First Day of School

Yesterday was my kiddos first day of school.  Kensington started Pre-K and Smith started another year of preschool.  They were both excited but this mama was a little sad.  I love having my kids home during the day.  Even though they're only in school a few days a week, I miss them.  Next year, Kindergarten...and I'll be a sobbing mess!

My sweet girl :)

I love this boy so much!

Off we went to school!

We pulled up at the same time as Erika and her kiddos.  These four are growing up so fast!  It just seems like yesterday that Erika and I were lamenting over not being able to get pregnant.  My how things have changed :).

After school, we went to Party City to buy stuff for Kensington's birthday parties (yes, she gets two this year...a friend party and a family party...we'll see how this goes!).  When I turned around, both kids had on hats :).

They had a great day at school and were super sweet while we ran two errands.

While at Target, I saw this.  Seriously, the phrase "Praise the Lord" came out of my mouth.  Pumpkin Spice, Vanilla Heat, and Spiced Latte were on the shelves.  I bought all three...I'll keep you posted on what I think!

And today, we have a winner for the Workout Mama's online bootcamp!  

Congratulations to Julie LoPiccolo!! 

Tamara from the Workout Mama will be emailing you today to get you all signed up. 

 And if you still want to participate, tomorrow is the last day to register.  Click here for more details!

And for a fun after school snack for your crew, why don't you try my Maple and Oatmeal Baked Apples...

They would make a fantastic breakfast too!

Have a wonderful day!

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Find me on Instagram  @mixandmatchmama

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Fifty Two Shades of Shay: Organizing, Saving and Donating your kids' clothes

I feel like I should put some sort of disclaimer on today's post.  Some of you are going to agree with me and some of you are going to think I've lost my mind and should hand over my mom card.   No matter what I say, please remember this...I love my children, I am not a completely insensitive human being, and I do have a heart...

Today, we're talking about getting rid of your kids' clothes (and let's just go ahead and say their artwork and craft projects too).

Yes.  I'm going to ask you to part with your kids' stuff.  Bear with me.  Deep breaths.  It will be ok.  (Some of you already toss your kids' stuff like crazy, so this doesn't apply to you.)

A few disclaimers:

1. My mother doesn't save anything.  Really and truly nothing.  I come by this honestly.

2. My mother's mother doesn't save anything either.  Nothing.  My mom comes by it honestly.

3. I knew my mother's mother's mother (my great-grandmother Lockey Brooks) pretty well before she passed away and she didn't seem like a saver herself.  She seemed like a toss it and don't cry about it kind of gal...so you see, we come by it naturally.

I clean out my kids' closets several times a year (with each new season) and am ruthless about what I keep and what I toss (and when I say toss, I mean give to someone else or donate...I never throw away their clothes).  Here's why I'm so ruthless...

Yes, their stuff is cute.  Yes, I have vivid memories of how precious they looked in it when they were babies.  Yes, I think back to those wonderful times and I cling to the knowledge that I remember the day I bought it at Baby Gap and then the days that they wore it and it was so sweet blah, blah, blah...but the bottom line is that at some point, all of these baby/little kid clothes are going to be someone's problem/junk/precious garage space, so I might as well clean it out now, give it to someone who will truly appreciate it and use and move on.

When I say that it will eventually become someone's problem/junk, I rationalize it this way...

If Andrew's mom showed up at my house one day with bins and bins of Andrew's baby and kid clothes and told me she had been saving it for 32 years and wanted us to have it, I would be irritated.  What am I supposed to with his baby stuff?  I don't need it.  I'm not sentimentally attached to it.  It would be in my way.  And then, I would put it in the garage and it would be in Andrew's way.  And we would both consider it junk.  (And let's say she kept it at her house until she was gone...when that day arrives, Andrew and I aren't going to be interested in any old baby clothes...we'll most likely be 65!). 

  I don't want my old baby stuff.  I don't want Andrew's old baby stuff.  I am so thankful our moms didn't hang on to it because it would have been wasted on us.  This is why I donate and don't save...because I know that one day, Kensington and Smith (and their spouses) don't want their old Gap onesie taking up precious garage space...but some people right now, do want those onesies and will be thrilled to have them, so I feel like I'm making better use of these items now and not hoarding them for the future.

So, here is my solution...

At our house, each child has one bin.  One.  And that is their bin of stuff I feel like I should keep forever.  Just one bin.  Right now in their bins, they each have about 6 items.  They each have the outfits they were wearing when they came home from the hospital.  Kensington has a dress in hers that my mom bought her in Italy, Smith has his first little Kansas State onesie...things like that.  I've also included Kensington's favorite book from when she was about 12 months old and Smith's favorite little stuffed animal from when he was a baby.  There is plenty of room left for other items we acquire over the next 18 years or so and don't want to part with.  This way, I can hand each kid one box some day and they can truly appreciate the items inside and perhaps really treasure them instead of handing them 425 bins of old outfits that become meaningless.

This is how we roll at the Shull house.  But don't fret!  I have a system for how things get into this box...

First, I go into one of their closets and sort through the things that I know don't fit or that I really don't think they'll wear again.  Then, I place those items in a big sack at the bottom of each of their closets...

...this would be Kensington's big sack.  

Every six months or so when the big sack is over-flowing (like on this day), I then go back through the sack to make sure we still don't want or need these items before I give them away.  

I love this method for a few reasons, first of all, if after cleaning out her closet, I realize that she still does need that little jacket, it's not already donated...it's just right there in the sack.  (Because sometimes we are quick when we clean out closets and later regret giving something away.)  And then I also love this method because I feel like I'm less sentimental the second time I consider giving it away (the first time I realize she will no longer wear something, it's kind of sad...six months later, I realize that yup, she can't wear that any more, we need to give it to someone who can).  It's when I'm cleaning out the big sack that I select items for their one big bin.  I really think it helps keep me from donating things I'm really not done with and it helps me not be too sentimental.

So, there you have it.  You asked.  I answered.  This is how I clean out my kids' closets.

Of course if you're not done having children, this method wouldn't work as well for you because I'm sure you are saving clothes for subsequent children...but when you reach that point when you know you're done, this is what I recommend you do.

I mentioned their artwork above too and that stuff also goes in their one bin.  As much as I love my kids' things...I absolutely cannot keep everything they draw/make/create/build or you people would see me on a different kind of reality TV show...Hoarders.

I pick special pieces to go in their bin.  My hope is that one day, I can give each of them their one bin with a few clothing items, stuffed animals, maybe a blanket and a few pieces of art and they'll truly appreciate their things.  But if you don't think you can do this, don't fret.  Just give each of them two bins.  Or three.  Just scale it back a bit...life is just so much better uncluttered.

If you have organizing tips, please, please, please share!  I would love to hear your tips too!

On the foodie blog today...

...an easy ice cream sandwiches made with Red Velvet Ice Cream!!  I was flipping out over this stuff!

And don't forget, Sheaffer's birthday week continues!

You should make an ice cream sandwich and then go check out Sheaffer's blog!

And one last thing!!  So many of you asked about the cute Back To School party that my friend Andrea threw for us on Sunday (from my Instagram pics)...well, she did a blog post about it just for you.  It was the cutest party!  Andrea always outdoes herself!  See all the details here.

XOXO

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Tennis, Tap and Ballet...oh my!

Yay!  It's Friday!  It's been a crazy week around here.  The kids were supposed to have had tennis camp all week from 8 to 9 am...well, it rained both Monday and Tuesday mornings, so even though we were up and dressed, we weren't able to play.  (Nothing like pulling your sleeping young children out of bed, sticking tennis clothes on them, driving them to tennis practice only to be told it's called off...all before 8 am...)  But then the weather cleared up and we were able to finish out the week.

Here is how we spent our rainy days...

We played games...

...and snuggled in Kensington's bed watching movies on the i-Touch.

We also went to Target.  Twice.  (Because even with a list...I always forget something!).

On Tuesday, Kensington had her first day of a combination tap and ballet class.  You might recall that we tried dance once before about 2 years ago...and were asked to leave after the 3rd lesson and refunded our money (the sobbing 2 year old might have been the problem...), but this time, she was ready!

Look at her in her black leotard and tights!

Learning how to tap!

Practicing ballet :)

She loved it all!  When we left, she told me she wanted to dance for the rest of her life.  (I said that too when I was 4 but then 15 years later, I specifically remember after my final performance, throwing all of my dance stuff into the Goodwill bin and eating a banana split...just sayin'...)

I love these little summer classes where the kids can try out a new sport or activity for a shorter amount of time instead of just committing them in September for a full 9 months of something.  That being said, along with dance, this was our week of tennis camp to see what my kiddos thought about that...

I begged bribed convinced suggested to Erika that her kids sign up for tennis camp too.  Here they all are, rackets in hand, marching out to the tennis courts at 7:45 am.  (We are crazy people!)

Don't they look like a fierce group of 3 and 4 year olds?!  Prayers for their coach were being said at that very moment!

At first they had to run laps...

...and then some basic drills...

...and finally net practice.  

I'm not sure we have any US Open hopefuls in our bunch but they had a great time all week!  And I love getting my kids exercising and enjoying outside activity (hopefully, that enthusiasm will stay with them for life!).

After tennis on Wednesday, we did this...

Summer fun!  Now, mama needs a nap!

And...

Don't forget, it's Sheaffer's turn to show you what she tried on, loved and bought when we went shopping!  Click here to see her shopping experience and click here to revisit mine from last Friday!  The Shopping with Sheaffer and Shay fun continues!

One last thing...you should totally check out my friend Cassie's blog post about how Google Reader is leaving us July 1!  If you've missed this memo...you need to know.  This is why, you've been seeing this...



...on the bottom of my posts.  This is what you need to start doing to follow your favorite blogs once Google Reader is gone.  Click here to read Cassie's post.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!

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Swim Lessons!

Last week, we completed our third year of swimming lessons with Mrs. Sally.  We love, love, love Mrs. Sally and the kids continue to talk about her all year long.  Not only do they love her personality (she is a character!) but I love that she really teaches my kids to swim (and in only a week!).  We'll continue to talk about Mrs. Sally for the next 11 months and 3 weeks and then be happy to see her again next year :).

Kensington's first year, second year and third year with Mrs. Sally.

This was Smith's second year.  The first picture is from last year and the second picture is from this year.  

Summer is officially here at the Shull house!  We are so excited!!

My Pool Bag Giveaway is going on this week.  Click here for details!

Happy Tuesday!

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And don't forget to check out Grillin' Week over on my foodie blog!  Today...grilled pound cake!

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Fabulous Friday!

Today, I'm doing Fabulous Friday!  These are just things that I find fabulous today...

Have you tried Vaseline's new Spray and Go lotion?  I'm officially obsessed with it!  First of all, it's super inexpensive, you can find it at any grocery store or drug store, it smells delicious and it's perfect to spray on squirmy kids.  I like to put lotion on my kids after I bathe them and this makes it so much easier!  Plus, I use it now a lot too.  I'm going to use a lot of it this summer!

Andrew sent me these pictures from the boys' camping trip in Missouri.  Smith loved camping and fishing outside!

He has his rifle ready in the tent in case they run into any mountain lions.  Or bears.  Or Pink Foot (from Bubble Guppies...).

I say he's not smiling because his dad made him wear a Yankee shirt...Andrew says he's not smiling because he was forced to stop and stand still for a picture.  You be the judge...

Then Nanny made him homemade chocolate chip cookies...and he's all smiles!  This kid had a fabulous time!

I am in love with Essie's new summer nail polish collection!  My favorite shade is this Naughty Nautical!  It's a little greenish-turquoise with some sparkle.  Love!

 I received my advanced copy of Boo Mama's new book.  This is a selfie of me on the airplane...I read the entire thing on my flight home from Boston.  It is so good!  I'll be talking about it more next month!

I had a lot of comments about Kensington's military jacket from our Boston trip. I bought it here at Old Navy (and it's on sale!).  It's the perfect weight for outerwear. 

And I'm totally digging this grown-up version too :).

Kensington brought this home from school.  She thinks I'm 25 and weigh 6 pounds.  That girl is fabulous!

Sheaffer and I flipped out over these little boy shoes last year...and Gap brought them back this year!  We have both bought all three colors for our little guys (and they make pink ones for your girl too!).  They're perfect, perfect, perfect for summer!  They rinse off easily, they look great with shorts or pants...and the boys can take them on and off themselves.  I love these shoes!

During the Red Sox game, Kensington asked for some "lipstick" (which is really just pink Bonnie Bell lip gloss)...and then she took her own selfie with my phone.  I think that's pretty fabulous!

There is nothing worse than piling on heavy makeup during the hot days of summer.  I kept reading about this Stila BB Cream in magazines and finally bought some.  Oh.my.heavens!  Love at first use!  It's light but has amazing coverage...and it has SPF 30!  This is my new summer makeup staple!

My friend Ashley told me about this creamer yesterday and I immediately ran to Target to get some.  Fabulous! 

Besties :)

And I just love this wedge.  Love it.  Fabulous Friday should end on a wedge.  It just should.

Need something fabulous and easy to make this weekend?  How about my Key Lime Pie Ice Cream Cake? You won't believe how easy it is!  (And there is no baking involved!!)

Have a great weekend!

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