Barre 3 28 to Great Challenge: The Final Update

I've been meaning to give the final update to my 28 to Great Barre 3 Challenge for a few weeks now but I am just now getting around to it.  Well, I did it!  I made it through 28 days of no processed foods (except Diet Dr. Pepper) and 6 days a week of barre workouts.  As I said in the beginning, I am not good at sticking to stuff so I was a little impressed, if I do say so myself, that I made it until the very end.  Here are my random thoughts on the whole thing:

• It was hard.  For me, it was a total 180 from the way I was used to eating so of course, the food part of the deal was the toughest.
• While I really do love the online class option, and will still do them from time to time, I am much more in love with the local class that I can go to with friends.  The girls in my class are all so funny and hearing a mid-plie complaint from someone always makes me laugh.  Knowing that someone I know and love is suffering along right next to me somehow makes it so much more bearable.  I did stick to the workouts though and did a class at least 6 days a week.  I snuck a few of the workouts in LATE at night but I did it.  My plan going forward is to try to do 3-4 barre workouts per week.
• The food I missed the most was pizza.  I thought it would be something sweet and sugary (like my beloved sour gummy worms) but it was definitely pizza.  While there are plenty of whole food pizza recipes, I had also given up cheese so pizza wasn't an option.  I did not realize how much I love cheese.  I had pizza 3 times the week after my challenge was over.
• Starting today, I plan to return to a "mostly" whole foods diet even though the challenge is over .  A few days after my challenge ended, I had a three to four day stretch during which I ate horribly.  I'm talking gummy worms, greasy fries, fried mushrooms, fried pickles and queso (not together.)  I was miserable.  My stomach could not take it.  I had terrible headaches and was so tired.  I realized right away that I felt MUCH better when I was eating clean.  While I won't be as hard core, I am going to try to go back to a 28 days way of eating for the most part. 
• I'm still not happy about how expensive it is to eat healthy.
• It's also so inconvenient to eat healthy so I have to be really organized about it and that's hard.  You definitely have to be prepared and eating out is not really an option if you want to eat clean so I am definitely going to have to start planning ahead.  Snacking is the hardest part.  I definitely had to be prepared by cutting up fruits and veggies and by always having healthy options ready to grab.  Hard work!
• I did lose weight.  I was pretty surprised at the weight loss because it's not like I was counting calories or doing intense cardio.  I will say that I've already gained about 3 pounds back in the few weeks that I've been off the clean diet.  This just proves that eating clean works. 
• I still never drink water.  I may need to do a 28 Day H2O Challenge.  I CANNOT seem to get in the habit.
• Speaking of another challenge, I really did find myself determined to stick to this because it had rules and because I felt like I had accountability since I was updating on the blog along the way.  It made me think that I should do this more often with other areas of my life.  I was thinking about a 28 Day Morning Quiet Time challenge because waking up early is so hard for me to do.  I also thought about a 28 Day Organizing challenge with set areas lined up in advance because as many times as I say I need to clean this closet or that drawer, I always seem to put it off.  I am seriously considering at some point a 28 Day Spending Freeze but that one is pretty terrifying.  I'm not a big shopper but I still think it would be so hard to not purchase any items that weren't absolutely necessary for 28 days. 

So that's it.  I did it!  I will do it again at some point.  It was a CHALLENGE for sure but worth it.

© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

28 to Great Barre 3 Challenge: Day 17

I'm on day 17 of my Barre 3 28 to Great Challenge!!  For 28 days, a friend and I are sticking to a whole foods diet and have committed to doing barre workouts at least 6 days a week.  The Barre 3 plan has a list of approved foods but basically it is whole foods.  Cheese does not make their list (sad face) and most carbs are a no no too.  It calls for drinking lots of water and getting a good night's sleep.

I can't believe I've made it past the halfway mark!!  Really, I can't believe it.  There are moments when all I can think about is sugar and bread but for the most part, I am surviving.  Here are some of my thoughts on the challenge after 17 days:

• I picked a bad time to accept a challenge.  This is a pretty drastic change for me considering I have never tried to cut out sugar and I eat a lot more processed foods than I realized and I love bread and cheese.   It probably would have been wise not to do this during one of my busiest work seasons.  I have discovered that I am a stress snacker and carrot sticks just aren't the same as chocolate .  I've had a few grumpy moments.
• I'm not even really trying to get lots of sleep.  In fact, I just realized this morning when I got my weekly Barre 3 email that sleep was part of the deal.  OOPS!  I've stayed up until 4 am twice this week so I have failed that part of the challenge.  Again...I should have picked a less busy time to try this.  I'm going to try to get more sleep this week and see if my energy picks up.
• H20.  I'm doing better.  I don't know why it's so hard for me to drink water.  I have never been a water drinker in all of my almost 40 years.  I am not in the habit and I don't crave water when I'm thirsty.  I have to make myself drink it but I'm getting better.
• I still LOVE barre.  Have you tried it yet?  You must.  It's such a great workout.  My posture is better and I'm seeing some changes in my legs for sure.  The workouts are tough and I'm still sore after almost every workout but I never get tired of it.  Try it.
• My snack of the week is plain popcorn popped in a brown paper bag in the microwave.  I add sea salt and lots of cracked black pepper.  YUM
• Our grocery bill has gone way up.  Like, I want to cry at the checkout stand, way up.  WHY is it more expensive to eat healthy???  Makes no sense!  I will say that we have only eaten out once or twice (including lunch) so we aren't spending money at restaurants AND we are eating all of our food instead of letting the fruits and veggies go bad like we have in the past so maybe it's a wash. 
• I am so glad I had the bar height work table built into my office last year!  It's made the perfect place to work out.  Yesterday I even did 3 ten minute workouts in between filling orders.  Fill an order...do a 10 minute barre online class.  Fill another order...do another 10 minute barre online class...keeps my workday interesting.

Anyone else out there doing the challenge or thinking about it?    I'd love to hear from you!


© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

28 to Great! Barre3 Challenge: Update #1

I've never met Will Power and Self Control is NOT my middle name so signing up for a challenge of any kind is so unlike me.  I'm a quitter.  I've tried to stop drinking Diet Dr. Pepper a million times and I've never made it past morning.   I've failed at reading the Bible in a year for the past 30 something years.  My New Year's resolution to clean my house from top to bottom every year is usually abandoned mid January.   My promise to stay organized and volunteer more at school is long forgotten before the new backpacks have even been worn in.  I'm just not good at "sticking to it." 
I'm determined that this time will be different.  Hold me to it, please!   I'll be posting here every so often with hopes that it will hold me accountable.  I want to be able to say "I did it!" in 28 days!!

As I've mentioned a million times before because I'm so excited about it, I signed up for the Barre 3 28 to Great Challenge.  For 28 days, I will be doing Barre classes 6 days a week (either at my gym or by watching online) and I will be eating only whole foods.  The workouts are what drew me to the challenge but when I read about the food part,  I felt like it was just what I needed.  I have been trying to eat healthier for a few years now but I always seem to go back to my candy bar ways.  Nathan and I both have some health concerns in our genes that I really believe can be warded off by our diet.  Nathan and the kids are not doing the challenge but they will be affected because I'm the meal planner. 

Of course, I've made some moderations to their plan and I've added "Diet Dr. Pepper" to the bottom of their list of approved foods.  I'm not crazy!!   I know this is cheating BUT I also know my limitations.  I think the fact that I'm going from a diet of Ego waffles, sour gummy worms and Frosted Flakes to a diet of whole foods is miracle enough!!  I am drinking less diet dp because I've added LOTS of water...but only in a cute mason jar with lemon...and this is HUGE for me because I NEVER drink water.

While their guide does have a grocery list of foods that you can eat during the challenge, it's not very specific so I am going to follow the rule that if it's a packaged food and I can't pronounce what's on the ingredients list or it has more than 5 ingredients, I will not eat it.  I'm going to go with the rules that 100 Days of Real Food lays out because I need specifics. 

I will also be cheating on the weekend of our 16th anniversary but it's not really cheating if I plan it out in advance, right?  I know that we will be eating out at some of our favorite places that weekend and 16 years of marriage is a pretty fabulous reason to cheat on a food challenge!  To make up for the fact that I'll most likely be eating food like alfredo sauce and cupcakes for two days, I'm going to add 2 days onto the end of the challenge. 

So the challenge officially started on Sunday, July 21st and my last day will be Tuesday, August 19th.  I've only made it through 2 days so far and I'm not going to lie...I would kill for a Cheezit right now.  All the fruits and vegetables haven't been as bad as I thought it would be but while I thought I was a sugar addict and that I would be craving candy bars all day, it turns out that I'm really a carb lover and I've spent a lot of time wishing I could eat a bag of potato chips.  I'm LOVING the workouts and Nora has been (sort of kind of) doing them with me so that's been fun.  It's super cute to look over and see her striking the exact same pose as me. 

So that's my first update.  I'll be reporting back next week with a new update.  If I never mention 28 days again, you'll know I gave up.  Don't let me do that!!  If any of you are doing this challenge or if you have done this challenge, I would love to hear from you!!

© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

InstaFriday

Happy Friday!

Here's where I dump my phone photos for our week in review.

It's been a while since I've done an InstaFriday and this one is a little lacking and a lot out of order.  I was trying out the phone app to do this post and couldn't figure out how to rearrange the pictures.  Oh well...

I had two big bags of sour gummy worms this week.  Once I start eating them, I can't stop.  I'm done.  It had been a while and I've had my little fling and now I am breaking up with gummy worms.

I decided at the beginning of the week that I needed to clean out my recipe/cookbook cabinet.  I drug all of this out with big plans of color coded binders and lots of recipe purging....and then put it all back in.  Maybe next week...

The big and the middle were at camp this week so it was just me and this guy.  We had some movie dates and lunch dates and I think he enjoyed all the attention but then he REALLY started missing his brother and sister.  Nora came home yesterday and he was happy at first but they are already fighting like crazy.  Graham will be home tomorrow and he can't wait.

You know you've picked the right book when you want to toss it in the pool after reading the introduction.  This is going to be a good one but I'm not sure I want to hear it.  STUBBORN.

I'm nerdy, over the top, can't stop thinking about it, excited for this Barre 3 28 to Great Challenge.  It comes with checklists!!!  I've been on an off and on healthy eating kick for a while now but maybe this will really help me stick with it.  Plus, I'm in love with Barre workouts.  I got my kit in the mail and will officially start next week.  Blog post coming soon...

This picture is blurry but it CRACKS ME UP!!  They told the adults NOT to get on the bus to take pictures.  Nathan is a rule breaker and jumped on really fast to get a pic.  Nora is HORRIFIED but her friend Macy is all smiles.  So funny.

 

Well, there you have it.  That's our week in pictures. 

I'm mypaperdolldesigns on instagram if you want to follow along next week.

Happy Friday!

Have a great weekend!!

 

CURRENTLY...

MISSING...

My big and my middle:





horrible "getting on the bus" pics but neither of them wanted their pictures taken so there were no Do Overs.

Graham and Nora headed off to church camp on Sunday.  Nora will be back on Thursday and Graham will return on Friday.  I am missing them.  Charlie is missing them.  It's been a while since I've spent so much time with just Charlie.  I did not realize how much his brother and sister entertained him.  He's been missing them so much and talking my ear off!!  It's been nice to have my littlest little all to myself but I know he is so ready for them to come home and I am too!   I know they must be having so much fun though!  I did get this pic of Nora:

Apparently, she was one of four campers that made it to the top of this ladder.  I guess there were some obstacles along the way but she survived and made it to the top.  I wonder what her brother thought about that!  Miss them SO much!  I also have to say that I'm missing the dollhouse project.  I've had to make myself stay away from it all week.  It's very tempting to decorate a little room all by myself but I guess I'll wait until the home owner returns...

 

 

CRAVING...

 

Whole Foods zucchini muffins.  I go in phases with these delicious muffins and right now I am big time craving them.  I haven't had one in months and the other day I finally gave in and made the drive over there and they were OUT OF THEM!!!  I think I will make some of these soon.  This is the best zucchini muffin recipe that I've found and should satisfy my craving.  I'm a little worried about the now Whole Foods that they are building down the street from our house.  It's a little TOO close!!  Those muffins are yummy and healthy but HUGE and I don't need to be eating them everyday.  The distance between us has been good.

 

PSYCHING MYSELF UP FOR...

I've mentioned before that my new favorite exercise is barre...a little ballet, yoga and Pilates fusion type exercise.   I really love it but would love to do more classes each week than what my gym offers.  I found the Barre3 website and started reading about their 28 day challenge.  I ordered the kit on Monday and I'm anxiously awaiting it's arrival.  I've done several online workouts already and I'm totally impressed (and SORE!)  I'm generally not one to accept a challenge but I have two friends doing it so I'm hoping that motivates me to stick with it.  I'm sure this little challenge will deserve its own blog post soon.  I'm a little worried about what I've gotten myself into.

 

 

SHOPPING FOR...

a new label maker.  I've had mine for years and it's giving up.  A girl like me can't live without a label maker so I'm in the market for new one.  I'm trying to decide if I want to go all fancy or just go basic again.  Since I make so many of my labels on the computer, basic would probably be fine but the cute fonts on the fancy ones are oh so tempting! 

 

CONTEMPLATING...

picture from BeckyHiggins.com

 

Project Life for my picture dilemma.  Because everyone else is doing it...

 

What are you CURRENTLY up to??



 



© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

InstaFriday

Happy Friday!

Here's where I dump my phone photos for our week in review.

I was pretty lazy this week with documenting our little life but I did manage to snap a few fun pics...

This is my nephew dog Simon.  Isn't he the cutest, ugliest thing??

Did some major cleaning/organizing in the studio.  That always makes me happy.

Wednesday morning I read the above in Jesus Calling and WOW!  I CANNOT seem to get this right.  I want to be that Proverbs 31 woman but can't figure out how to be her without going overboard.  How do I keep it about glorifying God rather than just satisfying my need to organize/control.  This topic is an entire blog post on it's own.  It's been something I've never been able to figure out.  Anyone out there got it down and wanna share?

Charlie...insisted on ice cream IN A CONE and then insisted on eating it WITH A SPOON!

This sweet girl and I had so much fun on Thursday!  We've been planning for weeks to do a dollhouse makeover and we finally tackled the living room.  She was so excited about painting and decorating.

We are putting the finishing touches on it this weekend and will do a big "reveal" next week but here's a sneak peak.  It's way fun to decorate a tiny house.  I think I will be ready to move on into it by the time we are done!

It's not summer until you've run through the sprinkler and then run through the house with your grass covered feet!

Well, there you have it.  That's our week in pictures. 

I'm mypaperdolldesigns on instagram if you want to follow along next week.

Happy Friday!

Have a great weekend!!

 

A New Summer 'Do

I have a fear of "selfies."  Actually, I have a fear of the camera in general....no matter who's taking the picture!  I'm really bad about deleting pictures of myself because of the hereditary nose, bad hair days, circles under my eyes, bad posture, weird neck, etc.  I have a million excuses that get a big eye roll out of my husband.  I need to stop doing that.  My kids need to have pictures with me in them and I for sure don't need to be showing my kids, especially Nora, how self conscious/vain I can sometimes be.  A new do is the perfect excuse to post a selfie, right?  It's been 6 months (yes, half a year!) since I've had my hair cut or colored!  My girl, the amazing Allie at Tulsa Style has been out having a baby girl but Tuesday was her first day back.  I decided to be a little crazy and got some caramel colored streaks.  I'm thinking I dig it.  It makes me feel young (bye bye gray) and crazy! 

 

While you're here, make sure you click on over to my fave blog, (blog crush?) and enter to win this awesome chair:

I'm really hoping I win!!

  © 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

Days like this & other stuff

*I got a paper cut today.  Occupational hazard.  I get them ALL the time.

"Occupational hazard"...name that movie!

 

*I had an "I can't do this PaperDoll thing for one more minute" moment today.  I had a quick vent with my lucky husband, drank 44 oz. of Diet Dr. Pepper, remembered how much I really do love this gig down deep, and got over it.  There's always gonna be days like this, right?

 

*My house is THE BIGGEST MESS right now.  It's summer time.  I'm pretending like I'm off duty and don't really have to clean.

 

*I'm considering doing the 28 day Barre3 Challenge.  I'm really loving Barre right now but it's only offered 2-3 times a week at our gym.  This would be awesome and I tend to commit to things I pay for.  Anyone tried it??

 

*We declared Monday night Date Night.  It had been way too long since we'd gone out on a date. We did dinner AND a movie!!  We're crazy like that.  Yummy food, great fou fou girly drink, awesome movie.  We should really do that more often.  When we did our premarital counseling, our pastor told us we had to promise to do Date Night every week.  We are so failing at that.  We need to be better.   It really is so important but life gets in the way.  Is there such a thing as a Date Night Challenge??  Sign us up.

 

*I've got the itch to change my packaging a bit.  I can't believe I'm saying it, but I'm kind of over the bag tied with tulle.  I need something new and I'm a packaging freak!  I'm researching my options right now.  Any suggestions?

 

*My kids are at VBS this week.  Charlie got invited to go with a friend and then Graham found out he could go with his friend and be a TEEN HELPER.  Yes, a TEEN helper.  Seriously?  TEEN????  Once I had the boys committed, I jumped on that opportunity to have a week of free mornings so I could work and announced to sweet Nora that she was going too.  She is JUST LIKE ME and has a fear of organized games so this is how she felt about going to VBS on the first morning:

She was not feeling it.  Once she got inside and saw her friends, she was good to go.  She is having a blast.  BTW, I LOVE this picture.  The lighting was perfect...phone pic.  Crazy awesome phone pic.

  © 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

What's for dinner?

We did it!!  We stuck to the menu last week!  We ate at home every night except for the night that was a designated "eat out" night.  SUCCESS!  We did have one menu change due to a rotten meat experience that has me questioning whether I should become a vegetarian or not.  Seriously, it took me days to get over the horror.  I will spare you the picture.   Believe me, I took one and I think I will go show it to the butcher at the store.

 

The menu has been set for this week.  I'm on a mission to stick to it but I think it's going to be tough this week.  The kids have a few things going on and The Baker and I are going to try to squeeze in a date night.  I'm going to do my best though.  Here's what we're having:

 

SUNDAY: Grill Out  - Hamburgers

It's supposed to be beautiful here this week so I'm planning on a few outdoor dinners.  I'm hoping I can snag some bacon gouda patties at Fresh Market.  I might get myself a veggie burger.

MONDAY:  Breakfast Night - Omelets

We haven't tried this with the kids in a while but I think they will like it.  I'll let them pick what they put in their omelets.  I'm going to make these whole wheat biscuits too.

TUESDAY:  Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Nora LOVES chicken pot pie and I usually make it the traditional way but I saw these mini pies this week and I think I'll give them a try.

 

WEDNESDAY:  Mahi Mahi

Wednesday is fish night.  We haven't done Mahi Mahi in a while.  If anyone has any great fish recipes, please send them my way.  I'd love to try some new ides.

THURSDAY:  Pizza Pasta

Really this is baked penne but when my kids were really little, I called it Pizza Pasta so they would eat it.  It worked and the name stuck.

 

FRIDAY:  Order In or Eat Out

I'm not cooking EVERY NIGHT!!

SATURDAY:  Baked Potato Soup

I used to make this A LOT before we had kids.  Last time I made it, 2 out of 3 kids loved it so it's back in the rotation.

 

That's what I'm making this week!  I'd love to hear what you are having!!  I'm always looking for new ideas that won't get a "gross" comment out of my kids!

 



© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

InstaFriday

I've become a little crazy about taking pictures with my phone.  I think it's the years of NOT TAKING pictures that has me freaked out and now I'm constantly taking pictures.  My phone is hating me though...it tells me every 5 seconds that I need more storage.  What is that??  Do I really have to upgrade my storage plan??  I think it's all the selfies my kids are taking of themselves on the ipad...

 

Anyway, here's my instagram/phone dump WEEK IN REVIEW.

This turtle showed up on our doorstep on Sunday.  It was the craziest thing.  We've been talking about turtles A LOT lately.  A LOT.  We NEVER see turtles around our house.  We opened our front door to find this little guy trying to crawl in.

The kids and I were instantly in love with this ugly little guy.  They named him Darth Maul...so fitting.  We put him in the backyard and he hung around for a few days.  We haven't seen him in a while.  Sad kids. 

 It was actually sorta kinda warm in Tulsa for a day or two so we hit the pool.

 As you can see, we are obsessed with the action shots around here.

 I'm loving this one.

I tried the "holding hands as punishment for fighting" trick this week.  It didn't really work but I think in public it might work just fine...and really fast. 

 Pippa and Olive had a little marshmallow incident recently.  Marshmallows and dog fur don't go well together.  They both ended up with a summer shave.  Pippa is very angry about her new do and has been either hiding under a blanket or refusing to come off the couch for two days.

In an attempt to make myself actually get stuff done, I decided to up the cute factor on my To Do List.  It kind of worked.  I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed with PaperDoll orders and our new summer schedule.  I haven't quite found my summer groove.  I've had a TON of custom requests lately too and all the design work takes longer than regular orders.  I've actually had to cut off any more custom orders for a while. 

 

Well, there you have it.  That's our week in pictures.  I'm mypaperdolldesigns on instagram if you want to follow along next week.

Happy Friday!!!

 

I'm trying that linky thing again and linking up with Life Rearranged.

 

 



© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

CURRENTLY

Before you read what I'm CURRENTLY up to....make sure you have left a comment on the GIVEAWAY post!!  All you have to do is comment...tell me what you're CURRENTLY up to if you want!  I'll be announcing a winner tonight!

CURRENTLY...

 

DRINKING...

water with lemon but only out of my cute vintage blue jar with my cute pink straw and lid from The Mason Bar Company.  Why is it that the water tastes better when it's in a cute jar??  I'm not a water drinker, so this is HUGE.  I go days...okay, sometimes weeks, without drinking water.  HUGE.  And NO, I haven't given up the Diet D.P.  That's never gonna happen.  I'm just adding some water to the mix.

LOVING TO HATE...
Barre Class
I decided to try the Barre class at my gym about a month ago and I am hooked.  No, I'm not wearing a tutu (although that would be kind of fun) and leaping across the gym but YES, I'm getting an awesome workout.  I walked in with this "I do CrossFit, I got this" attitude and walked out with my legs shaking so badly I could barely walk down the stairs.  It's serious.  LOVING to hate it!!  I'm hoping my butt and thighs will be thanking me later.

MISSING...

Nashville.

I'm not liking that I have to wait until the fall to see this one again.  I got hooked during the first season.  Were you watching??  I did have a really bad TWO WORLDS COLLIDED moment the other day when I realized that the kinda dorky dad on Jessie (the Disney show that my kids sometimes watch) is the pretty hot Deacon on Nashville.  Kinda ruined it for me a little...but I'm sure I'll get over it by the next season.

 

EATING...

Angie's Sweet & Salty.

Darn that sample lady at Target who just had to ask me if I wanted to try some popcorn! 

 

OBSESSED WTH...

Instagram

I'm fascinated by all the crafty, creative people that I am following!  I'm a little obsessed with all the apps that make your pictures look awesome.  It does give me Photo Skills Envy but it's still SO FUN!

 

 



© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

Feeling so grateful...

***This post was originally written for yesterday but with all the heartache in Oklahoma, I decided to postpone it.  Now looking over it, I realize how blessed I am to have spent these little moments with my kids.  I know I often complain about how busy things get with three kids and all their activities but after watching the news over the past few days it puts it all in perspective.  I need to cherish each of these moments...

May is always a super busy month for us and this past weekend was no exception.  Here's a little instagram/phone dump weekend in review.

 We started the weekend off with our final Fountain Drink Friday of the school year.  This is the last week of Kindergarten, 4th grade and 6th grade for the Jameison Party of Five.  Once again, another school year has flown by and I can't believe it's over!

 We are NOT a "fest" family and we were so busy this weekend but we found out mid-week that G had artwork at Mayfest so we squeezed in a little trip downtown.  We searched and searched, had a very disappointing crepe experience and spent a fortune on ice cream and thanks to a text from my friend Julie, we finally found the right building.  Here's Graham outside the LOCKED door.  We were hours too late.

 Nathan and Graham got up and went back the next morning while I got Nora all dolled up for her dance recital.  I took a picture of her in the car...

 struttin' her stuff on the way in...

with her parentals...

but failed to take a single cute pic of her dancing or by herself posing in her usual sassy dance pose.  Dance Recital Fail.  Better luck next year.

 

After the recital we did a little family birthday dinner with the addition of one of her friends that I think has been at every birthday dinner since they were 4!

My favorite part of the weekend was that Nora asked if she could have a "sleepover" with me for her birthday.  XOXOXO.  Of course, I said yes and kicked Nathan out.

Sunday was her actual birthday and we did another round of birthday cake with extended family.  

It was a fun weekend but we were all exhausted.  Here's how Charlie felt about the whole thing: 

© 2012 paperdoll designs

Instagram/Phone Photos Week in Review

It's been a BUSY week!   The last few weeks of school always make me a little cRaZy and I think I'm still recovering from Camp Charlie!  I'm so excited to be taking next week off of work so I can just concentrate on my little darlings and all that they have accomplished this year.  I think there are parties and/or awards ceremonies going on EVERYDAY next week. 

My Mother's Day was awesome. 

We went to church...the kids dressed themselves in color coordinating clothes (not on purpose but what a treat for a picture day)...we got a decent picture with me in it to prove someday that they had a mom.  I'm never in pictures because I'm always the one taking them!

 

 They got me the wallet I'd had my eye on!  I heart it!!  Isn't it pretty?

It was a beautiful day!  We spent a lot of time outside. 

I cut some roses from our rose bush...

 We do not have green thumbs here so this is an accomplishment!!

 

We had to take down the tent.  I was sad to see it go.  I thought it was fun having a tent in the backyard and the kids loved it.  It was funny to watch Nathan try to get that huge tent back into that little bag though.

 

 The 6th Grade Awards Ceremony was this week.  My heart hurts that this boy is going to be in 7th grade next year.  He is growing up way too fast!! 

He's really grown up this year...right before my eyes.  He's turning into such an amazing young man.  I've really loved watching him take off in middle school.  He's gained so much confidence this year and really grown spiritually.  He's awesome.  He's our little scholar so imagine our surprise AND HIS when they announced that he was the 6th grade boy chosen to have artwork at Mayfest this year!!  So we are off to Mayfest this weekend to find his art.  So proud that maybe he has a little creative gene in there somewhere!!  He gets all his math skills from his dad but just maybe there's a little of me in there somewhere!!

 

The week was so busy and filled with so many activities that I did most of my PaperDolly work in the wee hours or in the car.  I did my books in the school parking lot waiting for the kids.

 

I'm feeling a lot stressed as we head into dance recital/Mayfest/Nora's birthday/middle school finals/kindergarten graduation/last week of school.  I'm SO ready for summer!!!

 

That's my instagram/phone photo week in review.

Follow me on instagram if you want to see all this exciting news as it happens live :) Haha!

mypaperdolldesigns on instagram

© 2012 paperdoll designs