Month: May 2020

last day of school interviews (2019/2020).

okaytobeshay

holy cow! this school year FLEW by. and it goes without saying, the ending of the year was strange! parents became teachers and living rooms became classrooms as we were all faced with the infamous covid-19 quarantine. something i’ve learned? i’m not made out to be a teacher. i give them so much props! ya’all deserve a medal and a stiff drink. multiple stiff drinks.

our girls started sixth, second, and kindergarten this year.  and just like previous years, we made sure to do our last day of school “interviews”. i asked the girls these questions and i thought i’d share with all of you…plus we had to include our mason boy; scroll to the bottom for his hilarious answers.

aubrey

Grade: Kindergarten

Age: 6

Favorite Color: Purple

Favorite Food: Buttered Noodles

What Are You Good At: Math

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up: An Ambulance Driver

What Makes You Happy: Mazi

What Scares You: Bad Guys in Home Alone

What Is Your Favorite Movie: Liar Liar

Favorite Quarantine Memory: Playing Barbies

mahkena

Grade: 2nd Grade     

Age: 8

Favorite Color: Pink

Favorite Food: Mac & Cheese

What Are You Good At: Drawing

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up: Pet Owner

What Makes You Happy: Mom

What Scares You: Spiders

What Is Your Favorite Movie: Home Alone

Favorite Quarantine Memory: Cuddling with the Dogs

kaylei

Grade: 6th Grade

Age: 11

Favorite Color: Yellow

Favorite Food: Sushi

What Are You Good At: Selfies

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up: A Millionaire

What Makes You Happy: Food

What Scares You: Butterflies

What Is Your Favorite Movie: Fast & Furious

Favorite Quarantine Memory: Not Going to School

and although mason isn’t old enough to be in school, we thoroughly enjoyed asking him the same questions…

mason

Grade: Too Cool for School

Age: 2

Favorite Color: Red

Favorite Food: Icecream and Suckers

What Are You Good At: Going to the Babysitters

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up: A Hotdog

What Makes You Happy: Food & Tractors

What Scares You: Daddy

What Is Your Favorite Movie: Harry Potter

Favorite Quarantine Memory: Play with Kaylei

my thirtieth year.

okaytobeshay

with a new year and turning thirty-one, i always enjoy a new year to reflect, refresh, and cultivate my goals for the upcoming year.

last year i turned 30, and i thought it would be fun to reflect on my first year in my thirties. it was big year for me; lots of personal growth and finding true happiness with my life.

i hope you enjoy some of these thoughts, moments, and experiences that i’ve had over the past year.

life isn’t done alone. surround yourselves with those who lift you up.

and it’s okay to let go of friendships that aren’t worth your time. some friendships end, and that’s okay. focus on nurturing those close friendships; those are the ones that matter.

don’t let fear control you.

fear can hold you back from living the life you were meant to. don’t be a victim to what scares you; in fact do the things that you’re afraid of. i did so many things this year that scared me, and yes, they terrified me to make those leaps, but the result was so worth it.

sometimes it take thirty years to find your person.

guys. don’t settle. real love is worth waiting for. when you find that person, you’ll know.

age is just a number.

life flies by, and before you know it you’re turning 30. frankly, i was afraid. i was terrified. but 30 came and went and this year i think i realized more than ever, that age is just a number. my thirties are looking pretty great, and i’m just getting started.

travel often.

now is the time to do so.

be vulnerable.

that doesn’t mean you have to be an open book, but don’t be afraid to let people in sometimes. you’ll grow so much from it and even make incredible friendships along the way.

your family is pretty damn cool.

yup, i said it. as you grow older you realize just how much you’re like your parents; how much you enjoy spending time with them and your family.

stop stressing about that to-do list; slow the heck down.

life is too short, and i promise that to-do list will still be there.

thank you for reading; i truly hope that some of these reflections made you smile. i appreciate you joining me alongside this journey. cheers to 31!

around our house: quarantine 2020.

okaytobeshay

this blog has always been a space for me to share the beauty of our family’s moments, whether if it’s from the view of the city streets or the comfort of my couch. a place for me to document all of life’s adventures, and this year has been quite the adventure thus far.

no words are needed for this post, but just photos of some of our every day moments around the house while in quarantine.

it may be a crazy time in the world right now, but i am so thankful for all this extra time we’ve been able to spend together, as a family.

april favorites.

okaytobeshay

this april was certainly different from the last. a whole lot of time with no where to go and no stores to explore. shopping was a lot more limited due to covid-19, but i wanted to still compile a few favorites to share with you for this month; some old and some new.

a book that takes its time.

this book is perfect for those days stuck in quarantine. i stumbled across it on my favorite website of all time…jane.com. if you’re a paper lover and enjoy art, i’d highly recommend this, it would even make for a cute gift for someone.

it’s well-made with little bits and pieces of fun incorporated throughout. it’s full of little things to help you relax and let go, with fun exercises for self-reflect. my favorite part about it is that you don’t have to start from the beginning to understand; but i would recommend reading it once fully through and go back and re-read the areas that interest you most.

bergamot waters candle.

this. smells. SO. good! absolutely my new favorite scent, one even john more than approves of. it smells of a mix between beach air and citrus; it makes our home smell so clean and energized. we’re also a big van of the blue glass it comes in, when lit it sets such a pretty ambiance. we liked it so much that we went and purchased a few more of them as well as the wallflower plug-ins.

you can get it here from bath and body works!

crocheting.

yup, i said it. let the old lady status commence. quarantine has given me more time to do things that i used to have a lot more time for, one of those being crocheting.

my mom learned how to do it from her grandma and she taught me. my mom is a dang magician with that crochet hook, me? more a turtle. but i’m hoping with practice, and lots of it, i’ll be a speed demon like her. this month’s (more like a few months if i’m being honest) project is a teal blanket to match our living room.

things bringing me joy during lockdown.

okaytobeshay

lockdown; a word we’re all hearing a lot lately. five weeks in and i think we’re slowly becoming used to this new “normal”. everyday is different; some days i have a hard time wanting to turn off netflix and get off of the couch, other days i’m beyond productive and feel like i can take on the world.

this whole thing has certainly taught me to find joy in the little things. so what joys have i been finding?

no make up / no bra

with no where to go or no one to see wearing makeup and a bra has been a thing of the past. i still find myself occasionally throwing on some mascara and lipstick just to feel more human, but it feels so good to not spend so much of my time in the morning getting ready.

working from home

i didn’t think i would adjust so well to working from home, but its been glorious! my favorite part has been just being able to roll out of bed three minutes before work starts and tossing open my laptop. again, really enjoying the aspect of not having to spend so much time in the morning to get ready.

working on things that were put off on the to-do list

i’m certainly not complaining about all the extra time we’re getting to knock things off on our to-do list that we’ve been wanting to get done. we’re really doing our best to take advantage of this weird period of time.

ozark

netflix in general, but holy crap. we started ozark and it’s been soooo good. what shows have you been binging during quarantine?

walmart grocery pickup

it’s a lifesaver during this time. seriously, if you haven’t taken advantage of walmart grocery pick-up, you’re missing out. the contact is so minimal which is perfect for quarantine and much more convenient then dealing with the chaos of going in to the store.

interested in trying? use the following referral code to save $10: http://r.wmt.co/v/Shayla_1

extra time with john and family

with no where to run off to and no events to attend, we have become a more relaxed family. we have more time to enjoy just being together. quarantining has forced me to slow down and appreciate the moments; the memories that we’re all making together.

nice weather

truthfully, i don’t think lockdown could have come at a better time. the weather is becoming warmer and we’re seeing a lot more sunshine. i’m super thankful for that; it means we don’t all have to always be cooped up inside. we’ve been taking advantage of it with lots of cookouts, lunch picnics, and family walks.

all the money were saving…gas, no trips to the craft store, etc

i swear our gas tank has lasted nearly a month. with no where to go and no where to spend money, i’m really liking watching my bank account increase. but don’t let me fool you…i’m severely missing my tj maxx and homegood hauls.

more time to be creative

i’m also finding a lot more time to be creative, which i thoroughly enjoy. i’ve done some painting, some writing, and even planting. lockdown has reminded me of how much i enjoy these hobbies of mine.

what have you been finding joy in during lockdown?