5 Friday Faves

Happy Friday!  Even though every single day in the summer is like a weekend to me, there is just something about Friday that will always be my favorite.  It has been foreverrrr since I've done a Friday Faves and I'm so excited about this one.  So many good things that you all need to check out below! 

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Water Beads (here) + Water Table (here) + Hair Bows (here)


I've been seeing multiple posts about these in the last couple of weeks and I thought it was finally time for the girls to try them out.  Amazon Prime to the rescue and I ordered them on Monday and they were on our doorstep yesterday afternoon (how did people survive before this service?). I promised Kenna and Teagen that we could get them out after their nap and they went down without any crying (insert praise hands here).  I decided to put them in their water table because I thought that would be the easiest way to keep them contained.  VERY IMPORTANT NOTE - make sure you put the beads in water prior to your children waking up from their nap.  I did not know that the beads took some time to fill up and after I read the instructions and it said to let it soak for 6ish hours, I was concerned.  We still decided to fill up the water table with them and they were playable within 15 minutes I would say.  Kenna has an attention span of a nat and she played with them for maybe 12 seconds but Teagen loved them and I had to end up dragging her inside because she didn't want to put them down.  I would say they were definitely work the $11 and the best part is that they are reusable.

5 Friday Faves (St. Patrick's Day Edition)

I just want to take a moment to thank everyone for the texts, comments, messages, and prayers that were sent Teagen's way since my last post.  Tommy and I were overwhelmed with the love for our Baby T.  You all are the best!

Now on to the fun stuff...

In case you haven't already noticed, I love a good holiday!  I tend to be a little over the top when it comes to celebrations (according to Tommy), and I'm always looking for any excuse to put my kids in matching jams and make a festive breakfast!  St. Patrick's Day is no exception!  Last year Tommy and Kenna tried to trap a leprechaun and I dyed our pancakes green.  Kenna has already been talking this year about what kind of trap she is going to make and she really hopes the leprechaun brings her some gold coins.  Check out my 5 Friday Faves that have helped us celebrate, so far!

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leprechaun munch l pajamas

My kids are obsessed with puppy chow (ok so am I) and we try to make it often.  I was thinking how I could make that tie into St. Patrick's Day and use lucky charms instead.  I typed "leprechaun munch" into Pinterest and I couldn't believe the results that came up.  I found the recipe that is linked above and bought the ingredients.  I made this with the girls on Sunday and OMG it is delicious.  I seriously can't stop eating it and I need it to be gone ASAP because it is not good for my summer lake body.  You will not regret making this, or maybe you will if you need to go up a pant size; however, it's still so good and definitely worth it! 

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Our leprechaun shops at Target (because where else would he go?) and found a few goodies in the Dollar Spot to leave for the girls when they go check their trap!  I couldn't find them online but you might still be able to pick them up in store!  My girls get so excited over the smallest things and so I will always take advantage of every opportunity I get to make something special for them!  I can't wait to see their reactions (and no worries, I bought two of everything because we are still working on that sharing concept in the Baldwin Home)!

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how to trap a leprechaun

The teacher in me can't let a holiday pass me by without purchasing a new book or two to read to the girls.  This year I found the cutest little picture book and I thought it would be perfect to read before we make our trap!    

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Does anyone else tear up a bit when your kids bring home art that they've made?  I'm a sucker for a handprint turkey or finger painted heart.  I love to do crafts with Kenna but Teagen is still pretty little that I'm not always sure how she will handle it.  I decided to go with the no mess approach and do painting in a bag.  

I'm probably just as obsessed as the girls are, and we definitely might be doing this weekly. 

 It was so easy and mess free!  

I just printed a rainbow out onto card stock and then put it in the Ziploc bag.  After it dried, I cut around the rainbow shape.  I glued some cotton balls on the ends, wrote their name and year down in the corner and tada...easy and cute artwork!  

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simple leprechaun trap l welcome leprechauns

Kenna has been talking nonstop about trapping her leprechaun.  Last year we decided the night before to make a trap (see picture above) and we had to find things laying around the house to use.  However, I've been Pinteresting like crazy and I'm determined to be a little more prepared.  I linked a few of my favorites that I've found so far and I can't wait to watch Kenna and Teagen (and lets be honest, me) create their trap!  

I'm so excited to see their reactions tomorrow morning when they check to see if they caught the leprechaun or not!  You seriously need to go creep on my Instagram and find the video from last year!  Kenna was so little and I miss her baby voice! 

Annnnnnd one more picture from last year because I just can't get over how much they've grown up.  Cue the ugly tears.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: being a mom is the coolest!

Enjoy your weekend!

xo,

Kylie  

5 Friday Faves...on a Saturday (Valentine's Day Edition)

While this post was intended for Friday, life has been a tad hectic these last few days.  Tommy has been working late this week and then Kenna was diagnosed with the dreaded flu that I have been trying so hard to keep away from this house.  I've basically been living with Clorox wipes in one hand while trying to keep Teagen entertained and away from the sickness but also catering to Kenna's every need.  My poor babe just isn't herself and I hate seeing her like this.  Praying hard that the rest of us can stay healthy and we can get her back to normal in a few days!

We had such a fun weekend planned before this flu showed up.  Kenna was supposed to go to her first Father Daughter Dance on Friday but Tommy told me no when I asked if she could attend wearing a face mask.  I also was planning on throwing the girls their Valentine's Day Breakfast this morning but that will have to be postponed until next weekend.  Doesn't this sickness know that I love celebrating holidays and no one has time for this nonsense?  While I can't do everything that I was hoping to cram into the weekend, we have still been having a ton of fun in the weeks leading up!  

Read below for some of my favorite things that have made celebrating Valentine's Day that much better this year!

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almond joy cookies

Side note...I don't own cooling racks.  
I had to use a pizza pan propped up on cups to cool the cookies. 
I'm such an adult.

These are seriously the easiest and most delicious cookies I've ever baked.  I found them a few years ago when we competed in our family cookie bake-off during Christmas.  The original recipe doesn't call for m&m's but I always include them to go with whatever holiday I'm celebrating!  My babes passed these out earlier this week to our favorite people and it was a great way to spread the love!

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holiday jersey

Who has shopped the Jane App?  I follow their Instagram page and I love seeing the cute deals that pop up.  I always try to find a festive shirt to wear to school on holidays and this one is perfect!  The Jane deals only last a few days so this shirt can't be ordered anymore, but I did link the St. Patrick's Day shirt that will hopefully be available again soon from the same seller.  The shirt is great quality and very soft and it has definitely been on repeat over here!

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the bouqs co.

I love getting flowers delivered to work (I mean who doesn't?)!  My husband happens to be a creature of habit and 9 times out of 10 I will receive red and/or pink roses.  I'm definitely not complaining BUT I like some variety in my flowers every once in awhile.  I might have hinted (very strongly) about this company and I'm hoping these will arrive on my desk next Wednesday.  I also ordered a few bouquets for some of my favorite people and one of the best parts...FREE SHIPPING on weekday orders!  
If you click on this code ----> save $15 , you can take some money off on your first order!

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love bug craft kit l mini gingerbread house

(this one below is just here for the snacks)

Kenna is turning 3 1/2 this month and she has recently become obsessed with crafts.  Her attention span is getting a little longer and we have been doing some fun things together.  My favorite place to look for small craft projects is in the dollar spot at Target but I also found the love bugs and some wooden heart frames (we haven't had time for these yet because of the flu) at Hobby Lobby and they were 40% off, so each craft only ended up being a few dollars.  I found the gingerbread house kit at Walmart.  I couldn't find it on their website but they still had them last weekend in store.

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Click, Clack, Moo I Love You! l Hug Machine l Love Monster 
 Llama Llama I Love You l A Crankenstein Valentine

In case you missed my last post, we love reading over here!  I really want to get a few hanging bookshelves (hello trip to IKEA) for the girls' playroom so that I can switch out the books depending on the holiday/season.  I've linked some of our favorites above!

I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of their weekend!  I'll just be over here forcing Kenna to take all the meds while frequently getting coughed on. #momlifeisthebestlife     

xo,

Kylie

5 Friday Faves

Happy FRIYAY, Friends!  We had yet another school closing today and I have a feeling it's going to be a very long winter.  Even though it was a short work week, I'm ready for the weekend to snuggle my babes and attend a belated Christmas party with some of my girls!  Bring it on, Saturday and Sunday!  But before that, I'm so excited for my very first 5 Friday Faves!  Check out what I've been loving lately below!  

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mug l pullover

I'm a sucker for cute coffee mugs.  I love the look of Rae Dunn but it is just a tad bit pricey for this girl.  When I was at Hobby Lobby last week, I walked past a display that had these mugs on them and immediately picked one up!  There's just something about sipping coffee out of a cute mug that makes it taste that much better!  Side note: you want this pullover in your life!  So comfy and warm! 


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I tend to stick to reality television, but over winter break Tommy and I binge watched The Brave on NBC and OH MY GOODNESS!  I love when I find shows that my husband and I both like and can watch together.  The show was back on this week and I spent half the time yelling at the television and the other half with my hands up over my eyes because it was so suspenseful and I never knew what was going to happen next!  This is definitely one I recommend!

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apple watch band l bracelets

I'm a newbie to the Apple Watch world and wanted to find a few different bands for mine.  I found the shop above on Etsy and she had great reviews so I decided to give it a try!  I wanted something that I could wear with my work clothes and I've gotten so many compliments on it.  It is comfortable to wear and I will definitely be buying from her again!  Go check out her shop!

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fab four smoothies

I don't know about you but I easily gained 5 pounds over the holidays.  My parents clued me in on these smoothies that they've been drinking and so I gave them a try this week!  Sometimes I have a hard time with protein shakes because of the chalky taste, but because you add some many other ingredients, these gave me no issues!  I hate packing my lunch for work so I have just been taking one of these with me everyday and they've easily kept me full until dinnertime!  Next week I'm going to give the blueberry coconut creme one a try!

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pajamas

Earlier this week I wrote my post on Valentine's Day pajamas with a ton of adorable options for little girls...and now you can coordinate with them!  I ordered these pajamas from GAP earlier this month and finally got around to washing them.  They will definitely be on repeat for the next couple of months!  Bonus...they are currently on sale and you can save an additional 40% off on top of the sale price!  How cute and appropriate for this time of year?  

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  See you on Monday!

xo,

Kylie