Birthday Wishes For Dad

This one goes out to my favorite bicycle riding, dog walking, Apple loving, carrot cake eating, techie, sportsfan Dad/Grandad extraordinaire on his birthday!

Wishing you hugs and kisses from afar. We hope you know how very special you are. East coast or west coast, you're the one we love the most.

Thank you for sharing your wisdom and for setting an example of kindness, humor and generosity. I don't think just one day is enough to celebrate you, so know that each and every day we are thinking about you with so much love and admiration in our hearts!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDAD!

You are truly one of a kind!

XOXO

Grace's Donut Birthday Brunch and {Chalkboard Party Favor DIY}

I think I know why fall is my favorite season... October and November are full of holidays and opportunities to celebrate! Last year, Grace didn't really seem to care about her birthday, but this year she was so excited for her big day.

I can't blame her. Turning 3 is a pretty big deal. We decided to celebrate with donuts (my Grace's favorite) and her closest pals. She even got a special visit from her Auntie Jen!

Thanks, Auntie, for making Grace's special day even more special!

I created this invitation and then had it printed with Vistaprint. 

We planned to have the party outside and crossed my fingers that it wouldn't be raining or too cold. The week of the party the weather app kept showing Saturday's temperatures getting lower and lower. After much debate, we decided to move the party inside. I was worried there wouldn't be enough room and the kids would be bored, but it turned out perfectly and the kids were thrilled to play with the toys, eat donuts and run up and down the stairs. We just decorated with some pink table clothes and streamers and these cute little donuts that I printed and cut out. (We also used them for decorating our thank you cards.)

Source: Free Printable from Oh Happy Day

Our guests decorated their party hats with sparkly stickers and polka dots when they arrived. I was surprised by how entertained they were doing this. More proof that simple is better when it comes to toddlers. 

Decorate Your Party Hat Station

The "brunch" menu was very simple:

• LOTS OF DONUTS (from Donut Country, a Murfreesboro favorite)
• Yogurt (greek for the adults and Gogurts for the kids)
• Bananas
• Cheerios (otherwise known as donut seeds)
• Coffee, milk, chocolate milk, OJ and water

Grace sang right along as everyone sang her "Happy Birthday," and she had no problem blowing out her candle, which we stuck in the middle of a coma-inducing cinnamon roll. 

Grace's extra large frosted cinnamon roll with sprinkles

Cheerios as "Donut Seeds" 

I had a lot of fun creating the party favors for each of Grace's friends- monogramed chalk boards inspired from here!

The process was super easy, but did take a couple nights to finish all of the coats of paint on each side of the letters. My goal was to give our guests something that they would use and that wouldn't add more junk to the toy box. Here are the DIY instructions if you want to make your own chalkboard party favors:

How To Make Monogramed Chalkboard Party Favors

Supplies:

MDF Letter 
1 Bottle of Chalkboard Paint
Paint brush
Chalk

320 Grit Sandpaper
Small rubber bands
Jute and/or Ribbon

1. Following the instructions on your chalkboard paint, paint 1-4 layers of paint onto the letters. Make sure you use solid strokes alternating horizontal or vertical for different layers. 
2. Once you've painted all sides of your letters and they are dry, rub the 320 grit sandpaper over the entire letter to smooth it down. (This will make the chalkboard easier to use and erase.)
3. Prime each letter by rubbing chalk on all of the surfaces and then wipe clean. (If you don't do this, the first thing you draw on your chalkboard won't ever completely come off.)
4. Attach a few pieces of chalk using a rubber band and some jute to the letter. 
5. Add your party tag and some curly ribbon, and you're done!

Putting the finishing touches on the party favors. 

Overall, we had a wonderful party and felt so lucky to be able to celebrate our baby's third birthday with our new Tennessee friends. Grace was over the moon! I was so proud of her throughout the whole party. She was kind to her friends, shared her toys and used good manners when opening her presents. I really do enjoy being able to throw her birthday parties, but I also want her to be a gracious host and to be appreciative for all she has.

We had a polka dot themed party when Grace turned one and an ice cream party at a farm for her second birthday.

P.S.

A maternity update!

#30 weeks

Cravings: Pumpkin Pie with whipped cream (Let's not talk about how I ate half of a week old pumpkin pie with a can of whipping cream on the couch while I watched Revenge.)

Feeling: Rotund 

I can't believe we're in the final stretch until baby Anderson gets here! I am so excited to meet him!

Happy Half Birthday to Grace!

Our sweet girl is half way to three and sweet as can be...except, of course, when she's a raging tyrant! Grace is smart and funny and loves to run as fast as she can despite the number of times she trips and falls. She loves pirates, bubbles, trains, accessorizing, princesses, pizza, her puppy and music. She is picky, strong-willed and dramatic. She knows her ABCs, shapes, fruits, veggies, animals, and can count to 20!

Wagon ride with some buds!

We've been busy settling into our new home, going on picnics, play dates, walks and bike rides on the river. Grace is learning baseball and starting swimming lessons. We very much miss being near our friends from NC and our family members, but we are enjoying life with a toddler and all there is to do in middle Tennessee.

Here are just a few of the conversations we've had recently with our hilariously precocious Grace:

Me: Do you need to go potty*?
Grace: No, no thank you, Mama. I ok. 
Me: Are you sure?
Grace: I good. 
*Potty-training is still an ongoing struggle.  

Grace: I like your necklace. Mama, you talk to animals? 
Me: Yes, just like Sofia. 

Daddy: Hi Grace! Can I have a hug? 
Grace: No, no, Daddy! Get me outta here!

Grace: Mama, I so much huuungry. 
Me: Would you like some apples or goldfish?
Grace: I want to eat goldfish in my mouth. 
Me: How do you ask?
Grace: Puuleeeeease.

Me: Are you a baby or a big girl?
Grace: I baby.
Me: Are you sure you're not a robot?
Grace: No. I not robot. I baby. 

Grace: Where's your elbow, Mama?
Me: Right here. Where are your elbows?
Grace: My elbows are right here. Where's Daddy's elbows?
Me: On his arms.
Grace: G's elbows on his arms, too?
Me: No, they're on his legs.
Grace: My elbows are on my legs, too.

Building sand castles with Griffin and Grace!

Ice Cream Party for Grace's 2nd Birthday

Not only is it less than two weeks until Thanksgiving, there are just 5 more weekends until Christmas! Before the madness of the holidays takes hold, let me take a minute to recap Grace's 2nd Birthday.

First- like all mothers, I can not believe how quickly she has grown up. She is not a baby any more. She is a big girl with a sense of humor and a fiery attitude. She says "Thank you, Mommy," and "Ready (to) go?" She sings (most) of her ABC's, Twinkle, Twinkle, and Rock-a-bye Baby. She can count to ten. She loves apples, eggo waffles, pizza and our dog. She is two.

We had her birthday party early, so we could go to the farm by our house for homemade ice cream. It was a hot afternoon spent with friends eating ice cream and touring the farm.

Mommy blowing out the candle for Grace

Invitation 

Party favors for the boys- handmade bow ties (tutorial)
Printable adapted from One Charming Party 

Party favors for the girls- ice cream hair bows (Simply Pretty Bows)
Printable adapted from One Charming Party  

Ice cream tickets for the party guests-
"Exchange this ticket for a small cup of ice cream"

The Birthday girl checking out the animals with her friends. 

Opening presents- not her best moment!

Tired and dirty at the end of the party! (I love the little smudge of dirt on her nose!)

Special thank you to Auntie Jen for driving down for the celebration and for helping with set-up and clean-up! LOVE YOU!

We also brought S'more fun treats to her class the week of her Birthday.  (Printable)

Streamers on the morning of her birthday. 

The day of her second birthday she also figured out how to climb out of her crib. This has signaled the end of nap time as we knew it. We finally had to switch her bed into a toddler bed, so that she wouldn't hurt herself. She is doing great at night, but WILL NOT stay in her bed during nap time. She trashes her room and pounds on the door.

I am devastated to see the end of her long afternoon nap. When am I going to shower/eat lunch/clean up/put laundry away (watch Scandal)??? I'm hoping we can make some sort of compromise where she will spend some quiet time in her room without flinging all of her belongings all over the room... Please tell me there's still hope for the afternoon nap. I don't know if I can survive the terrible twos without it!

My Birthday Wish: 28 Acts of Kindness

There are some awesome ideas posted on Pinterest for celebrating a birthday with random acts of kindness equal to your age. My 28th birthday was quickly approaching, so I figured, why not?  I thought it would be nice to share this experience with my 2-year-old daughter, Grace, while we give back and spread good cheer.

You're never too young or too old to be kind. 

I knew that my acts of kindness wouldn't be completely random, so I decided to make a list in advance to make sure I could get all 28 done.  Over the past week I've been working to complete all 28 acts of kindness. I also didn't want for them all to be centered around buying things or giving people money or gift cards. While giving money is a generous gesture, I wanted to also do things that were thoughtful and meaningful. True, nothing I did this week is life altering, but maybe I brightened someone's day. That's my only goal.

I hesitate to post here because I am not looking for recognition or praise. I am grateful for all that I have, and yet sometimes I get caught up on things that don't matter in the greater scheme of things. I am lucky to have good health, a loving family, supportive friends, plenty to eat and a warm house, so why not pass a little of that luck on to others in honor of my birthday.

1. Donate Blood
Cole had a long weekend, so I made an appointment for Columbus Day. I hadn't given blood since well before I was pregnant. The nurse was impressed when I pumped it out in 7 minutes. She asked me if I wanted to take a picture with my blood, so here I am...holding a bag of my blood.

2. Run in the 2013 Virtual Joggermom Cancer Run 
I have one month to log 26.2 miles and a portion of my entry fee goes to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

3. Return carts from the parking lot at Target
This one was easy, and I don't know if it had any real impact, but at least the carts were safely stowed in their cart corral. (I always find it annoying and lazy when people leave their carts in a parking space or prop them against a curb.)

4. Buy someone a cup of coffee
There was no one in line behind me at the Starbucks inside Target-shocking- so I bought a $5 gift card instead. I ended up giving it to a man who was helping some elderly people from Cape Fear Valley do their shopping. He asked me what it was for, and I told him, "just because." He seemed surprised and said he was going to give it to one of his patients. What a sweet guy.

5. Leave a dollar in the dollar deals toys section of Target
I thought it would be fun for a kid to find it, so I put it down low in the play dough.

6. Donate to the Hoke County Humane Society
Grace and I brought old throw pillows, a dog bed, some leashes and doggie bandanas to the Hoke County Humane Society. The lady we left them with was so appreciative. We went back and said hi to the dogs, but it really is heartbreaking to see them all shut in their cages. Please think about adopting, if you are considering getting a pet. There are so many who need loving homes.

7. Hide a surprise in a favorite book 
Grace loves the library, or "libaby" as she calls it. We spent some time reading and playing with the puzzles, and then snuck a surprise into one of our favorite books, The Giving Tree, by Shell Silverstein.

8. Donate to the Library Giving Tree
On our way out I noticed a tree with pumpkins ranging from $1-$50. We chose a $5 pumpkin to help support someone in need in the community. The tree is through the window, behind Grace.

9. Bring spare clothes to Grace's school
Grace's wonderful school was asking for some spare clothes to keep on hand in case the kids had accidents or a run-in with a mud puddle.

10. Buy locally
From now on we will be purchasing our eggs from Grace's teacher's son. Yay for fresh and local!

11. Buy a lotto ticket for someone
I never buy lotto tickets, but I thought it would be fun to surprise someone with the chance to hit the JACKPOT!

12. Donate to the Goodwill
In preparation for our move, I cleaned out some of Grace's baby toys and kitchen gadgets and dropped them off at the Goodwill.

13. Pick up trash around the neighborhood
Grace really got the hang of this fast. Now I need to get her to STOP picking up random grossness!

14. Leave quarters at the laundry mat
The laundry mat attendant seemed suspicious of me, probably because I didn't have any laundry... So I left my quarters and darted out before he could say anything. I remember how annoying it was when we didn't have a washer and dryer. I hope some surprise change will bring a little cheer to this miserable chore.

15. Bring treats to my hardworking SS mamas
I seriously get to workout with some awesome women. They wake up and drag their babies and all of their gear out the door to attend Stroller Strides. They provide friendship and support to each other and can do burpees like it's nobody's business. I thought it would be fun to bring some cookies to share after class, since, you know, it is my birthday. :)

16. Call the electric company to report street light outages in the neighborhood
There are more than a couple street lights out in our hood. I kept meaning to call, but haven't, for months! I finally called today, and they said they would send someone out. They asked me to tie ribbons around the poles that were out and didn't have ID numbers.

17. Bring Ranger Gavin a thank-you treat
Ranger Gavin keeps the park we workout at clean and safe. He is always cheerful and friendly whether he's tidying up the restrooms or returning a lost turtle to the wild. I don't think he gets a lot of recognition for all he does, so we dropped off a jar of trail mix and a thank you note to let him know he is appreciated.

18. Buy "Gage's New Friend" a book to help Gage earn money to get an alert dog
Ten-year-old Gage was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. He has written a book about his struggle and hopes to raise money to get a Diabetic Alert Dog to be his best friend and guardian angel.

19. Give a loan on Kiva.org
This is an amazing non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Through their website I am able to lend $25 to someone trying to create a better life for themselves. My loan will go to help a young man in Kenya mentor and educate the youth. Click here to learn more about John.

20. Visit our local fire station and thank them for keeping us safe
We are scheduled to visit our local station next Friday with Grace's classmates. If I must spend the afternoon with firefighters, than I must. It's tough being me. ;)

21. Send a surprise to a friend

Bows by Simply Pretty Bows

22. Pay for someone's movie at Redbox
I think Redbox movies are more than a dollar now, but I stealthily taped a buck to the screen anyways. Happy viewing!

23. Donate books to the library
Maybe one day I will have my own library wing in my house, but until that day, I can't keep every book I read. I hope they are enjoyed by others!

24. Visit a nursing home
I was nervous about this one. I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable, but I thought it might be nice to bring Grace to a nursing home to visit with anyone who wanted. I called the nursing home before hand to make sure it would be ok. They said we were welcome. We stopped by and spoke with a sweet lady named Leela. She seemed happy for some company, and said she has 6 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.

25. Let someone go ahead of me in line
No one likes to wait, but sometimes people get extra impatient at the grocery store. Grace and I happily let the lady with 5 items go in front of us at Food Lion even though we didn't have a full basket.

26. Take the It Can Wait Pledge
Nothing on my phone is that important that I need to endanger my life, my daughter's life or anyone else on the road.

27. Pay for someone's order in the drive-thru
Panera was kind enough to give me a free Birthday pastry, so I decided to pay for the car behind me. I drove off as quickly as I could, but I hope the girl enjoyed her surprise gratis lunch!

28. Write an overdue thank you note
There are a lot of people that could use an extra note of thanks, so I chose someone who wouldn't have expected to hear from me. ;)

So there are my 28 acts of kindness. Nothing earth-shattering, but it was meaningful for me. It was fun and reminded me to be generous. You really never know how a little kindness can turn someone's tough day around. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift to give to myself...

...but, if you wanted to do something for me too... there is something. Maybe in honor of my birthday, I could recruit 28 of my friends and family to do something unexpectedly nice for someone else? Your random act of kindness can be anything you want. I promise it will make you feel good and you will brighten someone else's day! Take a risk and make the choice to do something kind. If you do, comment here or on Facebook. It will make my birthday even more super-duper extra special!