Pages

Pages

Monday, June 30, 2014

It pays to fundraise

This past Friday and Saturday my family held a yard sale as a fundraiser for our Relay For Life team. This is the first year we held a yard sale to raise funds and it was a success! This is our fourth year participating in Relay For Life of West Bend as a family.

A few months ago we sent emails to our extended family and friends asking them to donate rummage items for the sale. People were so generous - they donated more boxes of items than we could count.

Two weekends ago my mom and I organized all of the items in our garage so it'd be ready by the time this weekend rolled around. I've never hosted a rummage sale before, so I didn't realize how much time and effort it would take to organize one from the ground up. I have a new found respect for people who hold rummage sales every year (seriously, how do you find the time & energy to do it?).

Matt and I, my mom, my grandma and my brothers and their families all helped out with the sale. We all took turns moving the tables in & out of the garage to the driveway, handling the cash, organizing the goods, watching the kids and cooking meals for the group. My niece Bella sold crafts that she made. And my other niece Caroline & my brother's fiancé sold baked goods for some extra $.

Here are some photos from the sale:

We posted signs at 7 different locations in our neighborhood.


All of the money we raised will be donated to the American Cancer Society.


Most people who bought items also bought some baked goods.


My five-year-old niece raised $21 selling her beaded artwork!


Childrens' books (most were donated by my mom's friend) were a hot seller.


We had lots of space in the driveway for tables and tables and more tables...


My mom modeling a Brewers bobble head.


My sister-in-law and grandma keeping an eye on the sale.


What's a yard sale without a moose cookie jar?


Board games and puzzles were also hot sellers.


Chloe was in charge of the whole thing.
She just sat there and told everyone what to do.
She was so bossy and controlling.


Liam had a blast playing with his cousins for two days straight.


The bouncy house came in handy.


And at the end of each day....


....we enjoyed meals together as a family.


At the end of the sale we loaded up all of the remaining items onto a trailer 
and donated them to charity.

It was hard work preparing for it, but it was totally worth it in the end. We raised a total of $609.75 in two days. Pretty good, considering most items were 25 or 50 cents!

_________________________

If you were unable to make it to our yard sale but would still like to make a donation to our Relay For Life team/The American Cancer Society, please visit my page here: Team Joe

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

I wear the pants

I own a lot of pants. Jeans, joggers, jammies, capris. You name it, I've probably got it. 

But there is nothing more comforting...nothing more cozy...and nothing more relaxing than the trusty ol' pants I call my "comfy pants."

I've gotten so used to "throwing on the comfy pants" in the morning before I head downstairs with the kids. Or I'll throw them on as soon as I know I'm inside the house for the night. I wear them to bed. I wear them when we do house projects. I wear them on our deck when I (hope) no one can see me.

And Matt thinks I have too many of them.

Actually...maybe it's not the amount of comfy pants that bothers him so much. I think it may be the age of the pants that bother him! I've literally had most of these pants since high school and college. Yes, I said high school. As in fifteen or more years ago. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

These moon & stars pants are so old that I don't even know when I got them. Mom, do you remember these bad boys? The tag fell off so long ago that I seriously wear them forwards and backwards (not sure which is which anymore). But they have zero holes in them! And they're still super soft.

Yes....you are seeing it correctly. There are blue hippos wearing purple bows on these shorts. If these shorts were 75% smaller you'd think they were worn by a 2-year old. But I love them and they are so flipping comfortable. These are only worn to bed on occasion (when I don't want Matt snuggling me at night - ha ha!) and when I'm PMSing or crampy. These were bought sometime in high school.

Saturns, stars and clouds. I also got these in high school. They're capri-style. Pretty cool hey?

These I bought after I graduated from college, about 11 years ago. I bought them for yoga. They have a really cool "Adorable" emblem towards the top that was once incrusted with faux diamonds. Oh yeah. The drawstring has been long gone. And, as you can see, these have been worn during many painting projects.

And these, my friends, are my absolute GO-TO comfy pants. Matt really, really loves these hot pink wonders. He just thinks I'm so sexy in them! I've had these since post-college as well. The drawstring is missing and the seams are weakening a bit, but these are my absolute fave. When I was pregnant with both kids I pretty much lived in these.

So...in the name of love, I've decided to retire my comfy pants from H.S. and college. Matt, you will no longer see my strutting my stuff in these lovely pants. No more pepto-bismol pink pants and blue hippo shorts for this girl.


Okay...maybe I lied.

I think I'm going to put them in our 'painting clothes' bin in the basement. Because who knows when I'm going to need a pair of old pants for painting.

Or if I get pregnant again, I'm going to want my trusty ol' pink pants.

Or someday I could cut them into squares and make rags out of them for washing the cars.

Of if I keep them long enough does that mean they'll be considered 'vintage'?

Matt, I really do love you though :)


I want to see YOUR embarrassing comfy clothes! After all, I showed you mine :) I'll post them on my blog and I promise I will not let people know whose clothes they are (unless you give me permission). I think it'd be fun. 

Please send me a photo(s) of your faves to pastelsbyerin@mac.com.

  

Monday, June 16, 2014

Busy tizzy

The past week was filled with lots of outdoor play for Liam, yard work for Matt and I, and some visits from friends and family.

Matt and I busted some a-s-s and got a ton of yard work done! We added fresh chocolate-brown wood chips to all of our landscaping, finished adding wood chips to Liam's swing set/play area, got our garden completely weeded/prepped/planted, trimmed some trees, planted hanging ferns and I planted a bunch of annuals and perennials. I'll show you some photos later this week...

My friend Heather (whom I've known since we were 5-years old) visited with her daughter last Sunday morning. My aunt Ginger visited on Wednesday night. My brother and niece visited on Saturday. And Matt's parents visited on Sunday for Father's Day.

Liam burned off steam at a park play date & ran around the yard everyday. Chloe's been napping and sleeping great at night. Matt went on a fishing trip in Madison. And Matt & I snuck out of the house for a date on Saturday night (thanks to my superstar babysitter niece). 

Some photos of what made me smile this past week:

The kids in their jammies...

Liam able to slide on the 'big kid' slides this year...

A mean egg, cheese & ham sandwich that I made for my man...

Flowers that Matt brought home for me...

The Father's Day gifts that Liam (and Chloe) made for Matt...

Liam helping Matt open his gifts...

A cool gift that Chloe received...

And some SWEET old wooden cars that I found at our local ReStore for only $1 a piece.
These will look great on a shelf in Liam's travel-themed bedroom.


Have a happy week :)

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

This is how we (st)roll


Liam and I went for a lot of stroller walks the past two summers. Usually once a day, and sometimes twice, depending on the weather. When Liam was a baby (two summers ago) and a toddler (last summer) it was easy for me to just throw him (not literally) into the stroller and away we went. 

But now that Chloe's here it takes a little more effort to go for a stroll. Liam climbs into the jogging stroller himself and Chloe goes in the Baby Bjorn or sling. Both kids are comfortable and I feel good knowing that they're safe (Liam can't run into the street and Chloe is snuggled up to her mama). But I often feel frazzled right before we leave, wondering if I have everything that I may need for the kids along the way. Do I have enough Kleenex along to wipe Liam's nose every few minutes? Do I have Band aids in case Liam hurts himself at the park? Do I have bug repellent in case we're attacked by mosquitoes?

I've always had a) sunscreen b) my iPhone and c) some cash (in case we come across a rummage sale or lemonade stand or stop at a neighborhood store) in the stroller at all times. But what about the other stuff we may need?

Well, now I don't have to worry about the 'what it' stuff anymore because I put together a little stroller kit for myself. Stuff that I can just leave in the stroller. Then all I have to grab when we go for a walk is my iPhone (and the kiddos). 

I bought this plastic storage case at Target. 
Liam has been playing with it the last few weeks. 
He puts toys in it and calls it his 'suitcase.'

Wipes, hand sanitizer (for Liam's hands after we collect things on the beach) and tissues.

Bug repellent, Advil (for me) and lotion.

Chap stick, band aids and extra hair stuff.

I put first-aid items in one of the (many) empty pacifier cases we had laying around.

This is important! Our flip video.

 Here it is, my stroller kit.


If anyone wants me to make one of these for them, let me know! I'd be happy to put one together for you. Not a bad gift idea either, maybe to give along with a stroller? Or as a 'new mom' gift? Just sayin'....

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Spring is happening

A telltale sign that spring/summer is finally here in Wisconsin? Most of this past week's activities took place outside! Here are some things that brought a smile to my face this week....


Food truck night. I love that the food trucks are only a few blocks from
our house every Monday evening.

The lake. I never get sick of walking by the lake. Or as Liam calls it, "the ocean."

Drinks with my girlfriends. Empty margarita glasses. Mission accomplished!

Liam loving his sister. 

Lilacs in our yard.

Liam sporting his new sunglasses.

My grandma holding Chloe.

 My mom holding Chloe.

A bowl of much-needed ice cream. (my butt disagrees)

 A family stroll around the neighborhood.

A (finally) completed stack of Chloe's birth announcements & thank yous.


Have a peaceful week :)