This Weekend.....{Father's Day!}

 

Friday :: Alexa's gymnastics schedule has changed for the summer (from Wed & Fri to Tues & Thurs), so our weekends can actually start on Friday's rather than spending most of it at the gym.  Yay!

We went to my co-worker's daughter's graduation party and ate our weight in food....such delicious food.  I'm a little bummed there are no leftovers for him to bring to the office today.

We got home late and put the kids to bed and then watched a movie that I ended up falling asleep to (per usual).

Saturday ::  We ran a few errands in the morning and then Adam's brother and wife came for the afternoon.  They watched the girls while we went to another grad party for our neighbor.  About 15 mins before her party started, it started pouring.  They were able to quickly move their tables, chairs and food from the back yard to the garage, but it was still pretty soggy.  Luckily, it cleared up an hour or so later and the sun came out.

After the grad party we all went into town for the "Dew Days" celebration.  Amanda, the girls and I went to the parade while the guys played in the bean bag tournament (pic above).  They took 5th out of 30-some teams.  Being they are the most competitive brothers on the planet, the tournament wasn't run up to their standards (not quite competitive enough, of course), but they had fun anyways.  

Sunday ::  The girls woke up giving their Daddy lot of love and attention.  They showered him with some gifts, mostly of the handmade sort and we made him breakfast.  Afterward, we hopped on our bikes and went for a long (5 mile) bike ride, stopping at a park along the way.  We had so much fun enjoying the sunshine and family time out on the trails around the neighborhood.

We came home for lunch and then the girls put on their swim suits for some sprinkler time in the back yard while Adam and I worked on setting up the swimming pool.  It's funny (or sad actually) to think that last year we had been using our pool for a whole month already by this point.  We've just never had a good opportunity with the weather the way it has been this spring to put it up, but we're hoping that by the end of the week, we'll be splashing away!

We grabbed some ice-cream shakes to cool off and then snuggled in together for a movie in 3D! :)

Adam is by far the most incredible Papa Bear to our little girls.  I'm so glad that he is their Daddy.  They adore him as much as he adores them.

And a VERY SPECIAL Father's Day to my Dad! :)  I love you SO MUCH!

Friday Letters...

Dear Adam,  thank you for taking us to Cherry Berry the other night.  Even if the kids were there with us (in their pajamas), it was fun to have a little mini date night with you!

Dear Lillian,  STOP losing your teeth!!  This is #6 already for you!

Dear American Pickers,  thank you for educating me on a little piece of MN history!

Dear Alexa, you are hilarious when you're slap happy!  Your funny faces and your obnoxious laugh made my day! 7 hours of summer camp + 2.5 hours of gymnastics training will do that to ya!

Dear Chipper, it is NOT O.K. to eat 1/2 a box of assorted chocolates from See's Candies!  It's not fun to clean up your puke (thanks Adam for taking care of that) and to give you a bath!

 

Dear Girls, is it really necessary to fight about who has more blankets/covers when you go to bed when I come check on you an hour later and you both have all the blankets pushed down to the end of the bed??

Sweet Baby Dolly Review & Giveaway

To say that I'm excited about featuring Sweet Baby Dolly on Mom-a-Logues today is the understatement of the year.  I've been waiting to feature this sweet shop for such a long time and am so happy to finally be showcasing Jami's amazing collection of the sweetest hats you'll ever find.

Here is a little about Jami and her Etsy shop, Sweet Baby Dolly in her own words....

"Early mornings with just me and the coffee pot.

Sunny days while a little girl is at school and a little boy is taking a snooze.

Quiet nights after a piece of pie, story time, and a long walk down a gravel road.

These are the operating hours of Sweet Baby Dolly, when I get out my needles and get down to business.

Our family made a move to an old farmhouse in a new county.  Formerly a working mom of one, I was about to become a stay at home mom of two.  It was the perfect time for me to see if I could get this little Etsy thing to work for me.

I opened my shop in April with no idea of what I was going to sell.  I spend the summer experimenting, executing my ideas, and reading-reading-reading every piece of advice Etsy published.  I was finally happy with a few samples of knit baby hats adorned with flowers and vintage buttons.  Then I came up with a few more, and I decided I didn't want to stop.  My first items were listed in September of that year, and some after I came up with a made-to-order system that worked for me.

And here I am.  Still learning, but feeling like I have a pretty good handle on the operations of my shop.  Since all of the items are made to order, I work whenever I can to get orders out quickly to my sweet customers.  Really.  I have the sweetest customers.

Every item in my shop is 100% original, designed by me.  My main objective is to provide the cutest little hats in colors and designs that you will not find anywhere else.  My notebook, my brain, and my heart are all full of ideas and inspiration that I can't wait to get out onto my needles and into my shop for you to see."

Jami's goal has been accomplished by literally providing the CUTEST little hats I've ever seen.

Red/Cream Stripes w/ Flower

Jami's hats are all hand knit.  They are a light-weight cotton blend with acrylic to offer the right amount of stretch.  

Nautical

Knit Hat w/ Bow

Sweet Baby Dolly designs are for your stylish little girls AND boys!!

That's right, Jami offers a collection of hats for your little guys, too!!

They are created similar to the girls hats, but without the flowers and instead either left plain or adorned with a little square and button embellishment!  

Your handsome little men will look so dapper and proper in a Sweet Baby Dolly beanie!

I was beyond excited that Jami offered to send the girls each a hat from her collection.

They are all so amazing and she has such a unique variety that it was so hard to pick which ones I liked best.

When I had picked them out for the girls, I had thought Alexa would be the one that would wear the navy blue and light pink stripped hat and Lilli would go for the mustard yellow, but I got the total opposite reaction from them when the hats arrived.  Alexa grabbed the mustard colored one and Lilli chose the blue and pink.  So funny!  But, they sure know what they like!

Their little jaws dropped the second they put them on and examined themselves in the mirror.  They KNEW they looked good.  Their smiles were so big and they could not wait to wear them to school.

They are such a soft yard so that they don't itch at all and they are a snug fit, which they love.

Jami does such brilliant work.  Her creations are so unique and truly one of a kind.  My little fashionista's cannot get enough of their Sweet Baby Dolly hats.  And lucky for them, this spring has been pretty dreary, windy, chilly, rainy and cool - so, they have gotten so much use out of them already and look forward to wearing them again in the Fall.

Jami is an absolute pleasure to work with.  She is also a fellow Minnesotan, so right there you know she is extra sweet and 'nice'.  Her passion to make each and every one of her customers happy and truly love her product is evident in each of her pieces. 

 It's like she is giving each of her customers a hug on the head.

Sweet Baby Dolly :: Etsy :: Facebook

GIVEAWAY:

Jami would like to offer one lucky reader of mine a hat pattern of choice from her shop, so that you can make your own hat for that special little girl or boy in your life.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Owl Be Sweatin Review & Discount Code

Owl Be Sweatin is a Cincinnati based company that specializes in non-slip, adjustable headbands.

I'm super excited to be featuring this awesome shop because I am ALWAYS on the look-out for headbands that actually stay on my girls' heads.  I have to admit that I get really excited when I find ones that actually hold their hair back while flipping and tumbling during gymnastics.

And let me tell you, I'm REALLY excited about Owl Be Sweatin headbands.  

K.C. & Mallory, owners and designers,  were so kind to send the girls a headband to try.

I was a bit skeptical when I first took it out of the package - could this headband really do the trick?

And I was pleasantly surprised.  It's quickly become a favorite at our house.  The girls not only love the design, but it's easily adjustable so that they both can wear it comfortably.  They are able to wear it for every day play, as well as during gymnastics.  I can even wear it while I run - and it DOESN'T SLIP!!

A pet peeve of mine is watching the girls in the gym and to see them constantly adjusting their headbands.  But, with their Owl Be Sweatin headband, I have no worries because it doesn't slip - so, no cause for delay in class while they adjust their hair.  Hooray!

Owl Be Sweatin headbands fit children age 3 through adult.

They are excellent for running or every day wear, going to the gym or at sporting events.

They feature a strap in the back that is easily adjustable, so they'll always fit.

They are also always branded with the Owl Be Sweatin label that is sewn onto the side.

You will love Owl Be Sweatin headbands!  K.C. & Mallory use the highest quality materials and everything is handmade down to the very last stitch!

They also do custom orders so that if you don't see what you like in their shop, they are happy to custom make headbands to ensure you are getting something that you LOVE.  They also provide headbands in bulk, so that your team, running group or squad can match!

I'm so happy with our experience with Owl Be Sweatin - I will be recommending their headbands to all my friends!

Owl Be Sweatin :: Etsy :: Facebook :: 

The sweet ladies at Owl Be Sweatin would like to offer ALL of my readers a 15% discount on your orders now through July 31st.

Use coupon code :: dawn13

Julie Marie Kids Review & Giveaway

Julie Marie Kids is your one stop shop for all things baby and kid related.

From super hero costumes, to little girls skirts, burp cloths to children's aprons.

You will not only find amazing baby shower items, but specialty items for your favorite little girl or boy.

Julie was so generous to send Alexa and Lillian each a ruffled skirt from her collection.

Lilli received the Flower Garden Ruffled Skirt.  

It's such an adorable look for this summer.  She can't wait to wear it with a tank top, but for now (since we've been having such a cool and rainy spring) she's been pairing it with leggings and a little sweater.

The colors and fabrics are perfect for Lilli's little girly personality.  She loves the ruffled feature and the flower and button embellishments on the side.  

Alexa received Julie's Modern Ruffled Skirt.  She loves blues and greens more than the pinks and purples, so this skirt has been a favorite.  The fabrics are amazing.  They are so sweet and sophisticated, yet when you add the ruffle at the bottom it brings a whole new level of FUN to the skirt.  

Each skirt features the flower and button embellishments that gives the skirt a very sweet and whimsey look.  They also each have an elastic waistband for a comfortable fit.

They are made of 100% high-quality cotton fabric and can be custom made to the size of your choice.

Julie offers a variety of skirt and dress designs.  Something for everyone!

Bright Ruffled Skirt

Fall Skirt and Peasant Top

A popular seller for Julie Marie Kids are the super her costumes.

Superman

These amazing creations are all handmade by Julie - they are an excellent choice for a super hero themed birthday party, dress-up or for Halloween.

Buzz & Woody

Avengers

Let your little ones imagination soar with costumes such as batman, superman, spiderman, woody and buzz lightyear.  Allow your child transform into the super hero character the love with a top of the line costume that will withstand the rough play of a child.

Julie even creates some adorable custom made super hero costumes for little girls.

Julie also features an amazing collection of child sized aprons for your little helpers in the kitchen.

Bright Yellow Apron

If your kids are anything like mine, they love to make their way around the kitchen and help me with dinner.  What a fun and fashionable way for them to dress the part and protect their clothes from spills and splatters.

Burp Cloths

An excellent choice for a baby shower gift.
Julie's burp cloth sets come if a pack of 3 and feature a double layer of 100% cotton flannel.
You can get them wrapped like shown above or in a cupcake, tied with a ribbon and a 'sweet baby' gift tag - ready for that Mama-to-Be!

Julie Marie Kids offers such a fun selection of items for babies and kiddos.  I am so impressed with Julie's quality of work and will be shopping there again!

Julie Marie Kids :: Etsy :: Facebook :: Pinterest :: Twitter

GIVEAWAY:

Julie would like to offer one lucky Mom-a-Logues winner your choice of 1 of the 3 items shown below.

Adult Apron

Child's Apron

Purse

a Rafflecopter giveaway