*affiliate links used
{screen mom screen cleaner/weiman quartz & stone countertop cleaner}
It’s officially summer at our house (finally!) and we are so looking forward to a low key schedule after a crazy end to the school year! I’m so behind on things I want to share! There are a few personal pics/thoughts at the end of this post, but first I figured I better get my April and May Amazon Buys up before it’s June! Ha. Like I said.. we are a little behind. :) April was a fun Amazon month! I picked up some essentials we were low on like our screen mom cleaner for computers (my favorite!).
I got these fun new olive branches. Never met a faux olive branch I didn’t like. :)
And Kenny ordered our bike mounts so we could finally get our bikes off the ground! A few other fun items include my favorite every day mascara, some beautiful marble chain links, elastics I discovered that are JUST like the elastics at Nordstrom my girls love (for less!) and a Gilmore Girls cookbook for Addison’s birthday. Ad and I are big fans of Gilmore Girls and have watched the entire series more times than I care to admit. All linked below. :)
1- Q tip holder  2- screen cleaner kit  3- olive branches
4- white marble chain link   5- razor hair trimmer   6- capri blue hand cream
7- maybelline mascara  8-bike mount  9- lounge float
10- hair ties   11- Gilmore girls cookbook  12- microfiber makeup remover cloth
This May was so packed with activities! I only ordered about 6 things on Amazon so I added a few Amazon favorites I’ve had for years to my collage like our First Aid kit! We just had to use this last night for one of El’s friends! He fell off a scooter (they were riding them in our front yard) and cut up his arm pretty bad. Our first aid kit to the rescue! It’s a good one. :)
I also noticed that my bedroom mirrors and lamps are back in stock! Both so beautiful and a great price. I need to take a current pic but I haven’t changed too much in this space. Missing my black reindeer. :)
{let’s go outside graphic tee/roxy linen beach pants here & here/flip flops/similar straw bag}
You also might remember I bought these same pants in green! They are just like the Roxy pants at Nordstrom and they come in so many fun colors! They do run a little longer so I’m going to wear the green pair with taller shoes. I haven’t taken a pic of them yet but will the next time I wear them.
A few other May favorites include two white dresses I ordered for Addison for end of the year events (they are both so cute!), my favorite self tanner, some fun potted plants, more of my favorite mesh zipper pouches I use to organize items, and an x stool that I have my eye on! All SO good.
1- mesh zipper pouch  2- 3-pack mini potted plants  3- dermaplaning tool
4- gray round pot  5- first aid kit  6- loving tan mousse
7- brushed metal wall mirror  8- mini dress 9- skater mimi dress
10- Roxy oceanside pant  11- table lamp   12- modern x stool
Below is a quick kid/motherhood catch up because we recently hit a few milestones at our house! This blog is 90% home decor/organization/fashion but 10% of it will always be a bit of a family journal for me. That 10% is the part I know I’ll cherish the most when I’m too old and grey to share cute throw pillows with you all anymore. ;)
At the end of May Addison turned 16! A milestone birthday and we had such a fun weekend celebrating. She had parties with different friends all week, went to Disneyland with her boyfriend and his family (yes.. we’ve entered boyfriend territory with both of my girls!) and then our family spent her birthday weekend in Palm Springs. For years she has dreamed about going to a spa. Ad loves everything to do with skin care and we usually do our own “spa nights” on the weekends. We steam our faces, paint our nails, watch a fun movie. I knew she was finally old enough for a real spa day and booked this trip a year in advance!
I booked half a day for us at Spa La Quinta and I would highly recommend this spot for a special occasion if you’re ever in Palm Springs! I had been one other time for an event with Kenny’s work and remembered how beautiful it was. They had a “teen massage” Â option for younger girls so I booked that for her, a regular massage for me and then facials for both of us.
She was seriously giddy! We begged El to come with us too but she is the exact opposite of Addison (of course..ha). She hates stuff like this! Doesn’t like getting her hair/nails done. Doesn’t want anyone touching her face. Ad and I could get pampered for days. ;) Kenny, Kole and Ellie went to breakfast and hung out while Ad and I had our spa day.
The grounds at La Quinta are stunning and we had the best time!
The two of us can talk for hours and we had so much fun relaxing together. I’ll always remember spending her first REAL spa day with her. :)
{cloth & stone tie front dress}
The following weekend El graduated from high school! Moms who have been there know.. it’s just surreal. I was pretty emotional all week leading up to it but I made it through most of the ceremony without crying. How is she 18 and done with highschool!?
Wasn’t she just taking care of all of her “friends” in fuzzy pajamas?
And leaving me little notes like this after I tried doing her hair in a new side pony tail?
“I do not like the new hair style. I hate it. But I do love you mom.”
One of my favorites. :)
Didn’t she just lose her two front teeth? And wasn’t it just yesterday that she was carrying around her favorite panda stuffed animal and saying “are you so happy mommy!?” El used to always say that to me when she was little if she could tell I was getting stressed out or tired. It was her way of instantly making me happy again. I’d always smile and say “yes Ellie.. I’m so happy” and just like that – I really was. :)
El is my night owl bestie. We love to stay up late and we always watch Lord of the Rings together while I blog! It’s kind of our thing. We’ve seen that series so many times and just keep picking up where we left off. She does an amazing Gollum impression that makes me laugh until my sides hurt! El is a neat freak like me and we just shake our heads at Kenny and Addison who leave a trail behind them everywhere they go. We shake our heads and then we hurry and clean up their mess because everything has a place and we are happiest when things are put away where they belong! I really can’t think about waking up and not seeing her beautiful smile in the morning while we eat breakfast, laughing with her throughout the day when she’s home in-between activities and I especially can’t think about walking passed her empty bedroom when I’m upstairs. Tears are flowing again now so I’ll stop other than to say that I love this beautiful girl so much and this Fall will be hard for me.
I’m really going to miss all of her friends too! Especially these 3 who feel like family. The graduation ceremony was perfect and the only glitch we had was El losing the cords around her neck! They fell off at some point during the ceremony and we looked all over after but couldn’t find them. Luckily she was too happy to care. :)
We wrapped up graduation weekend with lots of parties and celebrating and then it was Kole’s turn this week!
My baby is done with Elementary school and heading to Junior High. (Cue the tears again!)
We just had his graduation ceremony yesterday and I was so nervous! Each of the 6th graders had to perform a talent for the entire school and all of the parents for graduation. Kole recently discovered Weird Al songs and has been singing them non-stop. (There’a peek into my world for you.. ha!) He really wanted to sing Weird Al’s Ebay Parody. I wasn’t sure because everyone else was doing a speech or a violin or piano solo or something serious like that. I knew Kole singing and dancing to Weird Al would either be hilarious or a disaster! Ha ha.. I told him he would have to really ham it up if he wanted to pull it off and he definitely did! We were all laughing so hard. It was a high energy number and added a little humor to the show!
It fit his personality so well. Kole keeps us all laughing! I’m cherishing this summer with him before he starts middle school and becomes too cool for mom.
Luckily we aren’t quite there yet. :)
Life is full of change and change can be hard (especially for people like me who just want things to stay the same!). But I know that change is beautiful too and every stage of life (and motherhood) has so much to offer. I’m setting a goal to embrace the changes coming up and enjoy life as much as possible! And carry tissues in my purse. And thank goodness for FaceTime.
Yes Ellie.. I am SO happy.
:)
Oh!! I’m getting teary here! Your family is beautiful! Wishing you all the very best today and always – congratulations on all of these amazing milestones! XO
So sweet of you Liz! Thank you! That means a lot. :) xo
This was such a great post! Congratulations to you and your whole, beautiful family! I do not have children, but I suggest looking at your children growing up and “leaving the nest” as you & Kenny being successful parents. I’m sure it will be hard to watch Ellie leave for college in the fall (and trust me, it will be hard for her too, even if she doesn’t show it), but just remember that YOU got her to where she is. You’re a great mom (even though I don’t know you, I feel like I do from reading your blog). Hang in there, keep the tissues handy and enjoy every moment :). You’re amazing!
Julie you are so incredibly kind! What a thoughtful comment.. thank you! That means so much to me. I think it will be an adjustment for all of us (her included!) for sure but yes! We will keep tissues handy and try to enjoy it all! Thanks again. Your kind words made my day! xo
Awww…. Erin, I feel for you. I remember feeling so melancholy when the moved from 8th grade to high school. ( their catholic school was K-8, so I didn’t have that elementary/middle sch. transition you’re having with Kole. But fear not… now our granddaughters attend the same school and I love my car pool days! Every stage is great and you’re smart to savor every second!! Love seeing the pics… your children are beautiful!!!
I’m so happy to hear that you are enjoying the stage you are in with your granddaughters Jodey! How fun they are at the same school as their parents and you get to drive them! Kenny always says he wants to live close to our kids so he can shuttle our grandkids around. That’s living the dream right!? :) Your kind words made my day.. thank you! You are always so supportive and it means so much to me! xo
Congrats on Sweet 16 and your girl’s high school graduation!! And really, how can Kole be going to middle school!! Enjoy your summer!
Going by too quickly right Jan!? Thank you so much! I loved hearing from you. Enjoy your summer too! :)
So many exciting family milestones!! All my 3 have graduated HS and onto new adventures. It’s a crazy, busy time for all but the memories can’t be beat💜. Congratulations to you all 🌺
Thank you so much Lynn! So sweet of you. You are on the other side! Beautiful memories for sure. :)
Wow Erin. So many milestones and you are embracing them all. Brought tears to my eyes reading your post. Good luck to you and the family on all the new adventures. xo
Thank you so much Shelley! So thoughtful of you! Enjoy your summer! xo
Beautiful! It is hard (mostly for moms) but it’s rewarding as well (especially when the grandbabies start coming:)
Please provide the link for the denim dress you’re wearing! Too cute:)
Absolutely Lynette. I hear there is nothing like when the grandkids come! Best of all worlds. :) I wish I could give you a link but that denim dress is one I’ve had for years! It was from Banana Republic. :) Thank you! xo
My son graduated high school this year too. It is hard to believe. On the one hand, I am so excited for him and what his future holds and I am so proud of the man he has become, but I am going to miss him so much and I can still picture him as my little preemie. It is hard being a mom. You have done good, Erin!
Thank you so much Nadine! I know exactly how you feel and I agree.. motherhood is not for the weary! :) Thank you so much.. I have no doubt you have done good too! Hats off to us for getting this far. ;) xo
Big, huge, happy congratulations to your whole family! i love these parts of your blog the best. I almost feel like I watched them grow up. Wow! That’s a lot in such a short amount of time. So many big and fun milestones. I’m so happy and excited for your kids! They have been given a solid and loving foundation and are ready to take that next step in their journey. So exciting for them and nervewracking! They will have the confidence to move forward with more confidence because of the love and support of you and your husband given them. You done did good, my friend! Now enjoy a wonderful and hopefully relaxing summer. You get to shop a bit for dorm/apartment life…right up your alley, right? I hope you and your spa buddy get to enjoy a few more of those days soon. And yay for Weird Al Kole making you laugh. What great medicine that is! Thanks so much for sharing, Erin! Have a wonderful relaxing(?)weekend!
Thank you Jeanne! Thank you so much for your kind, encouraging words. I’m just hoping to follow in your footsteps since you are one step ahead of me and your girls are doing such amazing things! You are a wonderful mom and a wonderful friend. I’m so grateful we “met.” :) Hopefully someday in person so I can give you a huge hug! Happy summer! xo
Erin,
Do not faint and fall down. This WILL be short.
I am in the trenches-both good and bad, but I just had to comment on your absolutely beautiful post.
Your entire family is “movie PERFECT”. You, such a wonderful mom with a great and handsome husband/father and the loveliest daughters and their proud “BABY” brother! Erin, you HAVE THIS DOWN!
I will always think of you as a fabulous friend with an amazing blog. NOT the “standard blogger” at all!
Sharon! That last sentence means more to me than you will ever know. You are a fabulous friend to me and I’m so grateful my blog brought us together! I would love to see you in person someday so that I can give you a huge hug. I’m so sorry to hear you are dealing with some not so good things. I’ll be thinking of you and your sweet family. Your comment was so incredibly kind.. short or long it is always a joy to hear from you. :) Thank you!! xo
We instill values and give them wings to fly. So much change for you this year yet so beautiful.. congrats to all three and congrats to you and Kenny. xo
Thank you so much sweet Cathy! xo
Such an enjoyable post to read, Erin! That was me last summer :) And the first year of college was a huge success! You will get through it all and still enjoy your same/yet new relationship with El when she comes back from school! What gorgeous senior pictures!! And happy sweet 16 to Ad! She is so beautiful as well and how sweet that you enjoyed her spa together! We entered the first boyfriend stage as well and it’s a new world! Kole is growing up so quickly and sure do love that he pulled off the fun number at his graduation! That sounds just like him :) Your family is growing up and it is so fun to see all of the changes. You are doing an amazing job!
Lisa you made my day with such a thoughtful comment.. thank you! I’m so happy to hear that everything went well with college for the first year! I love talking to parents who have recently been through this. I feel an instant connection.. you get it! So many emotions right now. I’m so happy one minute and so sad the next. :) It really is a new world with kids this age isn’t it!? And boyfriends take it next level.. ha. We’ve got this.. right? :) Thank you again Lisa. You are so incredibly kind and I it always brightens my day when I hear from you! xo
Erin I’ve watched your little family grow up before my eyes too! My youngest saw El’s hair – will you share how she styles her beautiful waves? I’ve always loved checking in how everyone is growing up!
Thank you so much sweet Heather! It means a lot to me that you’ve been with me so long! I actually curled El’s hair.. she usually wears it straight and has me curl it once in a while like this! Ha. I’ll have to do a little tutorial sometime! It’s really simple. :)
Erin, what a lovely family update…Congrats on all the special milestones!!
Love celebrating with you!
P.S. My boys are 22 and 17 and they are still both my buddies. :)
Thank you so much Clare! I so appreciate that. And I’m thrilled to hear that about your boys.. gives me hope! :)
Oh my, Erin, I wanted to tear up right along with you! How can your babies be so grown up?!! I feel like I know them – watching them grow. Such beautiful, sweet girls and Kole – I could just squeeze that cutie! :) It is so obvious the amazing parents that these children have been blessed with and I truly mean that. We see so many children in the news that haven’t had supportive, loving parents – such a sad part of our world today. I’m sure all of you will have a wonderful summer – full of memories to carry you through to this next stage of life beginning in the fall. Thanks so much for sharing such sweet parts of your family life with us!
Patty you about made me tear up again! That was such a thoughtful thing to say and it means so much to me that you feel that way. Your encouraging comment is one I will tuck away and read again on days I need a little pick me up. :) So kind of you! Thank you and have a wonderful summer! xo
My oldest went off to college last year and it is equal parts sad and wonderful. I definitely see him in a different light now and I’m truly surprised that I don’t miss his younger days more. I love preparing for when he comes home for breaks or long weekends, and he appreciates coming home to a clean and organized bedroom :) Enjoy this summer with all 3 kiddos at home!
Audrey I love hearing how you get excited to see him on breaks! Makes me look forward to things like that. :) I bet you do see him in a different light. It’s so cool watching them become adults. So many things to enjoy about each stage! Happy summer to you and your family! xo
What a lovely post – so many exciting changes happening in your family – so good, but so hard on a momma’s heart too. My oldest is 16, going into her junior year, and I already feel it going by too fast. Hugs to you and thank you for sharing your sweet family with us!
Thank you so much Kim! Such a sweet thing to say. Lots of changes for sure and I have been so emotional! Once they hit high school time really flies. Enjoy the next couple of years with your oldest home! Hug her lots. :) xo
Wow, Erin! Seems like you were just posting about creative ways to store their toys…and I was stealing all your tricks! Tears were streaming down my face reading through this whole post. Both of your girls have turned into BEAUTIFUL young women. You must be so proud! Good luck with all these new transitions, I know you will handle them well. Can’t wait to see it all!
Oh Sara! What a kind thing to say.. now you’re going to make me cry! It means so much to me that you’ve been with me so long! Thank you for your sweet words about my girls. I really can’t believe we are at this stage. I WAS just posting about storing their toys! Goes by way too quickly. Thank you again for your sweet comment! xo
Congratulations to you and your family on these wonderful milestones. Best wishes for an enjoyable summer together!
Thank you so much Lynne! xo