hudson tee + joggers + shoes  ||   harper top + leggings + shoes + headband  ||   hunter dress + shoes  ||  houston joggers + tee + shoes  ||  hayden top + leggings + shoes  ||   my top + jeans + slides + hat

Somehow this Summer seems to have come and gone in a flash, so I’m sitting here wondering how in the world we are wrapping up August?! We are in full on Back to School mode but also wrapping up as many things as we can on our Summer Bucket List! While I’m actually pretty bummed to see my older 3 little people head back to school all day, it will be nice to get back in to a routine and have a little more structure in our day! Since we have been so busy cramming in as much fun as possible the past month, I thought it would be a great time to do an August Update!

tank  |  leggings  |  tennies  ||   hudson top  |  joggers  |  tennies

First up in this months update, was celebrating because our sweet Hudson turned NINE!  But I can’t believe how fast he has grown up! He is honestly the best kid a mom could ask for. He is looking for ways to help others and is so much fun to be around! I shared some of my favorite things about him here. He is loving be a little older and more grown up!

 hayden romper |  shoes  |  fanny pack  ||  my jumpsuit  |  shoes  |  sunnies  |  fanny pack  ||   hunter jeans  |  shoes  |  tank  |  fanny pack

We’ve also been trying to squeeze in as many items as we can from our Summer Bucket List. You can see last years bucket list here for some fun ideas. Looking back, I think this has been my favorite summer with my people, because of their fun ages. Their personalities really shine and they are so fun to be around. We’ve spent our days at the pool, top golf, cowabunga bay, and just around the house soaking up allllll the time we can! The girls and I have been loving having these new Fanny Packs for all of our adventures. It has been so great to have the necessities and not have to carry around a bag! Plus I love the pop they bring to an outfit. Hayden is obsessed and feels like one of the big girls for sure.

 houston joggers  |  tee  |  shoes  || my jumpsuit  |  shoes

Like I mentioned, August is a busy month with birthdays for us, and one of those is mine! As you are reading this, I am currently on a surprise vacation with Joe to celebrate! He is so good at making people feel special and loved, especially me! I couldn’t tell you where because I’m writing this a few days early. But really anywhere with Joe + I is the best! All I know is I am soaking up the sun somewhere! haha!

 hayden top  |  shorts  |  sandals  ||   my tank  |  leggings  |  tennies  |  bag  |  phone case (kailee10 = 10% off)

 houston top + pants + shoes  ||  hayden dress + cardigan + boots  ||  hudson top + pants + shoes  ||  harper dress + shoes + headband  ||  hunter dress + jacket + shoes

Last but not least in our August update comes Back to School time! My little people have actually started to get really excited the last week or so since we started our Back to School Shopping. I know that is something we as moms sometimes dread, so I shared some of my top tips here too! I’ve also been prepping for some fun Back to School Traditions, both old and new. We really look forward to our one on one shopping dates that I shared about here, along with some fun new ones this year!

joe top + shoes  |   houston tee + joggers + shoes  ||   hudson tee + shoes + backpack  ||  my top + jeans (similar) + shoes + hat  ||   harper dress (similar) + shoes + headband  ||  hunter tank + shorts + shoes + backpack

So I think that about wraps it up for this months update! I hope you have had the best summer soaking up all the time with your people! We can’t wait to share all the fun new things we have in the works for this space in September!

houston top + pants + shoes  ||  hayden dress + cardigan + boots  ||  hudson top + pants + shoes

  harper dress + shoes + headband  ||  hunter dress + jacket + shoes

Summer is quickly coming to an end. As crazy as it can get, I’m going to be so sad when my big people head back to school. It has been so nice to have them all around! We are soaking up every minute of this family time we can get! With Back to School season upon us, my mind is starting to think all things Back to School Traditions! I love trying to come up with a few simple things that will make this time of year extra special for my people, and remind them how much we love them! Since I know we are all trying to make our little ones special through easy fun memories, I thought I’d share some of our favorite Back to School Traditions with you today!

… BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING DATES …

When it comes to Back to School shopping, I have found it is a lot easier if I try and tackle most of it myself. I can find pieces that are timeless, transitional, and versatile without too many distractions. I  love to grab great basics that can work throughout the year. A perfect example is a dress like this white one. I love how timeless it is and that it can be paired with a cardigan in cooler weather, and totally transformed with a pair of shoes. Same with a good pair of joggers and a tee for the boys. So transitional and perfect for all year long.

While I tend to do the shopping myself, one of our very favorite Back to School Traditions is our one on one shopping dates. Each of the little people get to plan a date, just the two of us. They pick where we go to lunch and then we head shopping. They get to pick out one outfit they love that is totally their personality.  Of course we finish the date with a treat too! It has been so special to just have that time to talk with them while eating our trying on clothes. They feel more open to talk about all the excitement they have for the upcoming school year and even worries too. It is something I really look forward to all year, and I know they do too!

… BACK TO SCHOOL DINNER …

This one might not qualify as a Back to School tradition quite yet. We are starting it this year and I’m excited to see my peoples reaction. A few of my girlfriends told me about it and I loved the idea. I love that you can make it as big or as simple as you want. You are basically just taking  your dinner the night before school starts and a little flare.

If you want to decorate, Target has some adorable school supply banners + die cuts for simple decorations. I plan to tie some balloons to their chairs to add some more fun. One friend just put their new backpacks on the back of their chairs with little name strips at each plate. So easy with things you already have but it means so much to them. You can make their favorite meal, or even get takeout from their favorite place. I love how simple it is but will be such a fun memory and something for them to look forward to.

… MORE FUN BACK TO SCHOOL TRADITIONS …

If you follow along on Instagram, I asked readers to submit some of their favorite Back to School traditions too, so I could compile a list. We got so many fun responses, I can’t wait to implement a few with my people too!

• Plan one last “Summer Hurrah”! Our Summer  Hurrahthat is 100% a kids day from Breakfast to bedtime! Everything we do is all up to them. We try to include fun stuff like a donut run in pj’s for breakfast, a movie night in the backyard with popcorn and treats, a “city tour” hitting up all their favorite parks and treat stops…it can be so simple, but them being in charge makes them LOVE it!
• Back to School Breakfast! I go all out and decorate with school supplies and balloons and get or make something unexpected for breakfast like donuts or crazy colored pancakes!
• Make up a Family Motto for the coming school year. We love doing this because it gives us something positive to focus on throughout the year and reinforce with out kids. Something like “Be Brave” or “Speak Up” to remind them how special and important they are in the big real world too.
• Back to School Interviews! Every year the night before school starts we “interview” our kids. The questions are all focused around them and their current favorites. It is so fun to look back and see what things change each year and what stays the same.
• Make a School Year Bucket List! We tend to focus on fun Summer Bucket Lists, but school can be super fun too! We put things like “Read 25  new books”…”Visit the Library”…”Go to a Museum”. They are still fun things that get them excited, but more education focused.
• Boo-Hoo Mom Breakfast! This one is a little more for the moms. A friend of mine always hosts what she calls a “Boo-Hoo Breakfast”. All the moms meet up for breakfast once we’ve dropped our kids off and cry (happy and sad tears) over breakfast together.
• Write a Sidewalk Chalk Good Luck! I love surprising my kids as they head to the bus stop with a sidewalk chalk good luck! My husband and I decorate the driveway and sidewalk with Good Luck Messages and Back to School pictures for that last little boost of love on their way to the first day.
• Back to School Fashion Show! This was always my favorite growing up, so I had to continue it with my own kids! After our Back to School Dinner, we host a fashion show where the kids get to show off their favorite new outfits to us and grandparents. We have music and lights, to make it more fun.
• First Day of School Fairy! My kids are greeted by gifts from the First Day of School Fairy with their breakfast. It is just simple school supplies  like a new notebook in their favorite color and some fun pens, along with their favorite treat.
• Water Bomb The Bus! Every yea all the moms in our neighborhood host a first day of school party after school. It starts with us “water bombing” the bus with water balloons and welcome home signs as they pull in to the neighborhood. A little cheesy but so fun to remind them we still miss them and are excited for them.
• Back to School Bracelets! This is something new we are starting this year with my oldest going to Kindergarten. You find something like a bracelet (you could find something else for a boy) that is matching with your child. You both where them, and tell you child if they miss you to just look at the bracelet and remember how much you love them. I’m getting teary just thinking about it!
• Back to School Service! One of my all time favorite traditions is our service night. My siblings and I load up all our kids and hit up the Back to School sales. We let the kids fill the carts with supplies to fill backpacks for kids in need. It has been such a special thing to do as a family each year, and a great way to teach your kids to give back.
• Back to School T-Shirt! I buy each of my kids a Adult sized t-shirt when the start Kindergarten and write “Class of ___” across the front with a Sharpie. Every year on the first day of school, I take their picture in the same t-shirt to show how much they have grown. I have a son that is a Senior in High School this year that can just barely squeeze into it now. One of my favorite traditions!
• Ice Cream Date! Every year on the First Day of School, I take all my kids out for ice cream to the same place and listen to their favorite things about the day.

While it is hard to see summer end, we are so excited for what the new school year hss in store for us! What are you most excited about?!

photos : aubrey taiese 

tank (sold out) similar here  |  leggings  |  tennies  ||  hudson hoodie  |  joggers  |  tennies 

Summer is such a busy but oh so fun time for our family! We, like I’m sure most of you, try to pack in as many fun items on our Bucket List as we can! The family time is just so good!! One of our families favorite parts of summer is celebrating our sweet HUDSON on his birthday!! Somehow he is already nine and I have no idea how that happened! To help celebrate him, I thought I’d share some fun facts + my favorite things about him for his special day!

joggers  |  shoes  |  jacket

Hudson is our 2nd oldest, and out of the 5, he was our biggest baby when he was born. Whenever I think of his birthday, I love remembering my delivery with him. He was the first baby where it was just Joe + I in the delivery room, because we lived across the country in Kentucky while Joe was in Medical School. It was such a special experience and he instantly brought such a happy peace to our little gang.

Fast forward a few days and we found out he was going to be a hard baby! He was SO SO colicky. Like constant uncomfortable pained crying. It was the saddest thing and SO hard on your mom heart. I really didn’t know if we were going to get through it all and kind of gives me anxiety to even think back on. But as soon as he hit about 6 months, he was an angel baby and we could not get enough of him. In fact, we were so obsessed, we couldn’t wait to have another one…hence why Hayden and Hudson are only 2 years apart! 🙂

As soon as I knew we were having a boy, I was so nervous! I had only sisters growing up, and even my little baby cousins I had tended had been girls. He made everything I had worried about a breeze. He literally potty trained himself…taught himself to swim…and is the easiest laid back kid you’ll ever meet. And you guys, that bond they always talk about between a mom and her boy is so so true. I can’t get enough of him!

One of the things I love about Hudson is he is always willing + ready to help with anything and everything. He is usually the first one up in the morning and takes the dog out without asking. As soon as he is done with breakfast, he is asking what chores he can do, and rarely complains about anything I come up with. He is a hard worker just like his dad, and lives to serve others + make them happy. His hard work and determination translate to sports as well. He will spend hours every day practicing and practicing in the batting cage, and it’s the first thing he asks to do with Joe when he gets home from work. He wants to be the best and is willing to work so hard for it.

joggers  |  tee  |  shoes  ||  harper top  |  leggings  |  shoes  |  headband

My favorite thing right now is his bond with Harper. He loves her so much and it is the sweetest thing to see as a mom. You usually hear that boys aren’t the best babysitters, but he totally is. He is so responsible and helpful with the babies, especially Harper. We are currently having a daily fight over who gets to put her down for her nap because we  both love those special moments rocking her to sleep and soaking up alllll the snuggles.

He is honestly the sweetest boy you’ll ever meet + I don’t know what our family would do without him! He is constantly making us laugh, quietly serving everyone, and just brings a smile to the whole family! Now we’re off to celebrate him turning NINE!! (tomorrow)