Life Lately

Best Christmas song ever. I cannot stop listening to Nichole Nordeman's Christmas album. So good! 

There's been lots of life lately so I thought I'd do a good ol' caption post. Here we go! There's no particular order because apparently that's how I'm rolling these last 2 weeks of 2019.

Polar Express Day! Got my jammies and my train ticket! I love 1st Grade. 

Just chillin on Grandpa's legs watching 90 Day Fiancee. AJ and I feel strongly about only exposing Hank to wholesome quality entertainment content, clearly. 

Birthday Boy requested "dips" for his birthday dinner, so that means Chick-fil-A where sauce abounds 

The beautiful tree at Hank's Christmas show

I had no idea Hank would be a lamb in the school show until we saw him. coming down the aisle with his class. It was one of most precious moments I've ever seen. 

After the Nativity portion of the show, the kids sang Frosty but Hank was not feeling it, so he came to sit by mama and daddy. 

His new cheeseball face 

A few weeks ago we went with my parents to visit Santa at city hall. It was a coooold night but the big guy was worth it. 

This getting dark at 5:00 thing needs to stop (and it will, praise Jesus). I reallllly miss afternoon park/walk times. I was able to squeeze in a tiny one last week. 

We taught Hank all about the amazingness of Mickey cakes! 

AJ's friend is an assistant college girls basketball coach and his team was playing UVU so we went to the game a few weeks ago 

The Bohemian is probably our fave local restaurant and these 2 made lovely dates

Hank loves "Gamma" 

Trying to warm up as we wait in line for Santa

This shirt popped up on my Etsy ads and I immediately added it to my cart. One day he can pick his own clothes. Today is not that day. 

Telling Santa he wants "PawPaw" (something Paw Patrol) 

My sis and I got coffee and went to a winter craft market last weekend.

December has been a blur of festive fun! And now......I am officially on Christmas break!

Savor Your Sparkle,
Leslie

Hank's 2nd Bouncing Birthday Bash

Today's post is all about Hank's 2nd Birthday party....we had a bouncy ball themed bash at The Little Gym. It was a ball! I love throwing birthday parties and gathering with friends and family. You can read about Hank's 1st Lumberjack Party HERE.

This year we wanted to do a party where the kiddos could actually play. A bunch of toddlers with nothing to do is a recipe for disaster so we decided to head back to The Little Gym! Hank started going to The Little Gym when he was just 6 months old and we stopped going last spring when the class schedule didn't work out, but we loved our time there. In fact, the best part of it was that we met 3 of our favorite toddler friends and their mamas there.

I ordered the invites, water bottle labels, and party favor tags from an Etsy stationary shop. I also ordered his t-shirt from Etsy. As far a decor went, it was super simple. Little Gym provided the birthday sign, table cloths, paper goods, etc. I picked up a felt ball garland at a craft fair this fall and added that to the table.

The cake was made by April's Cakery. April was recommended to me by a parent at my school and I was so glad we got in touch. I sent her some pics and she made an adorable cake for us. She even had colored dots baked right into the inside of the cake. It turned out so fun and was delicious. 

When everyone was singing Happy Birthday to Hank I was just so happy for our little guy. He is so loved by incredible friends and wonderful family. I know so deeply in my heart that birthdays are a blessing. Not every child gets to experience another year so getting to be Hank's mommy is so worth celebrating. I don't take it for granted. His birthday celebration was such a sweet reminder of that truth. 

Happy Birthday, Hank! It's a ball bouncing into the 2's!! 

Savor Your Sparkle,

Leslie 

Terrifically 2!

Tomorrow my sweet love bug Hank Grayson is 2 years old. I can hardly believe it! These past 2 years have been delightful. To say AJ and I love being parents is an understatement. Hank is the light of our lives and we are so thankful to those who love him well. He is one blessed and loved little man. I've been super nostalgic lately about those early days when he was born and when we got home from the hospital. Those were sweet and beautiful days that I think of so fondly. I decided to write a letter to Hank on his 2nd birthday. 

Dear Hank,
   You are 2. In fact, you are SO two. Daddy and I comment all the time that you are no longer a tiny baby---you are a big boy, a toddler, a kid! Sometimes mommy misses when you were itty bitty and fit just comfortably in my arms. But whenever I get nostalgic, you bring me right back to the current moment by asking me to come in close for a kiss, then "booping" my nose and you laugh your full laugh, head back, front teeth showing, and I think nope, this phase is so special and perfect. I love your laugh so much and in fact, you seem to like your laugh too. You often comment (even sometimes after doing something slightly naughty) that "I'm funny." Yeah, you are, buddy.

   One of the things that I love so much about you is how you love and appreciate nature. You take the time to go "snail hunting" (you love observing them after a big rain) and to study a flower. When mommy rushes to the mailbox, you walk slowly, looking at the clouds, the sky, the wreaths, the cracks in the sidewalk. Just as you marvel at the world around you, mommy marvels at YOU. You teach me how to, quite literally, stop and smell the roses.

   It's been so fun observing how your interests have developed. You light up when you see the Pixar logo and Paw Patrol is a major favorite around here. You have an affinity for music and ever since you were tiny, you've loved listening to daddy play the guitar at night. You've recently taken to banging silverware on the table and announcing "I'm making muuuzik." You love "mac," fries, applesauce, and milk. You've become such a big guy lately and you learned to drink from a real cup at school! Speaking of school, you delight in telling us all about your school friends and teachers. They adore you. I think the transition to child care was more challenging for me than you. Sometimes after I sign you in, I peek back into your classroom to see you and you're just happy as can be. It's hard to leave my heart (you!) but I rest easy knowing you are making friends and learning new things.

  It might seem strange to say to a 2 year old, but Hank, I love your heart. You are kind and caring. You say "sorry" and give hugs. You get sad when others are sad. You pay attention to others and are carefully observant to the world around you. I hope and pray that you never lose your fierce attentiveness to others. You get excited when you see police cars of fire trucks and point out to us that "they're helping." You love to help, too (even if it's sweeping when mommy is trying to sweep) and cleaning up. You are a love bug, through and through.

You know what you want, like, and think and will not allow anyone to let you think otherwise. In fact, just the other day, I pointed to a cat in a book and you insisted it was NOT a cat. When I finally gave up and asked you, "What is it then?" You responded calmly, "a kitty." Oh sweet Hank, I love that you are not timid and are comfortable telling mommy and daddy what you need. Even if mommy and daddy's opinion of "need" differs from yours (like playing outside without a coat or having a third serving of fruit snacks).

Hank, I loved you before I met you, but I also love you more each and every day. These 2 years have been incredible. But you know what? I'm so excited to see what's in store for you. I love having a front row seat to your life story.

Happy Birthday, Hankers.
Love,
Mommy

Favorite Things 2019

It's time for my annual "Leslie's Favorite Things" post!

I have done this post for a few years and you can check out the 2016 version HERE and the 2017 version HERE. I didn't do an official "favorite things" post last year, but HERE is an end of year what I'm loving lately post from 2018. I love doing this post and while I wish I could give you all my favorite things a la Oprah, alas, you can just read about them here! I always give this disclaimer that yes, OBVI, I am thankful for health, faith, family, friends, love, teaching and all of those things, but this post is about material objects I've really enjoyed this year. Without further ado, My Favorite Things 2019!

1. Danskin Joggers--Some of my favorite lounge wear comes from Costco. Maybe it's the giant fans or imagining myself with the peppermint chocolate pretzel thins on my couch, but something about bulk buying makes me want cozy clothes (I have so many conspiracy theories about Costco and how they get us to spend more, ha!). These sweats are my absolute fave. Here's why: stretch and comfort without being super baggy, a tapered ankle, they can work as pajamas, gym bottoms, or out and about. I've done all 3. And they're $10! I love these things!

2. Egg Bites---So it's no secret I love Starbucks egg bites. They are little protein packed bites of yum. But they are a bit pricey so this year I decided to try making them on my own. These are so delish. I basically mix together some variation of toppings (spinach, mushroom, tomato, etc) with about 9 eggs, add some seasoning, a sprinkle of cheese pour into a well oiled muffin tin and voila, a dozen egg bites await about 12 minutes and 350 degrees later. I have my eye out for some silicone muffin molds because I think they'll pop out easier that way.

Image from the Baker Mama

3. Book of the Month Club--AJ bought me this as a birthday gift years ago and I cannot love it enough. Each month you get an email with the run down of 5 brand new books (I adore the quick categorizing and basic gist of each read) then you pick one you like and about a week later the hard back you selected shows up on your doorstep! It's a favorite thing because I love reading, but also because the books are often brand new, early releases. Also, if there's more than one read out of the 5 I'm into? I add the selections I didn't choose to my library waitlist. Easy peasy. Click HERE to join yourself. You will not regret it.

4. Old fashioned toys--I need to preface this one by saying that we have all sorts of toys that make all manner of noises and need batteries. We've got light up things, motorized things, etc. I'm NO hippie, here, folks. But I do love a good old fashioned toy. Hank loves his Melissa and Doug coffee maker, pots and pans, wooden puzzles, and other battery-free fun. For Christmas, I picked him up a roll up car mat for when we're out at restaurants and things. Hank still begs for my phone to watch "Baby Shark" like every other kid in America, but I will always advocate for some good old fashioned play things too.

5. Rustic Bread--I know it's millenial and extra, but I LOVE avocado toast (with salt and pepper and a poached egg? Heavenly!) and I recently decided to up my carb game and buy a nice crusty loaf instead of regular square bread. Game. Changer. I may have to toast it twice since a slice won't fit in my toaster all at once, but if you're going to have avo toast, do it right and go Team Crusty.

6. Revlon Heat Styling Brush---So I've been wanting one of these for a while now and the week before Thanksgiving it went on sale for $30 so I scooped it up. Guys, this is a game changer. I wanted to try and use less heat on my hair and with this bad boy, I now use THREE heat styling tools, but I can tell it is already making my hair feel healthier and have better volume. Here's how: I blow dry my hair for about 5 ish minutes, then I use this heat styling brush to dry it the rest of the way. When I'm done with that, my hair is basically straight already and I just use a few strokes with the Chi flat iron to de-frizz and smooth. Overall, even with an additional tool, it's less heat applied to my hair and I finally feel like I can dry and style my hair at the same time. It's a major time saver.

7. Tibeten Singing Bowl--Last year I read the book, "Happy Teachers Change the World" by Thich Nhat Hanh all about how teachers can bring mindfulness into the classroom (for our benefit as well as for the students). I immediately created a Donors Choose project with all sorts of mindfulness resources, including books and this Tibeten singing bowl. I freaking love this thing in the classroom. I originally purchased it to use as a way to center my students as we transition from one task to another (and I do use it for that, especially when they switch centers groups), but it's just an amazing 15 second sound, depending on how hard you strike it, that trains the mind to come back to the present moment and listen until all the sound in the bowl dissipates. It's crazy relaxing and I'm hoping my students continue to have a Pavlovian response to the sound--stop, breathe, listen.

8. Taylor Swift's "Lover": Taylor was basically the soundtrack to my 20's and I absolutely loved her album released this fall. She said on the AMA's one of her goals is to have her music evolve year after year and it really has. "Lover" is  fun, gym jam worthy, and features perfect tunes for driving. I've ridden some high highs (Red) and some low lows (Reputation) with Tay over the years but I'm a forever fan and this album is perfection. Afterglow is one of my favorite songs but "You Need to Calm Down" is an anthem if I've ever heard one.

9. Kirkland's: So we got one of these stores by us this past year and I LOVE it. It's basically if Pier One, Hobby Lobby, and Target decor all got together and had a party. There's a sweet clearance section, plenty of seasonal cuteness and of course that farmhouse style I adore. This store is so fun.

That's a wrap on my Favorite Things of 2019!
It's so fun to celebrate and be thankful for things we love.

Savor Your Sparkle,
Leslie

Hamilton

Guys, I did it. I finished reading Ron Chernow's Hamilton. I started this book last spring and read bits and pieces of it every once in a while between other books and finally finished it this week. It's 818 pages, but that includes notes and reference pages. This is the book that the musical is based on. Once I saw the show, I just knew I had to read this book cover to cover myself. I have a lot of thoughts but basically: it was torturous to read, each page took forever, it was so crazy long and chocked full of so much detail, sometimes reading it felt like homework but......I loved it and maybe want to even read it again. I know, I know. In between listening to the soundtrack and dreaming of a trip to go see the show again, I have some thoughts on this epic read. I will present them (much to wordy Hamilton's likely chagrin) as a list.

-The study of history matters now more than ever. Throughout this book I kept thinking situations, conversations, actions within the pages could be overlayed with today's political climate and one would hardly know the difference. We aren't getting it right now (but we're trying) and they weren't getting it right then (but they were trying), and the lessons from the past are essential to guide us into a brighter future.

-Lin Manuel-Miranda is a genius. Plain and simple. There are actual lines from the book that appear as lyrics in the songs. It's all woven together masterfully.

-The beginning of the book (which I read way back in the summer, sheesh) is interesting as it follows Hamilton's upbringing and journey to America, but I actually liked the last bit of the book the best. When the "Hamiltons Move Uptown" (suuuch a great song), Hamilton becomes more introspective, religious, calm, and more of a family man than ever before. He settles down, cools off and even though he died while still relatively young, his later years were spent in quiet (well, quiet for Hamilton) reflection.

-While Washington is presented as noble and a true leader, the portrayals of Jefferson and John Adams make them out to be petty, villainous, and undeserving of the accolades history has provided them with.

-I'm not sure Hamilton ever had an affair with his sister in law Angelica (and the book doesn't claim this either), but they had a unique, special closeness that was fascinating to read about.

-Hamilton was one of the few founding fathers who was really an abolitionist. He "tolerated" slavery, but never to the extent of Jefferson and other leaders at the time. He struggled to side with the financial interests of the agrarian South because he knew on whose backs it was built and he felt this was immoral (because it was).

-Immigrants. They get the job done.

-Eliza is the true hero of this tale. Not only does she go on after Hamilton's death to start an orphanage and care for society's neediest, she rode the waves of Hamilton's tumultuous career (and womanizing) with grace and poise. She is, as Hamilton (and Lin-Manuel) say, "The best of wives and the best of women."

-Burr's jealousy of Hamilton is perfectly captured in the song "Wait For It." He could never quite touch Hamilton's finesse and it drove him crazy.

-The notes and references section of this book is HUGE. I would love an insider's look at how it was all put together. It's a stunning biography as well as a comprehensive look at history during this time.

I think the reason why Hamilton's story is so fascinating is because in him we have an example of a self-made American hero. He is not always likable (The Reynolds Pamphlet, anyone?), he is arrogant, long winded, selfish, and single minded. BUT....he did great things for this country and his legacy lives on in so many aspects of our day to day life. He was a poor immigrant and rose to the top by being "non-stop." His success occurs simultaneously with deep depression and personal tragedy, but through it all, Hamilton emerges as the protagonist who is, oddly, relatable and charming. You could say I'm a Hamilton fan girl. I'll pick up some easier to read, lighter books now, but this book will always have a prized place on my bookshelf.

Savor Your Sparkle,
Leslie