Our Family Grew By Four Feet

Spoiler Alert: This is not a pregnancy announcement, because four more human feet would just be a LOT! Two weeks ago, however, we did welcome a new baby into the family. It just so happens to be a 2.5 pound Shorkie puppy named Beyonce Moira Rose Bader Ginsburg!

Up until recently, we didn't intend on getting another puppy. We already had 5 kids, an English Mastiff, a cat, an indoor rabbit, 2 hermit crabs, and 2 snails. I always had 2 dogs until my chihuahua passed away almost a decade ago, and I was starting to think about getting a second dog. 

A few months ago, my sister thought her English Mastiff was pregnant, so I began suggesting we get one of the puppies so that Ella, our English Mastiff, would have a companion. We love giant breeds, but Grant wasn't too thrilled about the idea of another giant dog in our already crowded house. It turned out my sister's dog had a pseudo-pregnancy, and I was bummed, but a new opportunity was quickly handed to us!

An Easy-To-Make Valentine's Day Snack Board Everyone will LOVE

I received Love Corn for free from Moms Meet to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

It's Valentine's Day Weekend, and we are here for it! Just like every pandemic holiday over the past year, we don't have big plans, but we do everything we can to make the holiday special at home. Tonight, we're having a Valentine's Day themed dinner with our very small quarantine crew, and this AMAZING Valentine's Day Snack Board will be making an appearance!

I have been a fan of charcuterie boards for a while, and I finally upgraded our tiny board to a large tray. It holds so much more, which is essential for a big family, and it doesn't spill when I'm carrying it to the table. Heart-shaped pizza and heart-shaped pasta is on the menu this weekend, but who doesn't love a snack board full of sweets?!? I did throw a few good-for-you snacks into the mix, because balance is everything! 

This is my first attempt at a snack board full of sweets, and I think everyone is going to love it. Typically I fill the snack board full of healthy foods and snacks, but special occasions call for special treats. Too much sweetness isn't always a good thing, so I had to add in some delicious salty snacks for variety. I can't wait to dig in, and I know my kids are going to flip over it, so I think it's going to be a huge hit!

Aldi Aisle of Shame Finds of the Week

Once upon a time, I was afraid of Aldi. People would tell me how good it was, but change scared me, and it just didn't appear to be worth it. A best friend finally dragged me in one day, and I was hooked!

At first, I just stopped in to buy gluten-free food for Liam, but soon I was purchasing snacks. I realized I was saving SO MUCH MONEY, so I tried buying all of my groceries at Aldi one day, and we discovered that we loved everything. Once I grew comfortable with shopping at Aldi, I discovered the Aldi Aisle of Shame!

The Aldi Aisle of Shame is so popular that there are Facebook groups devoted to it. If you don't know what I mean, just venture into an Aldi one day, and look for their Special Buys section. They go so quickly, so act fast if you see something you like! I shop at Aldi every week, and most weeks, I just leave with 1 or 2 items from the Aldi AOS, but this week, I brought home an Aldi Haul!

The January Wrap Up

January was filled with worry and waiting, so I'm glad it's behind us! There were good moments, but life last month was very overwhelming. Thankfully, it ended well, which is the only thing that matters!

I headed into 2021, hoping to recap each week on the blog, like I used to do before life became too busy. I started the year strong, but a a week later, I gave up! So here I am, wrapping up 3 weeks in one post. Maybe I'll get back on track one day...

So here's to January. Lots of worry, lots of waiting, a surgery, a recovery, weekday runs, cold days, cute puppies, back to school, and a whole bunch of snow! It really does help to look back on the month, and see all the good that could be found in each day!

SWOOC Games - Supporting Small Shops

*I received product in exchange for my honest opinion.

Welcome to my new Supporting Small Shops blog series! I love supporting small shops and companies, and it's more important now than ever before. I already have a few great shops lined up for the series, as well as some fun upcoming giveaways, so stay tuned!

This idea has been going through my mind for a few years, but I just haven't taken the time to implement it until now. Most of the products I review never make it to the blog. I only share things I genuinely love and would recommend here, but most of the time they get added to a roundup post. I'm so excited to share more of the small shops I love!

Today, I'm kicking off the series with SWOOC games. I worked with SWOOC Games years ago, and I was so impressed by the quality of their product. We had so much fun playing Yardzee over the years, so I was excited when they reached out to me to ask if we wanted to review another game. Of course, I immediately said yes, because it is a company I proudly stand behind and recommend to others!

Our New Favorite Birthday Tradition

Last year, Lexie and Coen's birthdays fell days before the pandemic made our world shut down. We were able to celebrate their birthdays, but had to put their birthday parties on hold. Lily had been hoping for a big birthday party with her friends, because she had never had a party with classmates due to having a Summer birthday, but as August 3rd approached, we knew it wasn't going to happen. She was so diappointed, so we decided to come up with a fun alternative!

On Lily's 9th birthday, our new favorite family birthday tradition began! We tackled our usual birthday traditions, then after Grant finished work for the day, we loaded into the car, dropped off our dog at my parent's house, and took the party to a hotel with a swimming pool. Thanks to lack of travel during the pandemic, we had the entire hotel to ourselves!

We had such a great time that we decided that it needs to be a permanent tradition! Once a year around Dylan's birthday, once between Lexie and Coen's birthdays (14 days apart), and once between Lily and Liam's birthdays (15 days apart). I thought it would be fitting to share our new favorite tradition on Lily's half birthday!

February 2021 Goals

At the start of each new year, I set a few goals, and a word of the year. This year, my word was togetherness, and that continues to be my focus. I also set some goals that matter to me, and tweak them with each passing month.

I'm not a resolution person. They just seem so harsh and final, and let's face it - the majority of people end up breaking their resolutions and giving up! With goals, I can reassess at the end of each month to see what works and what doesn't, then adjust the goals for the month ahead. 

January is the official month to start resolutions and goals, but it's such a tough month. We're coming down from the holiday season high, we're trying to find places for all those new gifts, and we're trying to reorganize our homes for the upcoming year. There isn't much time to focus on "new year, new me" or anything of the sort. I tried in January, and did well for about a week, then life took over, and most of my goals got pushed aside! That's exactly why I look at each month as a new start! So why am I sharing all of this? Accountability, and so I can look back on my progress!