Friday, June 12, 2015

Friday Favorites - Swimming Lessons Edition

Happy Friday, girls!

This week has been jam packed with activity.   VBS in the morning and swimming lessons in the afternoon.  The kids are taking lessons with Miss Sally again this year and seeing them swim has been one of my FAVORITE parts of the week. 

It started off rough with GG (she was NOT okay with me not being in the water with her), but she's doing sooooooooooo well!  Look at her go!




She claps every time she comes up out of the water. :)


Sally's daughter helps out and she's so good with the kids as well.


Luke has gained his swimming confidence back and is becoming a super strong swimmer.  We're so proud of him!!!


And Mason is swimming without floaties!  Yesterday was the first time he was really excited and happy about getting in the water.
 



This isn't the greatest picture of Luke, but I feel like he looks so stinkin' big!!!  


The sweet Slaughter kids were taking lessons during the time right after ours, and swimming was NOT Bowen's FAVORITE yesterday (but look how cute Erika is in her animal print?!?!?!)


My other FAVORITE part of swimming lessons???  How excited they are before we go :)


Except for this girl - who I have had to wake up to go every day ;(


And I'm not going to lie... baby swimsuits are another FAVORITE part :)


As are the ponies.




And the naps!!!  God bless the naps!


On Wednesday afternoon, Mason fell asleep on our way home (about 4:45) and when we got home I laid him in his bed to rest before dinner and he ended up sleeping until 7:30 Thursday morning!  I tried to wake him up for dinner, but he wasn't having it, so I just let him sleep and apparently he needed it!  I was blow drying my hair Thursday morning when he woke up and came in my bathroom all bright eyed and bushy tailed to announce that he had slept through dinner and was STARVING! :)


And one last FAVORITE from swim lessons.... the post swim snuggles from my baby girl.  She does this every day and Dave snapped these pics on Monday :) 

I mentioned that we've been running around like crazy people this week, and part of that has been packing lunches in the car for the kids every day.  (I pick them up from VBS at noon and then they eat lunch in the car on the way home so when we get home around 1:00 or so they're ready for naps! AWESOME!).  I picked up this PACKIT cooler bag and it has been my FAVORITE this week.  The entire bag folds up really small and you put it in the freezer overnight and then the next day it keeps things cold for about 6 hours.  The velcro on the top is super tight so all the cold air stays in and it's kept my kiddos yogurt and cheese and sandwiches and such nice and cold even while G and I have run a few hours of errands.  


 I almost forgot another FAVORITE part of swim lessons.... G's AWESOME post-swim hair!  I'm pretty sure that when I let my hair go au natural after a dip in the pool is does not dry in in perfect, full, ringlets like hers. #jealous


And can we talk about how long it's getting?!?!?!


Next up is a FAVORITE I am so so so excited about.  I've raved before about Albion, so when they offered to send me a pair of leggings I jumped on the chance.  I mean, who can say no to floral :)  (They have more than floral... but in my book when floral is an option, there are no other options) 


I snagged a super soft and comfy hoodie to wear with the leggings and I've been living in these pieces all week.  (PS - I sized up in the hoodie so I could make sure it was long enough to cover my hiney).


Thumb holes!!!

  

The hoodie isn't brushed with fleece on the inside, so it's the perfect layering piece.
Warm, but not hot.


The light in my bedroom isn't the best, so I moved the selfie party to the bathroom :)

 All the cool kids have sinks full of hot wheels cars. Duh.

  

I wish I could say that I've been jogging or working out or doing yoga in these pieces, but in reality, I've been doing a whole lot of this...


 I can't say enough great things about Albion - the quality and customer service is outstanding.  I own several of their bathing suits and they're ones that I think I'll have for a long, long time.  If you've been admiring their bathing suits or looking for an excuse to try out their leggings, now is the time!

Use the code momfessionals15 for 15% off your order from today through June 26th!
WOO HOO!!!

Here I am in the antigua peplum top and striped bottoms last week and then the midnight dip suit last year. LOVE!

 


Next up is the jumpsuit that I picked up earlier this week.  I wore it to dinner last night and it's for sure a new FAVORITE.



I love it with a denim jacket for work...


... or without for a girls or date night!  The floral is AMAZING and it's super lightweight (perfect for living on the surface of the sun AKA Texas).



 And speaking of living in an inferno, make sure you're following Hippie Chick this coming week because she's going to be loading TONS of new clothes including this dress which is pretty much as light and airy and comfy as you can get.  I wore it all day yesterday (including sitting at swim lessons!) and was nice and cool.


And again with the jean jacket... my go-to solution for making anything work appropriate :)


GG's FAVORITE person this week has been Baby.  Yesterday she insisted that Baby wear a diaper.  So size 4 it was!


She doesn't like for Baby to wear clothes and she totes her around just like this about 90% of the time :)


One of my very FAVORITE ways to shop is "small".  I love supporting small, family run, businesses and especially businesses for a great cause.  Mark and Melissa are long-time members of our church and Mark's mom was actually my AP Government/Economics teacher in high school.  He and his wife (and their three kids) are in the process of adopting from Japan and they have a business, Son of Whale, making these AWESOME letters out of reclaimed wood.  I picked up an M for us and a B for a baby shower I'm hosting this weekend and I am in LOVE with their work.

"The items you purchased are a symbol of hope and a glimpse of a smile... To us it is more than a bunch of boards put together that will sit on a shelf or hang on a wall, to us, it is a message of hope."



If you're looking for a unique and meaningful Father's Day gift, a letter (or two!) would be so much fun in an office or study and all the proceeds go to help the Presley's bring home their daughter from Japan.

Next up was one of my FAVORITE moments this week with my big helper at the grocery store.  When I have all the kids I typically don't let G push the little cart, but since it was just her and I this week it was her moment of glory. :)


 We were running in for a bag of popcorn and left with two bags of popcorn, chips and cheetohs.  It's amazing how far half a dozen cheetoh puffs can go with my kids. ;)



Another one of my FAVORITE parts of the week has been spending lots of one on one time with this sweet, expressive girl while her brothers were at VBS.  We ran errands, held hands and had lots of shopping cart conversations.  I LOVED the opportunity to focus just on her, and you can totally tell that she hated it :)

 


"Mooooooooooooooooooooooooom" :) hahaha



 The "eye roll heard round the world" picture has come in handy in multiple text conversations this week, but this one with Anna Grace (where she was breaking the news to me that she is going out of town AGAIN - boooooo!!!) was my FAVORITE.


I hope that you all have a FANTASTIC weekend!!!  We have lots of fun plans that I can't wait to share with you all next week.  Happy Summer ;) 

   
    http://new.inlinkz.com/view.php?id=471138" title="click to view in an external page.">An InLinkz Link-up
   

PS - Thank you so much to Albion for the leggings!  They provided the leggings, but all opinions and rave reviews are based solely on my experiences with their products.  Also, this post contained affiliate links, which means that if you clicked on a link and purchased an item - I may receive a small commission.

53 comments :

  1. Looks like you had an awesome first week of summer! I'm so excited I finally get out today!!! Please stop posting beautiful cute things that I want. I don't know how much longer my wallet can handle it lol. G's stank face ohmygoodness so funny and precious. Have a great weekend Andrea!

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  2. There are so many things to say but I laughed out loud when you said "when living on the surface of the sun AKA Texas". Seriously...LOL'd. :)

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    1. Right?!?! It's not just hot it's HAAAAWWWWWWWTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!! ;)

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  3. Yay for Ms. Sally!! My kids look forward to her lessons each year. Your three are doing great! Can't wait to swim with them this weekend (and next week) (and the week after that) (and the week after that) (and so on). ;) xoxo

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  4. I love that you have that extra time with G while the boys are in vbs--some of my favorite memories are with Presley when we we had just girl time while the boys were at that VBS!! Enjoy mama!!

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    1. It's been really really sweet to have some time with only her - I've treasured it for sure!

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  5. Griffin is just beyond adorable!!! I love her curly post-swim hair! I'll have to check out that PackIt bag - perfect for summer!

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    1. Isn't her hair awesome?!?! I wish mine looked like that after a swim!

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  6. So glad you are enjoying those kids! They grow up so fast, you will be grateful you took so many pictures! Thanks for sharing them with us!

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    1. I am so enjoying them!!! And I agree about the pictures... better too many than not enough! :)

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  7. Those leggings are fantastic!! Thanks for sharing - and who doesn't love thumb holes! Sometimes I purchase things just for the thumb holes! Ha ha!
    And all of your kiddos are super cute with their enthusiasm for swimming! And agreed to this Texas heat! I thank God daily for water and air conditioning!
    Enjoy your weekend!

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    1. I was skeptical of the thumb holes at first - but now I am a HUGE fan!!! And yes.... AC! AMEN!

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  8. Your new suit is DARLING. D.A.R.L.I.N.G. You should throw it on with wedges and your denim jacket and WORK IT.

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  9. omg I need that dress from Hippie Chick! I LOVE IT!!! And GG is way too cute...even with a "stank face"!

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    1. girl! You're going to LOVE it!!! It's so so so comfy!

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  10. Griffin's ponytail & striped swim suit is ADORABLE! Love that hoodie as well! Have a great weekend! :)

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  11. What a fun week! Love all the pics;) Thanks for the heads up on the PackIt bag, it will be great for the beach!

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    1. Thanks, girl!!! Let me know what you think of the bag!

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  12. Your kids are too cute! Those curls and that pony tail reminded me of my almost 10 year old when she was that age. Ahh, those toddler years! Thanks for hosting and have a great weekend! www.everydaymadefresh.com

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    1. You're so welcome!!! The toddler years go by WAY too fast!!!

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  13. I LOVE that Hippe Chick dress!! And you sure can rock a jumpsuit!

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    1. Thank you!!! I didn't think I was jumpsuit material.... but maybe I was wrong! :)

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  14. ANDREA, do you get the Erin Condren lesson plan book? I wanted to hear, from one middle school teacher to another, if it was worth the price. They seem
    to be out of stock right now, so I can't look at one online. Thanks for the info! ☺
    Susie

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    1. I don't... I use a $10 weekly planner from Target. Let me know what you think if you get one!

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  15. That last picture of Griffin is fantastic! Have a great weekend!

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  16. Griffins eye roll and ringlets are my favorites of the week.

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  17. You are lovely but a tad obsessed with G. Don't forget about those precious boys. There are more to life than long hair, pretty bows and dresses for girls.

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    1. Oh, anonymous. I am going to try my hardest to be sweet. The accusation that I "forgot" about my boys because I talked about Griffin's curls is ridiculous and asinine. My boys are most definitely not forgotten... but they're also not always compliant with my picture taking and I never force them. I am WELL Aware that there is more to life than long hair, bows and dresses and frankly - I don't blog about any of those things on a regular basis. This comment was out of line and downright hurtful.

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    2. Anonymous - seriously? Really, what is the point of leaving a comment like that? The suggestion you make is not only crass it is insulting.I will give you the benefit of the doubt on the chance you didn't mean for it to sound as it does, but let's think about how our words might affect others before we say them.
      Andrea, rest assured, you feature and give your boys with generous amounts of love and attention and I completely agree, comments like this are definitely beyond any definition of civility or good manners, sadly a trend that seems to have become commonplace in the world of social media.
      Rebecca L. - Albuquerque NM

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    3. Wow! I'm replying only for you Andrea - I too have two older boys and then a girl. Boys do not always want to be photographed and if G enjoys it why the heck not. I have never got ANY impression from you that your boys ate anything short of treasured and loved ENORMOUSLY!!!! Seriously....please let these rotten comments roll off your back xxxx

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  18. Ahhh any idea where Erika's shirt is from!?

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  19. Thanks so much for this linky- and I have to say, I LOVE your style!!! Holy cow- those dresses are awesome! :D

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  20. Oh my gosh, GG's hair...I love it! I just look like a wet dog. Love that jumper you got the other day, looks even better on you! Also, for your swim lessons, do they go everyday for how many weeks? Or is it just one week? Have a great weekend!

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    1. Me too!!! I am NOT CUTE straight out of the water :) They go every day for 30 minutes Monday - Friday. They learn a lot and have so much fun!

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  21. New follower and new to the linkup! :) I actually found you through Diana's blog! Happy Friday!

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  22. I absolutely love the black dress you have on from Hippie Chick Boutique and have been looking for a dress in that exact style, but I am just hesitant to buy from there again. After you had advertised the Kendra Scott look alike jewelry that she was selling, I bought a pair of earrings for around $20 + shipping, only to get them and realize they were just cheap pieces of plastic and nothing at all like Kendra Scott. I was sorely disappointed in that, and there was no return policy, so that was like $25 down the drain. That has definitely made me hesitant from buying from any independent sellers online again because you never know what you're getting. And it's disappointing that you would even advertise something like that with verifying the quality... when Kendra Scott is on sale, you can get the actual pair of authentic earrings for only $25-$30, so to pay that much for a cheap piece of plastic that cost like $3 to make is disheartening.

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    1. Oh no!!! I have the lookalike necklace and mine definitely isn't plastic. Did you get in touch with Ariele? She owns Hippie Chick and she's great to work with. Send me an email and I can give you her contact info if you'd like. I am so sorry that you had a crummy experience!!!

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  23. Do you know what size approx. you used for the flag canvases?

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  24. She is too cute. Sophie claps every time she gives us something.

    liz @ sundays with sophie

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  25. That flag though!!!! Can I go back and dig through tubs, trace a hand print from 18 years ago and try to make it? #collegekidmomprobs #livingvicariously

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  26. Hi Andrea- my kids and I have been dying to make the firework/rocket garland. Will you please please please post a tutorial soon? We have all of our materials ready to go and the one we've found on Pinterest didn't really make sense. Thanks and happy Friday!

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  27. Oh my goodness! I love the wood letters!! and I'm a sucker for a good cause ... might have to add that to my list :) Thanks! I linked up for some Friday Favorites! :)
    ♥ Jen
    A Splash of Life Blog

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  28. That purple and floral pool bag in the back is adorable! Could you tell us where it's from?

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