We've got a few great plans and hopes already for this year, and can't wait to dive right in.

So this year, I plan to work on myself with the typical goals of working out more, staying more organized, cooking more consistently, and trying to stay calm when I get stressed.  I want to set monthly goals to work on throughout the year, and what better to start of January than with a No-Spend goal?!  Aside from necessaries like food and medicine and gas, I'm going to try my best
not to spend on "extras".

Anyone else want to join?! I'm sure it sounds easy for some of you, but for those of us who it doesn't, it'll be a great challenge to start the year after those months of holiday shopping!

 Here's to 2017, to a fresh new beginning, new cute calendars, the unknown opportunities & the chance to start over.  I hope you'll stick around to see what fun we can craft this year!

Christmas Wish List 2016

It's about that time! ...Actually pretty sure it's past that time, but better late than never, right?! Here's what I put on my Christmas List this year.  I'll admit, shopping for me has become hard, because whatever I REALLY want, I usually just buy.  But here are some things that I've been needing or wanting for a while now.

1. A new bag! It doesn't even have to be from Fossil...head to TJ Maxx, they've got all the good brands anyway.  But being a Mom, I always try to find one that has handles AND a should strap, can I get an amen from all my mothers out there?!

2. Jeans. I love the best girlfriend fit from GAP in a 4/27 size.

3. Heated Eyelash Curler. Where have I been?! This sounds amazing & like the perfect stocking stuffer for you girlfriend (or yourself!)

4. TomBow Brush Pens. I feel like this one might be obvious from me, right?!

5. Leather Skirt.  Granted, only wearable for 4 months out of the year here in Arizona, but how gorgeous?!  Perfect Fall/Winter skirt for church.

6. A watch. I'm partial to Fossil watches, and if you're not, you should be.  Try their outlet stores if you're near one, totally worth the price!