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Parenting

A day to remember

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Happy Friday friends!  Is it really Friday already!?  To be honest I haven’t been keeping track of the days this week.  My kids are out for Spring Break and if you follow me on Instagram you know we have been hanging in Maui  – our favorite getaway.  I have to apologize for the lack of posting.  Last Friday I confessed that my previous week was less than stellar and how nothing on my to-do list was completed.  Well.  The top of that to-do list said “finish three posts to share during vacation.”  Hence the reason you have been hearing crickets on the blog this week.  Posts weren’t finished and this week I’ve been too busy sunscreening my kids to worry about it.  :)  I have to say that taking small breaks from real life and technology and just spending time with family is SO refreshing for me.  Then I come back completely rested and excited to do the things I love.  We all need that, right!? It’s good for the soul.

While days are blurred on vacation, I do know that today is April 10th.  April 10th is a day I’ll never forget.  Five years ago today I had quite a scare after Kole was born and came dangerously close to losing my life.  My sweet husband kept friends in the loop with posts like this one and then a year later I shared what I remembered about that day.  It was scary and the feelings I had during that experience will always stay with me.  They are a reminder to me that things can change in an instant and how precious our time is here.  They are a reminder of what a gift I’ve been given to still be here today.
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I love that the anniversary of this special day for me falls on my kids’ Spring Break.  We always plan a trip for the week and I do my best to soak up as much precious time with my family as possible.  I remember all that I have and thank God for all He has given me.  I thank Him for the gift of being here to hold my sweet little boy on the beach while we watch his sisters and dad play in the waves.

Hug your loved ones a little tighter for me today.  :)

I’ll be back with lots to share soon!  I’m feeling much better than I did last week and those unfinished to-do’s are about to get some serious check mark action.

:)

xoxo, Erin
Home Decor

Friday night confessions

It’s Friday night and I’m exhausted.  A few confessions about my week:

I prepped for this week last Friday and it did no good.

There was too much going on.

There was no time to manage my time.

My house was a mess.

I didn’t feel organized.

I was late to two different meetings.

My kids ate cereal three nights in a row.

My list of to-do’s are still nothing but a list.

I cried twice.  I don’t even know why.  Maybe because my youngest turned five.  Maybe because I was tired.  Maybe because a friend of mine is sick with cancer and I’m so sad and mad and stressed about her.

I didn’t get enough sleep.
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Ellie told me I was reminding her of the mom on Brave.

Continue reading “Friday night confessions”

xoxo, Erin
Home Decor

Formal Living Room Decor (take 2)

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Friends.  Progress has been made!  I’ve turned over a new leaf when it comes to decorating and I’m knocking things off my list right and left.  Still not a ton to share because things ordered will take time to get here, but at least I’m making decisions with lightning speed!  Compared to my usual speed that is.  :)

Continue reading “Formal Living Room Decor (take 2)”

xoxo, Erin
Parenting

Dear Kole

Dear Kole,

My little buddy.  You turned five years old today.  FIVE!  I blinked and it happened.  My baby is growing up.  We had your Kindergarten orientation last week.  This is my third time doing the Kindergarten thing so you’d think it would be pretty routine.  I was fine while they introduced the Kindergarten teachers.  Fine when they talked about your schedule.  Even fine when then showed us the Kindergarten classrooms.  But then they took us outside and showed us the little tables you’ll sit at to eat your lunch.  And the little playground where you’ll play at recess.  And suddenly my heart started to hurt so badly and I couldn’t hold back the tears.  Your dad looked at me and just shook his head.  And I know!  I’m crazy.  If I’m already this emotional and it’s just orientation time we are in big trouble on the first day of school.  But it’s hard.  You are my baby.  My only boy.  My little sidekick for life.  Or so I wish.
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Continue reading “Dear Kole”

xoxo, Erin
Home Decor

Spring in the kitchen

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Happy Friday friends!  I’ve done a few things around the house to welcome Spring!  There is still a lot I want to do (isn’t there always!?) and a lot of areas in my kitchen need some sprucing up, but I decided to show you where I’m at anyway.  If I wait until things are “complete” like I want them to be I’ll be showing you Spring pictures in November.  :)

Continue reading “Spring in the kitchen”

xoxo, Erin
Organization

5 ways to help your home business succeed

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Happy Tuesday everyone!  My sister (who is a successful recruiter in SLC) was on Studio 5 last week discussing “5 Ways to Help Your Home Business Succeed” and I thought some of you might enjoy her tips!  If you are a “mom-prenuer” in any way these tips can really help you stay on track.  My sister Carly is on the news often discussing all sorts of tips for women in the work force so if you find her segment helpful go to the Studio 5 website and you can type in her name to find similar segments.  *Proud of my little sis!  She is beautiful and smart and so very talented.  I taught her every single things she knows.  ;)  Seriously though – all those hours we logged during our childhood playing news reporter paid off big time!  She is a natural on camera.  :)

You can watch her segment here:  5 WAYS TO HELP YOUR HOME BUSINESS SUCCEED – Studio 5

I wanted to re-cap the points she made (and add my two cents!) because they were great tips.  Some of them I already do and some of them I could definitely do better!

Continue reading “5 ways to help your home business succeed”

xoxo, Erin
Favorite Things

Friday Favorites

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Happy Friday everyone!  Made it through the week!  Which is always something to celebrate.  :)  Sharing a few of my recent favorite things today!  These popcorn bowls are from World Market and they make me smile every single night.  I always pop some popcorn after the kids go to bed.  A little ritual that signals time to sit down, chill with my husband and blog the night away.  My happy time.  :)  Technically these bowls belong to my girls.  I wrapped them up with some treats and American Girl DVD’s for them for Christmas.  I bought six little bowls (they are doubled up in this pic) so we have plenty if friends come over.

Continue reading “Friday Favorites”

xoxo, Erin
Organization

Week Ahead Prep

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How do you generally feel during the week?  Productive and on top of things?  Or like I do most of the time – frantic and scattered and barely getting by.  From the minute I wake up Monday morning until around 8:00 Friday night I feel like I am doing all I can to just survive.  I love the stage we are in with our kids but man – is it ever busy.  From what I hear talking to parents with kids older than mine, I can see the writing on the wall.  Things aren’t slowing down any time soon.

Because I despise that “barely getting by” feeling I started something a month ago that has helped me manage my time and feel more in control of my week days.  Every Friday afternoon/evening I spend an hour or two preparing for the upcoming week.  This can obviously be done any time over the weekend.  I prefer Friday afternoon because it’s a low key time for us with no homework and little on our agenda.  Plus I like to get it done so that I can relax and enjoy the weekend with my family.  Here are the things I do during my “week ahead prep.”

Continue reading “Week Ahead Prep”

xoxo, Erin
Parenting

Birthday Time

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Happy Friday friends!  Well.  I turned 38 yesterday.  And despite the fact that I’m not so happy I’m getting dangerously close to 40 (YIKES!) it was a great birthday.  I really just wanted a fun day with the family this year for my birthday so I decided to surprise the kids.  Kenny and I woke them up and told them that instead of school we were headed to Disneyland for the day!  They had NO clue (we had pre-packed lunches and laid out school clothes the night before – same old routine!).  Hearing their squeals after we told them was honestly the best birthday present ever.  :)  We all got ready and hopped in the car and listened to It’s a Small World and other Disney songs the whole hour drive there.  The kids are I were just giddy and singing at the top of our lungs.  Kenny had this look on his face like this is going to be a LONG day.  Ha ha!  He was such a good sport!  Love that guy.  He would honestly do anything for us.  Including riding the Alice in Wonderland ride one too many times because Kole was fascinated with “the really mean queen.”  :)

Continue reading “Birthday Time”

xoxo, Erin
Home Decor

Living Room Decorating Progress

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Is everyone adjusting to the time change?  This one is always tough.  I feel that lost hour all day and STRUGGLE to get out of bed in the morning.  Yuck.  But so nice to pick my girls up from their dance class this evening and have it not be dark.  Spring and Summer are upon us!

I’m sharing where I’m at with decor for the living room today and I have a lot to cover so chop chop!  Time for me to stop rambling about the seasons.  :)

Continue reading “Living Room Decorating Progress”

xoxo, Erin
Uncategorized

Saturday morning chore time

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I’m so glad I spent all that time/money designing this lovely mudroom so that my kids can toss all of their shoes and backpacks on the floor.

Oops.  One pair of shoes belongs to me.

The struggle is real.

:)

Happy Saturday friends!

xoxo, Erin
Uncategorized

Things I want to remember (daily life round-up)

Happy Friday friends!  Slow blogging week I know!  I have been making major decorating/organizing progress around here that hasn’t left me with much computer time.  Hopefully next week I’ll have time to share more.  I’ve been checking things off my list!  You all know how much I love that feeling.  :)

It’s been a while since I’ve done a quick round-up of some of my every day pics from my iPhone so I thought I’d share a few today.  If you follow me on Instagram (erin_sunnysideup) you’ve seen a few of these already.  These day to day snapshots are always my favorite because when I’m old and gray it’s the little every day things I want to remember.
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Every morning I wake up and stumble into the kitchen and sunlight is pouring through these windows in my nook.  It always makes me smile and I tell myself that “today is going to be a great day.”  My little morning pep talk to myself before I wake the kids up and the crazy begins!

Continue reading “Things I want to remember (daily life round-up)”

xoxo, Erin

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