lovely chaos

giveaways. have you heard of conscious box?

have you heard of conscious box? it's one of the many subscription services popping up everywhere these days! but this is one i could definitely get behind. try them out for a month for free by using the code FIRSTBOXFREE. see what you think, and then tell me all about it!

How Does Conscious Box work?

Conscious Box is the best way to discover the most ethical and sustainable products on the planet! Focusing on strict tenets of organic, fair trade, and pure and natural products, each month Conscious Box will introduce you to healthy and honest alternatives for every aspect of your life and for every member of your family. Discover the best natural products, earn points for leaving feedback and reviews, and buy your favorites at incredible discounts!

• Get a variety of unique pure & natural products every month!
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• Get content on daily living tips, exciting monthly themes, and creative ways to use your box!
• Easily earn points you can apply to full size products for unbeatable discounts!

renovations and decorating home tour. our living room.

i'm really excited to have my living room featured on the "at home with" series on a beautiful mess! thanks so much, elsie and emma for letting me stop by! check out the rest of the room and interview here. and a big thanks to janae at the itsy bitsy house for the amazing photos.

happy birthday, sweet non-dessert grudge-holding husband.

happy birthday, babe! i'm pleased to announce that my husband of 13.5 years is turning 38 today! i know... he's old, right?! what's great is that i'll always be 4.5 years younger than jay and therefore always feel kind of young. at least next to him! thanks, honey!

alright, enough with the lame age jokes. jay said something last night or perhaps the night before that summed him up so well. i had made a somewhat "healthy" cake for his little family birthday party monday night. if you know me at all, you know that dessert is a really big deal to me. i mean really big deal. my world literally used to revolve around sweets. i would definitely have called it an addiction, and i'm not using the term lightly.

i'm a recovering dessert-aholic. but just like any -holic, you're really never completely over your addiction, and there's always the danger of falling back into your old habits and thought patterns. (yes, this is about jay. just give me a minute to set this up!) so even though i've gotten my sugar issues under control to a great degree, i still think about birthday cakes and what we'll have at this or that event, and i think about it a lot!

i've been thinking about the perfect birthday cakes for several family members including jay for months. yes, months! if you follow me on pinterest, you've probably seen a trend on my "food" board! anyway, jay once told me that his favorite ice cream was butter pecan, which was kind of a surprise to me, but he can be random like that! so i stumbled upon this cake a while ago that seemed perfect for a butter pecan lover and had intended to make it for his birthday this week. (wow! this is a really long set up! stay with me!)

BUT we've been eating poorly lately and feeling it. we both need to back off of processed and sugary foods a little. so instead of the butter pecan cake, i decided on a much less sweet gluten-free zucchini-almond cake. it was pretty good, and everyone seemed to enjoy it, but it just wasn't the same as a really good birthday cake. i really thought hard about this decision and was rather torn about it.

after the party, i was worried that jay might have been disappointed, (cause I definitely would've been!) especially since he grabbed some extra tater tots after his piece of cake instead of a second piece. that alone told me everything i needed to know... or so i thought.

but later i asked him if he was disappointed about the cake. he kind of looked at me blankly. when it finally dawned on him what i was talking about, he said that he hadn't given it a second thought. he'd forgotten about the cake soon after we'd eaten it. then he said, "i don't hold dessert grudges."

after laughing, i wrote down the quote. that is so jay. as long as i've known him, he's never held a grudge against anyone no matter what. it just isn't in his nature, and it's amazing to me. i've honestly never known anyone else who is as forgiving and easy-going as my guy. it sure has made our marriage a heck of a lot easier. i remember early on telling him things he'd done to hurt me or whatever. instead of the fight i was expecting, jay would simply apologize and ask what he could do differently in the future! i mean, do you know anyone like that? who doesn't get immediately defensive? i sure don't! he has taught me so much over our years together about love, patience, maturity, responsibility... since we were married when i was 19, i always tell people that i "grew up" with jay, and it is the absolute truth. he finished raising me!

anyway, i think i'm a pretty lucky gal and that certainly isn't the only reason. he's also an amazing father! he loves his kids like crazy and is so good with them. he teaches them and really takes the time to invest in their lives. they adore him. there isn't much more important than when your husband really loves your kids.

jay is such a blessing to me and our whole family. he's the cream of the crop. he's so great in fact, i think i might make him that butter pecan cake after all! :) happy birthday, darling!

little four year olds and two year olds. my couch potatoes.

i confess. i'm guilty. really, really guilty. my kids have been watching a lot of tv lately! i try to limit their intake. i really do. no tv in the morning except on saturdays, and just a little bit in the afternoon. but it seems like it's been a lot more than that. oh well. the uptake is that they are often sitting still enough for me to take some pics of them! ahhh... the silver lining!

here lu and d are watching "candy land"... again! i recently bought them the original version of willy wonka and the chocolate factory at target for $5. they LOVE it! lula calls it "candy land" and always wants me to skip to the part when violet turns into a blueberry. she's fascinated by it. on the other hand, my sensitive soul, mr. d, often sobs over augustus gloop tumbling into the chocolate river! i'm not exaggerating!

not sure if i can explain this one! who can know the mind of a quirky little two year old?! diesel is listening to his heart, drinking milk, and watching baby einstein in his swim trunks. interpret as you will!

decorating. unique lazy susans by the makerage.

i've been looking for a lazy susan for our big, round kitchen/dining table. the traditional wood ones are pretty, but just not quite my style.

photo by janae at the itsy bitsy house

so i was so excited to discover these concrete lazy susans by the makerage on smile and wave. aren't they great?! unique but subtle and so practical since you can use them indoor or outdoor. love them!

little four year olds. play with normal boys!

as i've mentioned before, we recently started a reward chart for lula. we've kept up with it and let it go depending on the week, but we always try to get back to it because it still works like a charm.

lately lula has been whining... A LOT! i don't know if it's a four year old phase or if she's being influenced by friends at school. whatever the case it is unbelievably annoying and needs to stop! we're constantly telling her to talk in a "normal voice" and she self-corrects when we say that, but there's got to be something to get her attention better.

so i decided to put it on the chart. her reward chart consists of four goals and they rotate based on what we need to work on that week. so this week i put "talk in normal voice" on the chart. i thought i'd explained to her what that meant, but apparently she wasn't listening. (surprise, surprise!)

so the next morning, jay was going over her new goals and when he said "talk in a normal voice," lula looked at him strangely. so he explained. then he said it was like a light bulb came on, and she said, "oh! i thought mom said 'talk to normal boys!' now it makes sense!"

hilarious misunderstanding! so she'll be getting stickers for talking in a normal voice... not to normal boys... whatever that means!

review of the snugg ipad and iphone cases.

i was happy to receive a snugg iPad 4 case and a snugg ultra thin iPhone 5 case from the company The Snugg.

we received a black snugg iphone 5 case. it snaps right on to the back of the phone with ease and allows access to all of the buttons and connections. it fit well at first, but started to come a little loose over time. since we have two small kids, i imagine the looseness had something to do with little hands! i think a cover like this would best serve someone who doesn't have small children!

however the snugg iphone case comes in a huge variety of colors and is cheap and super easy to use. the snugg company also has excellent customer service, which is always a bonus.

on the other hand, the snugg ipad 4 case is a great product. it also comes in a large variety of colors. i chose the pink leather one! i love the various positions you can put the ipad in making it very convenient and easy to use.

the snugg has a huge selection of cases and covers for all smartphones, ipads, kindles, and other accessories. their website is very easy to use, and they have live chat to help you choose the perfect product. plus the name is fun to say!

how we dress. a free spirit in moccasins.

diesel skipped, hopped, and jogged all the way home from the park with his arms out, hands in the air, free as a little bird. he's my free spirit.

diesel is wearing a hand-me-down shirt from gap, vintage billy the kid shorts from a garage sale, and moccasins from kaboogie.

 

parenting 101. i don't want to grow up!

don't you hate it when you realize you've been a bad mother? i don't mean since your kid was born, but just lately. like maybe the last few days. your kids are being mean and talking back and not obeying and at first you think there's something wrong with them. maybe they're going through a phase. but then you realize you just haven't been a good mother lately. something's wrong with YOU, not them! it's a very frustrating realization. you have to recalibrate, and it feels like you're starting from square one. you raise the frequency of time outs and loss of priveleges and reduce the volume of your voice. (yes, reduce. lula laughs at me when i yell at her because it's so infrequent and so ridiculous. it's very humbling to have a four year old laugh in your face because you're acting like a child!) and eventually things even back out again and your children seem "normal."

it's so much easier just to let things go and not be that great of a parent. but it's also a lot more stressful when your children are yelling at each other and you're yelling at them. sometimes i want to act like a child. i want to yell and scream and stamp my foot and throw toys across the room. but then i remember i'm the adult and not only that, but i'm the model for my children. ugh! responsibility is not fun! :) but it does make life more peaceful and pleasant.

guest post. Summertime Fun--Can't Wait? Don't Wait!

by anna kay hicks

Spring is finally here and we're beginning to see green on the trees and hear the sound of running lawnmowers on Saturday afternoons. Summer is right around the corner and that means fun adventures are just within reach. What are you planning on doing to make your summer full of excitement and new experiences? 

Don't just let the season go by without planning some great activities to take advantage of this warm weather while it is here. Here are some budget-friendly activities you and your family can enjoy this summer.

Water Fun—There are loads of opportunities for water activities, so a great place to start is swimming lessons. If you already know how to swim then your next step would be taking some snorkeling or surf lessons to give you a change of pace from the usual activities, such as lounging on a raft in a pool. There are many community pools that have yearly passes that an individual or families can take advantage of. Call your local parks department to find out more.

Some cities also have theme parks that have slides, whirlpools and rides that can fill an entire week of fun. Renting jet skis or water skiing is another great way of spending time at the ocean or at a lake.  

Having fun with water doesn't have to involve trips to the pool or lake. It can be as easy as letting the kids run through the sprinkler in the back yard or play in a blow-up pool. Many department stores have special water toys that hook up to the garden hose for creative and inexpensive ways of enjoying the summer.

Bike Riding—Bike riding is a great way to enjoy the scenery and could even be a competitive activity enjoyed with family and friends. Every city has special races that sponsor non-profit organizations and allow everyone to participate. 

Cycling is great for families with small children because there are special seats that connect to the back of the bike to make for a  ride the whole family can enjoy. Also, check with your local parks and recreation department to map the trails. This makes it a family friendly activity that you can enjoy on any day nice enough to strap on a helmet.

Jogging and Hiking—These are simple and more exercise-based, but there are many groups that enjoy moving as a family affair. Not to mention, by doing this together it teaches children that exercise is fun. Jogging and hiking is great to do with other people as these activities allow for more intimate, one on one conversations that builds closer long-term relationships. Seek out the hiking trails that are exciting to explore and be one with nature.

The Park-- The Park is simple and probably the most accessible for many families. The sky is the limit with things to do in the park. A lot of parks have jungle gyms that children can play on like slides, see-saws and monkey bars. There are activities like frisbee, football, soccer, baseball, and much more for you to enjoy in the wide open green spaces that some parks offer.

One must have the right clothing to participate in all this outdoor fun and the internet is the easiest and fastest place to go. Look for promo deals at NerdWallet and you may find a promo code for gear you need like a bathing suit, biking wear or some great hiking boots! After you get your gear, then let the summer fun begin! 

Taking advantage of the warm sun and fresh air is a great opportunity to build relationships and get some exercise along the way. Don’t delay on planning your summer activities, it's just around the corner.