bybmg: July 2016
Happy Friday! We had a great week around here! Here are the highlights:

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I mentioned this last week, but Russ's sister was here with us for the week. Last Friday we went downtown to Raygun. The boys had a blast playing in their little play area while we browsed. Then we went out to Fuzzy's Tacos. Let's just say it's a good thing Fuzzy's isn't all that close or I'd eat it a lot more!

Today I am excited to celebrate the two year blogiversary of my sweet friend, Della! Della shares fun fashion, food, and fun with her family.

This giveaway is open to US residents only. Please follow all the entries as these will be checked for winner verification. The winner will be e-mailed when the giveaway is over and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Thank you so much for participating and Good luck! 


Host: Della @ Della Devoted


Your Co-hosts Are:


Katie @ Cup of Tea 


and Becky @ byBMG


Now let's get on with the giveaway...Good Luck!



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Hey All! Today I'm guest posting over at XO Kerry about pattern mixing! Stop by and check it out!


I received make up samples free in exchange for my review, but the opinions are all my own. This post also contains affiliate links. See my disclosure statement.


I was reading Megan's blog last week and she was wearing this peplum. It reminded me so much of the Old Navy peplums I've been rocking this summer, so I just had to click over and check it out. It just happened to be on sale! I wasn't too keen on paying the $8 flat rate shipping, but I found out they had it in my size in our local store! Score! Russ and his sister when to a movie at the mall with the big boys, so I sent Russ with a screen shot of the top and he brought it home for me! Yay!

Happy Friday!  I hope you had a great week! Here are some highlights of ours:

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We went on a walk Saturday at Russ's parents house, and this was too cute not to share. Wesley pushing Calvin. Poor Calvin was swerving all over the place, but he didn't fuss one bit.
This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure statement.

I have one more outfit from our vacation a few weeks ago to Mexico


I was eyeing this maxi dress online for a while. It has lots of great things in my book: thicker straps (no strapless bra!), a looser top, and it's olive! I wasn't sure if I'd love it, but I was able to stop by Old Navy and actually try it on. I immediately felt like a Greek goddess putting on the dress, so I knew it would be a winner for our trip. I waited until it went on sale online and I had rewards, so I ended up getting it for a steal.

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure statement.

I've taking a little hiatus from What I Wore Wednesday the past few weeks. Today I'm back with a round up of what I've been wearing. I don't post what I wear on Instagram every single day because some days it's just athletic shorts and a tee, but I do try to make an attempt to get dressed a few times a week. 

My Target glitter sandals and my distressed denim have been getting a work out!


Here's what I wore on a date night with Russ before we left for Mexico.  I have to laugh a little because this is so close to what I wore our for our anniversary! I wore the olive tee, and a striped skirt (just in a different style). I guess if you like it, wear it, right?

Tee: Old Navy
Necklace: Noonday
Skirt: LuLaRoe
Bangles: Blossom Bangles
Clutch: DIY
Wedges: Target

I am THRILLED to have Ruthie guest posting today to share about her new book about dealing with anger as a mom. This is a topic that I can totally relate to and need some help with. Also this post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure for details.

Struggling with mom anger? Help is on the way!

  Do you struggle with mom anger toward your tribe? Let's see if the following scene sounds familiar:  

You fix dinner, seat the kids, enter the hubs, and everyone’s a voracious werewolf.
The baby screams, demanding a fork, "NOT A 'POON!!".
The kids bicker because the boy has his chair too close to the girl. He’s in her bubble and she’s pushing. He’s enjoying her discomfort.
Someone complains about the macaroni and cheese.
Kid number 3 spills his milk.
You’re so hungry you could eat the kids.

How you react is what will determine the course of the rest of the dinner. Is it wrong to be angry with our kids?  


I just LOVE my little $10 at Target shopping adventure every month, and I also LOVE that this little link up is growing. It is so fun to see how everyone stretches their little budgets! 

As always, I share some highlights of what I didn't get as well as what I got.

So, what did I pass up this time?


The teacher in me totally wanted this $3 crate, but I wasn't sure what I'd do with it.

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure for more details.

We took a trip to Missouri with my parents and my brothers' families this week. We stayed in a house north of KC, but we spent a lot of time in KC visiting the attractions. Lots of adventures! Here are some highlights!

Make sure you hop over to my Instagram for a giveaway!

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This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure statement.

Today I'm collaborating with Jill and Carrie! We're all styling our Peaches and Petals kimono. Make sure you hop over and check out their looks!


When I saw the June Peaches and Petals subscription box included a kimono, I was psyched! I love kimonos, though I don't own a ton of them, and I knew it would be perfect for our trip to Mexico. Lucky for me it showed up two days before we left for our trip! 



I'm joining in with some fabulous ladies to be a part of the Picture Perfect Project. Each month I'll be sharing a few photos I've taken with our Canon EOS Rebel T3i. I decided with this challenge to focus on documenting of each of our boys in their element. It might look messy, but I just want these photos to capture the every day life we have. I don't really plan to edit the photos in any way except for possibly cropping them a little.

The pictures I took this month were on the morning of the Fourth of July. We didn't leave the house much on the Fourth, and I was a-okay with that. The weather was GORGEOUS with the high being right in the upper 70s. It was pretty humid but we didn't have to sweat it out and I was glad.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BackToPlay #CollectiveBias Thank you Back to Nature Macaroni & Cheese for sponsoring this post. Try the new Back to Nature Made with Organic Macaroni & Cheese Dinners!


Today I wanted to tell you a little about a fun activity we did this summer along with one of our favorite easy lunches, Back to Nature Mac & Cheese! Since National Mac & Cheese Day is July 14th, you can celebrate with this lunch and craft idea.


We love being outdoors in the summer, and our neighborhood is perfect to stroll around. The other day I thought we would go on a walk with a little purpose - to collect items in nature that we liked or found interesting.




When I told Henry about it, he was psyched and right away wanted to dress for the occasion.


"I want to wear a nature shirt."


Wesley was quick to follow his big brother and declare the same, so we dug in their drawers and found the best nature shirts we could find.


Henry also found a notebook he wanted to take along and even taped some nature items in it before we had a chance to leave the driveway.


The boys had a blast and stopped every few steps to pick up an item they liked. From weeds to leaves to sticks to even a loose feather, they were so into it!


Calvin enjoyed the walk, too!


I thought it would be fun to capture pieces of our adventure in something the boys could look at every day, so we turned our nature finds into place mats.  Here's what you will need to make your own:


  • clear shelf liner paper
  • brown craft paper
  • markers and crayons
  • items from nature


I cut each boy a piece of the brown craft paper, and they got to work. Wesley was all about the coloring, coloring the leaves and the paper. Henry was more purposeful and started drawing a scene.


I took a piece of the clear shelf paper and took off the backing. Wesley stuck his leaves and flowers on the paper. It was a little sticky, but with my help he got it done.


Then we put the craft paper on top of the clear shelf paper and he colored on the other side. Then, he layered on a few more leaves and flowers and we put a piece of clear shelf paper over top to seal it all in.


I followed the same protocol with Henry, though he wanted to be more purposeful about where things went. He taped some leaves and clover to his picture and they we layered on the shelf paper.


On the back side, he placed a lot of his nature walk finds on the shelf paper, then we sealed it all up pressing both sticky sides of the shelf paper together.


These placemats are the perfect backdrop for our frequent gatherings at the table. The day we made these place mats, we enjoyed some delicious mac & cheese!




But not just any mac & cheese, we had Back to Nature Mac & Cheese. Have you heard of it? It's a delicious mac & cheese. It’s non-GMO and contains no artificial flavors, preservatives, or synthetic colors. It's a good source of calcium and protein. It's quick and easy to make which is always a win in our house! We made the traditional macaroni shaped-pasta with this meal, but I know my boys will love the Back to Nature Silly Sea Life Mac & Cheese Made with Organic Pasta and Back to Nature Crazy Bugs Made with Organic Pasta, too!


You can find it at Target in the aisle with the packaged dinners.




Now the boys have a fun little memory of our adventure in nature to enjoy while we eat. What are you favorite ways to get out into nature this summer? Make sure to stop by this page to learn more about Back to Nature Mac & Cheese!



Hey All! Hope you're having a great Tuesday!  



Tomorrow's the last day for my 2K giveaway on Instagram! Make sure you enter!

Are you read for Tuesday Talk?



We have a Tuesday Talk Pinterest Board!  Feel free to follow it for some of our favorite posts!



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bybmg


    
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LitterOdorRevolution #CollectiveBias




Our cat, Toby, came back to live with us last week after a three year stay at my parents' house. The boys are thrilled to have him back, but going from living in a house with no kids to a house with three kids is quite the transition for mister Toby. Today I wanted to share a few things we've done to help make this transition smooth for all of us.
I missed out on High Five for Friday last week because we were on our way home from Mexico. I truly wanted to take the week off, so my computer stayed home. But, I'm back this week with some fun highlights!

I'm thrilled and honored to be the feature blogger at The Blended Blog today. Hop over and read my interview!

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Our kitty has returned!  Toby was adopted by Russ and me when we were first married. He lived with us up until Wes was a few days old and he tried to snuggle with him in his crib. After that he went to live with my parents. Now that Calvin's older, we thought it would be a good time to bring him back. He's just the sweetest kitty. He's deaf, too, which I think helps with the tolerance of the kiddos. More on how we are helping him adjust to our home next week!

Today I'm thrilled to have Sarah guest posting! She is sharing about her new ebook which is available free to you when you sign up below!

Because of Faith book cover-2


Because of Faith: Five Reason to Hope Because of Our Faith

Faith begins with a promise. Just search the Scriptures to find all that God has promised us! Faith is not just for our salvation; it’s also for our daily lives. Our faith is not dependent on circumstances or people. Our faith rests in and relies on God. We trust that God will do what He says. We believe that He has done the work of salvation. We have faith in our eternal home. Even when promises are hard to see, we hold onto faith. Sometimes, it simply means living ‘one day at a time.’ ‘Living in the daily’ can either strengthen our faith in God or discourage us. I find it hardest to remember to have faith in the mundane moments. I get caught up in the laundry, dishes, and errands that I forget to have faith - even if it’s just for a moment. But ‘living in the daily’ is the perfect place to practice our faith. Many of life’s precious moments are not found on mountain tops. Faith isn’t tested in the big, grand things of life; faith is tested in the small moments. We can daily believe the truth, seek God in His Word, and open our hearts in prayer to find hope. More than anything, God has promised us HOPE.   This week, we will be studying Romans 5:1-5 and looking at Five Reasons to Hope because of our faith. With God, we can find the hope to keep on believing - even if it’s just for today. I hope you will open your heart and mind to the truths of God’s Word, and I pray you will find encouragement as you discover hope for your ordinary days.......

You can read more of Sarah's journey to live in daily faith by getting her FREE e-book. Just sign up for Letters of Grace and you will recieve a free copy of the book in your inbox. As a bonus, she's offering this amazing print desined by LilyPad Printables for the month of July!

  LetNotSteadfastLoveAndFaithfulnessForsakeYou2

Sign up here to receive all of this for FREE!

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  About Sarah As a momma of four little ones and wife to a busy husband, she spends her days making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, reheating her coffee thirty times, and sneaking in quiet time with her earbuds. Find her at SarahEFrazer.com. You are invited to join her as she studies God’s Word in the ordinary day. If you enjoyed her e-book, keep an eye out for her NEW Bible study coming this Fall (2016).

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure statement.



When I remembered the theme for this month's How I Style It was nautical, I immediately went to Pinterest and started looking for inspiration. I saw a lot of navy, stripes, anchors and pops of red or yellow. My look from last Wednesday pretty much hit that ticket, but I wanted to share it with you as a Fourth of July look. So, I put together another look for you with navy and yellow. I wore this to church a couple weeks ago.



Russ and I spent last week at The Royal resort in Playa Del Carmen. We picked the resort based on a recommendation from a friend who had been there. Going into our trip, we Russ pretty much read every review he could find, and he couldn't find any bad reports. After the week, I can really say it was fabulous. If you're looking for an adults only all inclusive resort, go to The Royal. The service was exceptional. The view was gorgeous. It was the most relaxing, wonderful vacation I've been on. Here are some photos from our trip.

Happy July 4th to my US readers! I hope you get to enjoy the day with friends and family! Russ and I are home and back to reality after a week in Meixco. Not to shabby to come back to one of my favorite holidays!

Today I'm sharing a recap of June and my goals for July!

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