Thanksgiving

This year's Thanksgiving was SO needed and SO nice! And hey, just 3 more weeks and it's Christmas break! I will take it!

I just love my people! I know that sometimes the holidays are rough for some people, but I truly love hanging out with my family and spending time with them!

On Wednesday my children actually slept in! I made my assigned good old pumpkin pies, we went to the library to stock up on books for the next few weeks and then we had lunch date with my precious grandma!
It was a red letter day...

This boy has been so sweet this week! I am really missing summer break and spending all day with my loves!

On Thursday, Turkey day, Callie and Kellen actually watched the parade in their jammies. I think my feedback from last year was well received. There were far less interviews and watching marching bands take drum breaks. Good for you Macy's!

My family always has Thanksgiving for lunch which is nice, because A) Everyone is starving.

B) You can eat and still have the evening to decorate for Christmas. C) Thanksgiving dinner is dumb.

Family pictures went splendidly. Usually it is torture fest, but we got it done in one shot and everyone was happy!

Smiling happy children and hubby=smiling happy mama!

Then they agreed to even more pictures, say what?!? Who are these little people?

After we feasted, we had the most lovely stroll in the park and the kids played outside...It was the best!

After dessert, we hung out for a bit and then headed to my grandma's to help her get her decorations out and by that, I mean my kids went through every box and destroyed her house. She is sweet to put up with us! It was super fun to see all the decorations that have been around as long as I can remember. I have the BEST memories of Christmas as a child!

Then we went back home and got out all of our Christmas stuff! It's happening! Yay for Christmas. I can finally listen to Christmas music guilt free and enjoy my super tacky,white tree... I am ready!

It was such a lovely day and now we are all ready for Christmas! Happy Thanksgiving!

What I Wore Wednesday

Where did November go? Seriously! It seems like Halloween was a minute ago and now people are getting out the Christmas stuff. I love Christmas, looovvvee it, but come on people, let Thanksgiving have it's day!

This has been a strangely warm fall and I am NOT complaining about that, but last week it snowed and I am already over winter. I woke up and I totally forgot how to dress for winter, that first snow always gets me!

I love this dress!!! I got it last year and there is just something about it! The fit, the pattern, I could wear this everyday!

Dress: Old Navy

Cardigan: Old Navy

Boots: Target

I think it's time for a new leopard cardigan, but I can't find one anywhere!

Cardigan: Old Navy

Tank: Target

Pants: Thrifted, Loft

Heels: Target

We had an awesome Veteran's day tribute last week. Since we are so close the Air Force base we had so many military families come to be honored. After the service they came by our classrooms to talk to the kids. Thank you Veterans!

Top: Old Navy

Scarf: Target

Jeans: Target

Flats: Wal-mart

I wore this last Sunday in the nursery at church. Brien was on call so it was just Callie and I and a few helpers from the 5th grade class. I thought I was going to lose my mind! Oh my goodness, there were SO many babies and I am talking tiny babies who can't walk so I literally had my hands full!

Top: TJ Maxx

Necklace: 11th Ave.

Pants: thrifted, Gap

Flats: JCrew

I wore this on the day of the first snow. What was I thinking, ankle boots?? Brrrrr!

Plaid top: Thrifted

Pants: Target

Booties: Kohl's

Necklace: Wal-Mart

These fringy boots, though! I got them last year on clearance and I had not worn them yet this year, they were so cute and comfy!

Dress: Old Navy

Leggings: Nordstroms

Boots: Target

That's all for this week! Happy almost Thanksgiving!

Ready for Turkey?? Me too!

I am beyond ready to "Gather" with my people this week and EAT!

What a strange week it has been! Monday was smoooooth at school! I got like 20 kids assessed in math, we worked on Thanksgiving crafts and then on Tuesday it got all weird!! 

We started the day with a strange storm, it was only raining when we got into the car and drove to school, by the time we started walking into the building my umbrella had been flipped inside out and it was a blizzard!

The morning went fairly well, the kiddos were excited about the snow, but it was pretty uneventful and then 11 am hit! Right at the beginning of specials/plan time I was all checking my email and trying to get ready for the afternoon when, dun dun da dun! The fire alarm started going off!! Um, what?!? 

Everyone was SO confused, middle school was on their way to switching classes, 1st and 4th grade were just getting to lunch, and it was a blizzard outside! (I am actually exaggerating, but it was really cold!)

So there we all were 600 children and teachers all freezing, no coats waiting for the fire department to come and clear the building. So we huddled together like penguins to warm the children for 30 minutes in the cold. I get it, we were trying to keep everyone safe, but wowza, that was a long 30 minutes!!

Turns out bathroom spray, if sprayed near a fire alarm, will in fact, make it go off and force an evacuation!

The rest of the day was a fog, no plan, 15 minutes for lunch and then a long afternoon of kids who did NOT want to do math!

Then I got a call from my mister saying he was having a wisdom tooth pulled?!? This day could not have been more strange! Turns out, his toothache this weekend, was really a cracked wisdom tooth! He is tough, I tell you. He had the sucker pulled and was back to work by 3. Crazy I tell you!

Then, as if the day was not crazy enough we had staff bowling tournament in our hallway with, that's right frozen turkeys... 

While my team, the Cool Whip Mamas, did not win, we were surprisingly good at whipping a frozen turkey down a hallway! 

After all the weird, I am THANKFUL to be home in my warm house, on Thanksgiving break. Bring on the Turkey!

Chapter Chat and Hot Chocolate Dip

Book club, I mean Chapter Chat, is back up and running. We took a little break for about a year because life was just too busy for everyone. Life is no less busy, but I missed getting together with my girls!

At our last meeting, my book reading buddy and I googled ways to keep your book club together, just for fun. One of the suggestions was to give your book club a spiffy name, we chose the cheesy ridiculousness of "Chapter Chat". Done!

                                        
At our meeting last weekend, we read The Girl on the Train. It was a super good read! I finished in like two days a few weeks ago when my kids were sick and I had nothing to do but sit on the couch and watch Paw Patrol.

It is about this crazy lady who rides the train to London every day and at one of the stops she sees a couple that she has made up identities for, like they know each other and are friends. Then it gets complicated... One day she sees the lady in the couple, who she has named Jess, kissing another man. Then some time later Jess, whose real name is Ann,a goes missing.

The main character Rachel, who is mentally a hot mess express, thinks that she has some important information about Anna's disappearance, but was black out drunk the night everything happened. There is also a crazy back story about Rachel's ex-husband and his new wife and they are all linked together by the missing girl.

If you like some mystery and suspense, this book is right up your alley, it is a great read...Now I can't wait to watch the movie!

If you like a sweet treat with your book, I have just the thing...Hot chocolate dip! This could be a game changer for parties in the future!

So easy and yumm-o!

You need:

8 oz cream cheese

1 tub of marshmallow fluff

2 packets of cocoa mix

First, whip together the cream cheese and marshmallow fluff  with a mixer until it is smooth. Then fold in the cocoa mix by hand...

Pop it into the fridge to firm up and chill for about an hour

Then go to town! We ate ours with Chips Ahoy minis and strawberries! I have decided that this would be deliciouso with any fruit! We will be making this again for sure!

The Harry Potter Party

This year my precious girl turned 10...Yes, double digits for her and officially old for me! In all seriousness, how did she get so big?!? I know everyone says that kids grow up so quick and some days feel looonnnggg when you are in them. Some stages were just terrible, some were so amazingly awesome, but the rate at which this is happening is really hitting me!

This weekend we said goodbye to Barbies and baby dolls and traded them for IPods and legos.

For her presents she wanted and I quote, "Gift cards and clothes with no words on them." Who is this child of mine?

The obsession with Harry Potter continued from Halloween, right into her 10th birthday party, for my grown up girl.

This was not a small feat, for Harry Potter party supplies simply do not exist. This was truly the party that Pinterest made!
                                                             

                                                                          The decor...

That's right to get into Hogwarts you need a password and to get into our house you needed one too!

Floating candles...

This was a labor of love, let me tell you. Weeks of collecting toilet paper rolls from my family, and lots of  hot glue, spray paint, fishing line and flicker candles later and, ta-da!

This thrift store find became these fancy candelabras after a little bit of gold spray paint!

Very Hogwarts of us!

A foam board photo booth just like in the movie!

This Hogwarts banner we found on Amazon for like $15, was money well spent! I was just going to hang it on the wall, but Brien took it to the next level and teetered on a ladder to hang it from the ceiling!

The Whomping Willow was all Callie! Just a little bit of brown paper, some thumb tacks and some twisting! She was very proud of her creation!

The food was SO fun and super easy to throw together!

Cheetos and Doritos... what kid doesn't love fake orange cheese?! I know I do!

Sour gummy worms made great jelly slugs

Some chocolate coins were a great pass for Gringotts wizard money!

Jelly Bellies look just like Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Bean without the disgusting surprises!

Lindt Carmel Truffles look surprisingly like gold snitches and Sprees Chews are exactly how I'd imagine Fizzing Wizzbees!

Reese's and a pretzel=broom sticks!

My mom found these super awesome gum eyeballs during Halloween, pretty awesome find mom!

The Entertainment!

Pin the scar on Harry Potter was Callies' creation, she did such a great job and it was super fun to spin those crazy kids and grown ups around and see where the scars ended up!

Our very own Quidditch Pitch! Brien made these out of some 1x2's from Lowes, a couple of clamps and some hula hoops that he ripped the sparkly paper off of!

If only we had our Nimbus 2000's!

And last but not least...Potions class! We made a bubbly mess from the same recipe we used this summer!

I think this birthday was probably one of my favorites as far as planning and hosting, even though it was a LOT of work, but totally worth it to shower my sweet girl with some Harry Potter love!

Thank you awesome family for being there and sharing her special day!!

Happy 10th, baby girl!!