life. crafts. shop spotlights.
i thought the summer was never going to get here, and now that it’s here, it’s almost already gone. summer is f l y i n g!
this month was busy with making new memories and here are just a few photos i took to capture my july.
11 years old. Wow. Time sure has flown by my little lady.
I can still picture the moment that you were born and placed in to my arms for the very first time.
I can still picture you as a toddler, that constant energy that had this mom always on her toes.
And now you’ll be heading to middle school, and that right there is so hard to fathom. But I have zero worries that you will do so great, your drive to learn and do your best is something I’ll always admire.
I have it all memorized, the curve of your nose, that sweetness in your smile. But I’ve noticed that you’ve grown; that you’ve gotten older. That ounce of teenager ready to come out from under the surface.
In the past year, my shy Kaylei-bug has morphed in to one independent, proud-to-stand-tall girl, more so than I ever would have dreamed. You are both confident and stubborn, intelligent and silly, strong and beautiful, kind and curious, but you know that there is still so much more to learn.
I’d love to think that I could place a permanent hold on who you are at this very moment….the silly giggles, the small tantrums, the hormones just beginning to debut, but I know that would be selfish and you are meant to continue growing, adventuring in to the young girl and then eventually the young woman you will become. Each little step you are taking along the way is helping you build the character that would help you embrace adulthood. I’m the luckiest to be able to witness it, to learn from you and to be there holding your hand along the way.
You have brought me immeasurable joy in the last eleven years and I can’t wait to see what this new year will bring. Eleven years ago, I held you for the very first time and began to learn who you were. I’m so incredibly proud of you Kaylei-bug.
Happy 11th birthday!
I love you. To the moon and back.
Your perfectly, imperfect mother.
amazon prime day starts today…it’s like the black friday of summer.
this year it’s a two day event to shop some of amazon’s favorite products at really great prices. as long as you have an amazon prime account, you’ll be all set to save!
i threw together a quick list of some of my absolute favorite amazon finds that are participating in the amazon prime day deals below.
things go quickly, so word of advice? don’t wait.
i swear by this travel makeup case. it’s light-weight, super durable, and you can’t beat the price.
need some fun earrings? check these out. so many color options to choose from and under $10!
if you need new tennis shoes, i’d highly recommend getting these adidas running shoes. they’re super comfortable, light-weight, and come in so many color/style options.
if you’re in the market for a portable charger, for the price, you can’t go wrong with this one. i buy a lot of charging products from this brand and have had zero complaints.
this might be my favorite purchase ever. if you have kids or even just for yourself, you NEED a wet brush. this is a great deal; two for the price of one.
our second wahl family reunion took place this month; we’re trying to keep the tradition of organizing one for every 5 years. this years took place at a koa campground near st. louis, missouri.
the location was perfect; you could rent a site to tent or park your camper at or they also offered little cabins available to rent. we decided on a camping cabin that had the cutest front porch. the best part was mazi girl was also allowed to stay there as well.
the actual reunion took place friday through sunday, but we made a little vacation out of it and drove up a few days early to spend the extra time with family.
one day we made a trip to the st. louis zoo. it was perfect because it had free admission and wasn’t too far of a drive from camp.
i love being able to watch my girls grow up with my cousin’s kids. it reminds me so much of the summer vacations we would go on to see the wahls growing up.
we spent a lot of time visiting with everyone, playing bags and basketball, and just sitting around the fire roasting marshmallows and chatting.
we couldn’t let the weekend go by without grabbing a few photos of our giant family in our matching shirts.
our shirts turned out so great this year…thank you ben for organizing it all!
“we put the WAHL in grizWAHLds”
the campground we stayed at was awesome and offered so many amenities for the kids…wagon rides, a jumping pillow, and a swimming pool were some of our favorites. and we definitely had to take advantage of the snow cone truck on our last day there.
see you all again in 2024, wahls!
if you’re a mom, you know EXACTLY what i’m referring to. there is no denying that motherhood is the best job in the world, but it can be TOUGH. there is absolutely nothing like it; you will never feel so much love, guilt, stress, or anxiety from any job aside from that of a being a mother.
with all the hustle and bustle, and losing your mind a few times here and there, let’s talk about what this post is all about…you time! it’s absolutely a must, and as guilty as you may feel taking that time for yourself, it’s so important to do so. moms…you’ve got to take care of yourself in order to be able to take care of anybody else.
so here, i thought i’d share a few ways that i enjoy sneaking off for some me time:
relax in a bubble bath
this is my go to. even if i have to wait until my girls are in bed, i look forward to it so much. a bath bomb, a good-smelling candle, and some music. give me twenty minutes and i get out feeling so calm and refueled.
journal
i really enjoy writing. it lets me get all my thoughts out of my head and on to paper. simply just a way for me to decompress and de-stress.
drive time
i have a pretty decent commute to and from work every day so i’ve learned to quite enjoy that time alone, especially when i can have the windows down and blast some of my favorite music.
errands
yes. i said it…errands. “going out” for me now is running errands. alone.
and i think i’m excited. not what i ever thought i would say about turning thirty, the big 3 – 0, a new decade, but it’s here and i’m ready.
this year, as I move into this next decade of life, i’m taking a little bit of a different approach to things. i want to love more; not only my family and friends, but myself too. i want to hold close the little moments that fall into the every day life routine. i want to travel more, have adventure, and see the world, but i also want to come home and celebrate the life that i’ve built there. i want to live fully in every. single. moment without rushing to the next.
but most of all, i want to appreciate thirty and the time that i have lived. it’s so humbling to look back at the life i’ve lived and see all that’s already been written and see how blessed i am. to see how much i’ve grown and learned. to see how i’ve become so strong and ready for the world.
there are some people out there who don’t get the opportunity for one more birthday with a loved one, so instead of hiding and dragging my feet into thirty, i’ve got my arms open and i’m ready.
join along on my 30th chapter because in this chapter, i’m exactly where i’m supposed to be.
