Our Five Ring Circus

Friday, January 8, 2016

Life's Little Moments

Although posed photographs are cute, my photography goal for 2016 is to capture more of the "little" moments in life. You know...those moments when they don't always realize you're looking..those moments that often make the best photographs because they're REAL and unexpected.

I tried to capture a good mix of both posed and unexpected during the first week in 2016. Here are a few of our everyday moments from the past week:

I never want to forget... 

...how he peeks through the door of his favorite toy.

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...how he can't always make it through dinner because he works and plays so hard throughout the day.

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...the bond these two best buddies have...the bond that began when they were newborns.

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...how she reads to her baby brother before bed.

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...all the moments she spends playing at the kitchen table.

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...how, at age 11, he still looks up at me and smiles so big when I walk into his room.

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...how excited she gets about the snow and her enthusiasm over going to school.

Back to school after a fun holiday break AND it's cold and snowing. Now that's a harsh dose of reality! So harsh that my 11 year old is sulking behind me. Lexie is the only one who seems happy about the situation!

...how he tirelessly tackles hours of homework without much complaint.  (And sometimes not.)

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...how nicely these two play together at times. 

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...how excited he was to buy his iPod touch.

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...his incredible spirit that just fills the room with joy and beauty.

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...the way he examines his hands with so much concentration.  And those eyelashes that touch his cheekbone so gently.

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...all the moments they spend exploring and learning at the library.

One of our favorite places to visit. Seriously. We log in so many hours at our local library and the kids never get bored!

...the way she pushes that tiny cart around the town grocery store and gets so excited about buying a 75 cent bag of candy. (Please don't grow up too fast, baby girl!)

I'm not sure how it happens, but candy always ends up in my little helper's cart. ❤

...how she asked me to take a picture with her because we were dressed in similar outfits and how she clung to my hand and beamed as her brother snapped the picture.

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...the way he looks at her with so much love and admiration.

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...the way she loves and protects him.

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...the way he smiles even through a suspected sinus infection.

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...how he scrunches up his eyes and yells when he gets angry or hurt. (Perfectly timed while I was taking pictures...snapping yourself with suspenders is not the best idea!)

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...how he navigates through the snowy patches in the yard so carefully (and gives up and goes back inside when he slips and falls on his bum).

Liam in the snow

...how he curls up in front of the fire to do his homework.

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...snacktime in the sunlight.  And those gorgeous blue eyes.

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...watching those tiny starfish hands as he plays.

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...that floppy hair and how I want to smooch that sweet face ALL THE TIME.

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...the way he still twists his hair when he sleepy or concentrating.

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...the way he is drawn to the warmth of the fire and how he leaves tiny handprints all over the glass.

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...that tiny bum that fits in one hand and THOSE TINY FEET.

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...the way he hangs over the back of the couch to look out the window.

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...how sweet and mature she is at just 8 years old and how lucky I feel to be her mom.

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Everyday life can be so chaotic, stressful, and overwhelming, but when I look through all these snapshots of our week, I feel nothing but peace and gratefulness. I really need to focus on slowing down and enjoying the little moments that make life so special.

What are you thankful for this week? 

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Linking up with Our Pretty Little Girls

Our Pretty Little Girls

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

The Love List

One of the things I love about blogging and social media is discovering new products that I must try/buy.  Word of mouth can be very convincing, and I've discovered many new products that way!

I figured I would kick off January by sharing a few of MY favorite things!  (All current, of course.) 

CURRENTLY LOVING:

{XHILARATION PAJAMA SET}

I bought some pajamas at Target with a Christmas gift card and they were so comfortable that I had to return for another set! I love the looser fit of the leggings and the slouchy shirt! I'm not one to sleep in pants, because I hate how they twist throughout the night, but these are perfect! AND I just might have worn them outside this morning while waiting with my kids at the bus stop.  No shame! (I bought these ones, too!)

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{VALENTINE'S DAY DECOR FROM THE TARGET DOLLAR SPOT} 

Speaking of Target, I went into the store on Sunday for some Excedrin Migraine and couldn't make it past the Valentine's Day section in the Dollar Spot.  Darn you, Target! At least my house will look festive after I take down the Christmas decorations.

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{CANVAS TOTE}

This is also a Dollar Spot find. In all fairness, Lily spotted the tote and we needed to replace our library bag anyway. The Valentine's Day tissues are from the dollar spot, too. I bought some for Lily and Lexie!  Here's one of my favorite mom hacks: Put your library cards in a clear luggage tag and attach it to a library tote.  You won't misplace your cards and they can scan them through the luggage tag!

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{APT 9 HOODED PUFFER JACKET} 

I needed a new winter coat, so Grant bought me one for Christmas. It's so warm and cozy!  It almost feels like I'm wearing a blanket, which is perfect for the winter weather that finally hit Pittsburgh!



{BOOTIE SLIPPERS}

While you're at Kohl's, buy yourself a pair of bootie slippers. They are really warm and comfortable, and they fit well over the legs of the pajamas I mentioned!

SONOMA life + style® Women's Bootie Slippers

{INFLUENSTER}

This is more of a service, but if you haven't joined Influenster yet, do it now!!! You have the chance to receive free products for testing purposes and share on social media.  This is my current VoxBox!

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{APT 9 BROOKLYN SHOPPER} 

I don't know what's wrong with me, but I destroy purses.  After spending a fortune on more expensive purses, I gave up and started to buy them at Kohl's.  I try to buy a new one twice a year, just to mix things up. This is my current find. I love all the compartments!

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{BUSY BAGS BINDER ITEMS}

I created a Busy Bags Binder using items from the Target Dollar Spot over the summer, and it still gets pinned several times a day!  It's one of the most used items in our house, so I try to update it frequently. A few days ago, I found these fun learning activities in the Target Dollar Spot. You can make them on your own OR you could just buy them at Target.  As much as I want to be the mom who paints, glues, and sews activity items, I'm just not. I vote simple!

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{NETFLIX}

Everybody loves Netflix, right?  I sure do!  I can watch Gilmore Girls episodes on repeat, find out what all the fuss is about Switched at Birth, get caught up on the past season of New Girl, and eagerly await the return of House of Cards and Orange is the New Black.  Oh, and my kids love it, too! You know what they say...the family who watches Netflix together stays together.  Or something like that.  Thanks for the awesome socks, Netflix!  My husband and I are fighting over the last pair! #StreamTeam

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What are a few of YOUR favorite things? 

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Monday, January 4, 2016

Ringing in 2016

Happy New Year!  I don't know about you, but I find it hard to believe that it's already 2016! 

I don't make resolutions, but I plan on working to achieve balance and simplicity in all aspects of my life this year. Life is busy and chaotic for a family of 6, and I'm determined to have things run smoothly this year . 2016 is off to a great, organized

The last day of 2015 was very low key for us.  Grant had to work, Dylan was at a sleepover, and the rest of us spent most of the afternoon in our pajamas! We made a quick run to the grocery store to pick up some party food. After Grant got home, we headed to our friend's house to celebrate New Year's Eve!

Last Day of 2015

For many years, we spent New Year's Eve with my family.  Sadly, that became a thing of the past as my nieces and nephews grew up and moved away and everyone began to do their own thing. When that happened, we started to spend New Year's Eve with some of our closest friends. Although I do miss our family tradition at times, I enjoy our evening with friends. This was the fifth year in a row that we rang in the new year with friends!

New Year's Eve/New Year's Day isn't a big deal for me. Truthfully, I'm not a huge fan of it, but I'm not going to be a downer right now. I like to focus on the positive!

Our celebration revolves around family and friends.  I don't drink, so for me, it's all about spending time with my loved ones.  And eating.  Indulging in party food is good for the soul! This year, we played Apples to Apples for hours while the kids ran circles around us!

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New Year's Eve with Framily
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We all gathered together to watch the ball drop and ring in 2016! It was noisy, chaotic, and crowded, which was the perfect representation of our lives right now. It was a happy moment!

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Everyone went their own way again.  We talked and played Apples to Apples until 3 AM, and the kids continued to play.

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Every single kid stayed awake until midnight (and then some). Netflix sent us some New Year's Eve party supplies for the kids (#StreamTeam), so they could celebrate early. Well, they celebrated early, rang in the new year with the adults, and continued to celebrate.  Out of all the kids, Dylan was the only one who fell asleep during the party.  Even Violet and Liam stayed awake the entire time!

New Year's Eve with Netflix

We were shocked by our night owls, but when 3:00 AM rolled around, it was evident that exhaustion was setting in.  Adults included.

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We originally planned to sleep over, but Grant was wide awake and offered to drive home so we could all sleep in our own beds.  We made the trek home in the wee hours of the morning. I honestly can't remember the time. It was somewhere between 3:30-4:00 AM.  All of the kids fell asleep within minutes of driving away!

We had a fun night with our "framily" and it was nice to welcome 2016 with them. As long as we're together, life is good!

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Needless to say, we all slept in on New Year's Day.  We had a 2 PM brunch together, and enjoyed a lazy afternoon at home before going to my parent's house for dinner.

New Year's Day
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Even though we slept in, we were all dragging!  After dinner, Lexie stayed behind at my parent's house for a sleepover, and the rest of us headed home.

Here's to a happy, healthy, prosperous, and memorable 2016!
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How did you celebrate New Year's Eve and New Year's Day?

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