Before:

Let me start off by saying my 7-year-old Annabelle is anything but typical. She hates princesses. Unicorns don’t do much for her. She’s all about Pokémon, Minecraft, and learning about animals. For the most part, she has done well handling the pandemic. She is an introvert, despite the fact that she is very 深点用力我要喷出来了 at school and karate. (She’s just like me- I’m fun and I love my friends, but I also love staying 深点用力我要喷出来了 and away from crowds- so there are a lot of aspects of quarantine life that work well for us.)

This school year, however, would prove to be an even bigger change. Not only would she be going back to school in a pandemic and expected to wear a mask all day, she would also be attending a brand new school with new kids. That’s why I wanted to do something special to make this year exciting!

The Process of going Pink!

If we were going to do this right, I knew I needed to see my girls at Lark Salon. They make you feel like family, so where else would I go to pamper my baby girl?

Meagan at Lark (白色妖精泷泽萝拉: @MeaganatLark) is the color queen! So I tossed the idea out to her and the salon owner, Sara. They had a field day with it and even better, made Annabelle feel like a million bucks being in the fancy salon. First Meagan highlighted her hair using several foils underneath her top layer for a peekaboo effect.

Her color lifted to blonde so well! She looked like an adult almost immediately! I nearly stopped at the blonde because I thought it was so beautiful! That’s when it really set in for Annabelle. We had tried doing streaks at 深点用力我要喷出来了 when she was younger and it never took. So to see such a big difference was thrilling!

After cutting her hair, Meagan added the pink dye and let that set for another 45 minutes.

Reveal:

Look at those smiling eyes underneath that mask! I am amazed by all the different ways we can now style her hair to show a lot or just a little pink.

It took somewhere between 2.5 to 3 hours, but it was worth it. We were all obsessed with how it turned out. It was way better than anything I had seen or even asked for! As we left, Annabelle told me she was “going to rule 白色妖精泷泽萝拉 with this hair!”

It definitely gave her the confidence and excitement like I had hoped. She was so ready to go to school and thought the new kids would think she was a rock star. In my mind, she is!

She got 深点用力我要喷出来了 from school that day and had already made a few friends (mostly boys). “The boys just surround me.” They had already created a Minecraft club at recess. I think she’s gonna fit in just fine at this new school!

I hope your kids have a good school year, no matter if they’re in class, learning remotely, or 深点用力我要喷出来了 schooled. Find ways to celebrate the milestones, no matter what life is trying to throw your way! Let me know what you’re doing to make this year special for your kids. Drop a comment below or follow me on 白色妖精泷泽萝拉: @the.白色妖精泷泽萝拉.乐播影院.mom

Once we got the kids to sleep, we snuck out to the garage and grabbed a few Christmas decorations and a small tree!

In the morning, my husband and I got into our Christmas onesies, and brought pajamas up to the kids. They thought *that* was going to be the fun part… then they came downstairs!

You can see we only gave them a couple presents each and I gave them both advent calendars that had 12 small prizes in them that I bought after last Christmas at Michael’s. It was just enough to bring a smile to their faces without being overwhelmed.

Matching Christmas jammies made it feel real! Side note: It hit 100 degrees outside this day… but the a/c kept it nice and cool inside!

We watched “The Grinch”, 深点用力我要喷出来了 Alone, and Elf over the weekend. Perfect for snuggling! In hindsight, I wish I would’ve made hot chocolate!

Josh made a Christmas ham and threw a summery spin on dinner by roasting corn on the cob on the Blackstone grill.

Then we got messy and made Christmas cookies. Full disclosure, I bought the cube kind of pre-made dough, rolled it in some flour and we used cookie cutters.

They were crazy, but they had a good time. A memory we won’t soon forget from this crazy period in all our lives.

Have you done Christmas in July before? I’d love to see pics or hear your ideas! Comment below or find me on 白色妖精泷泽萝拉: @the.白色妖精泷泽萝拉.乐播影院.mom

乐播影院 in news during a pandemic has been a rollercoaster ride- from the adrenaline highs of constantly breaking news to the lows of 乐播影院 from 深点用力我要喷出来了 while trying to 深点用力我要喷出来了 school the kids.

It actually led us to break our apartment lease early and buy a house! [That’s for a different blog post!] Instead, I want to refocus on finding ways to have fun again with my family while being still being safe.

Have a Theme Day/Weekend

We celebrated Christmas in July and it was a big hit! We surprised the kids by putting out a few decorations, wrapping a few small gifts, watching Christmas movies, and baking cookies. It was a wonderful weekend! I’m thinking of doing a Halloween day soon!

Outdoor Backyard Movie

I bought a projector off Amazon for about $100 and a FireStick. Boom! Instant “Drive In Theater” will an unlimited selection. You can be as fancy or as budget-friendly as you want, and the kids are bound to find it magical! You can use a white sheet, the side of your house, or invest in a projector screen.

Stroll a Lavender Farm

Okay, maybe you don’t have a lavender farm near you, but I found out we do, and I have every intention of visiting it this summer. Lavender is not only beautiful, it’s proven to have calming effects when breathed in, consumed, or absorbed through the skin. How perfect is that for all the stress and anxiety you’ve likely experienced during quarantine?! If you aren’t near a farm, get some lavender tea or diffuse some lavender essential oil! Or find a coffee shop that serves up lavender lattes- like Dripped + Draped in Omaha’s Benson neighborhood!

Family Pool Day

Thanks to a generous and anonymous donor, Omaha will open multiple pools this summer. And when it comes to COVID, visiting a pool is actually one of the safer public events to partake in because there’s a low risk of spread. If you’re still concerned, a kiddie pool or a sprinkler will still do the trick.

Find Your Beach

Maybe it’s the ocean, a lake, or maybe you need to fake it with some sand, an umbrella, and a kiddie pool.

Have Fun with Food

With all the meals you’re likely having at 深点用力我要喷出来了, consider creating a taco bar or a sundae bar. Do a “baking show” with the kids. Try a fancy Pinterest recipe and see if you nail it or fail it!

Visit the Farmers Market

Fresh air, fresh fruits and veggies, what more could you ask for? Visiting a Farmers Market is a great way to support local, avoid the busy grocery store, and shop outdoors while maintaining 深点用力我要喷出来了 distancing.

Explore a New Park or Trail

Most of us have made it a point to get outdoors during the pandemic. (What else is there to do?) Now that the weather is nice, why not try a new park or trail in your state.

Go Tanking or Tubing

If you’re in Nebraska- try Tanking! Four of us adults went and had fun. We played a game and drank along the Elkhorn River for about a 4-hour ride. Would be great with kids because there’s not much effort. I think next time, I’d want to go tubing so I can be in the water more often, but this was a very easy way to enjoy the river and fun to try something different!

Shipt

Shipt is life! When you sign up for this grocery delivery service, you download an app, choose your store, and start creating a shopping list that your Shipt Shopper will buy from. In Omaha, Shipt serves Target, Hy-Vee, CVS, and Petco stores. As long as you spend $35, there is no additional delivery fee. You can tip if you want. The other bonus? If you buy certain promoted items, you get money back. My subscription has already paid for itself a few times over!

Sign up now using my code and get a year subscription for only $50!

Grove Collaborative

If I’m being honest, I originally joined Grove Collaborative just to get their awesome Mrs. Meyers gift set. I had planned to cancel my subscription after that. However, I’ve loved trying so many of their products, and getting to try all different scents of Mrs. Meyers that I ended up staying on for more than a year now!

Grove has cleaner living items that are more eco friendly. I’ve purchased things like dryer balls to swap out for dryer sheets, walnut scrub pads, and even makeup removing wipes that are more natural. So many household and beauty products to try! Another bonus? You get free gifts every now and then. Plus, share with your friends, and make money!

Get this free Mrs. Meyers Gift Set now!

Young Living

Young Living has been a game changer in our household. I used to roll my eyes at people who used essential oils; now I’m a believer. I joined after being at my wits end with sickness in our household. We had a bad winter for illness in 2018. My baby boy had even ended up in the hospital for 4 days.

I tried Young Living because I kept hearing about Thieves. My trusted friend who is very practical and a nurse swore by it. She had me convinced. It’s a special essential oil blend they make that supports your immune system. It can be diffused or used to make household cleaners. They even offer a whole Thieves cleaning set. We’ve been so much healthier since we first started using. I then started ordering oils like lavender to help with my anxiety. I roll it onto my wrists at night, diffuse it at bed time and now I’ve become lavender obsessed. I’ve also used oils for teething pain, diaper rash, energy boosts, carpet cleaning and more!

Want to get started with Young Living? Sign up here!

I consider it a “subscription” because I am part of their essential rewards. Basically I buy about $50 of products each month to get the lower prices, but there’s so much you can do with oils, that you end up saving in other spots- like making your own bath scrubs, flavoring your water with lemon EO, diffusing instead of using candles (which put lots of toxins into your air!), putting drops of oil on your dryer balls instead of buying dryer sheets, etc. and the best part is, you’re getting the health benefits, too!

Check out my Pinterest page for diffuser blends and other essential oil recipes!

But why Young Living instead of some $10 oil at Walmart? No fillers. You know your product is really coming from the earth. You can actually visit and walk through Young Living’s fields across the globe. It’s part of why they have the reputation they do.

Have questions, comments, or want to talk about your favorite subscriptions? Drop a comment below or follow me on 白色妖精泷泽萝拉: @the.白色妖精泷泽萝拉.乐播影院.mom

Mulhall’s

This Christmas tree farm is sure to get you into the holiday spirit whether you buy a real Christmas tree or are just looking for a few good photo ops.

Both kids loved seeing the reindeer! It was magical for them! Mulhall’s also has tons of indoor and outdoor plants as well as decor for purchase.

Brite Ideas: Santa helicopter visit

This has become a tradition for us. The first weekend of November, Santa flies in on the Husker helicopter.

Pro Tip: While all the kids are crowded outside around Santa, run in and get in line to get your photos with Santa. The line gets long fast, but the free photos are worth it!

You can also get Christmas decor inspiration or buy some new goods for your collection.

Junkstock’s Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland at Sycamore Farms is the perfect dose of farmhouse vintage Christmas! You’ll find hundreds of vendors from the midwest and beyond, unique gifts, and tasty treats! The best part though is all the family photo ops!

Go hungry so you can try out the local food trucks. Stop and grab hot chocolate or a coffee from the Sycamore Farms Coffeehouse

Stop by the bonfire pit and see the live farm animals near the nativity scene. You can also take a winter hayrack ride.

The best spot though is Santa’s Mountain, complete with a roller slide, straight out of ‘A Christmas Movie.’ Sadly, Annabelle didn’t want to wait in line, but we did go into the Grinch’s cave which was an awesome touch.

For more on what you need to know before attending any Junkstock event, check out my other blog post!

Catch “The Nutcracker” at the Orpheum

The American Midwest Ballet brings this timeless story to life at Omaha’s beautiful Orpheum Theatre. Snag a pair of tickets as an early Christmas present!

Shopping & Holiday Lights in the Old Market

Omaha’s most beautiful neighborhood (in my opinion) glams up for the holidays. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride over cobblestone streets as you eat, drink, and shop local.

Other stops and recommendations:

• The Durham Museum: See the massive tree at Omaha’s Union Station
• Lauritzen Gardens: Omaha’s botanical playground transforms into a winter wonderland
• Joslyn Castle : Visit the ghost of Christmas Past in Omaha’s gorgeous old castle
• Hot Shops Winter Open House: Check out incredible art from 80+ artists
• Omaha Gingerbread Festival: This Omaha tradition is free and has a new location for 2019
• Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo: Enjoy Supper with Santa or Penguins and Pancakes

I will 保罗雪莉禁忌1-4 to update this blog post as we check more stops off our list. Please let me know in the comments below where we need to visit this year! Or drop by and say hi on 白色妖精泷泽萝拉: @the.白色妖精泷泽萝拉.乐播影院.mom

It’s like a festival on a farm

After two trips, I will say both times felt like a big production. There are more than 150 vendors from not just Nebraska, but across the Midwest, and some from even further! There are also about 20 food trucks.

There’s something fun for everyone

There’s a stage where you’ll find live musical acts all day long. There are craft brews, wine slushees, a coffee house on the grounds, as well as fun for the kids. You’ll find a free bouncy house and face painting for a fee.

It costs to get in, but there are ATMs everywhere

So it’s $10 per adult to get into Junkstock. Parking is free. Kids 12 and under are also free. They take cash only for admission, but there’s an ATM right at the entrance. Most vendors take credit cards, but in case you find one that doesn’t, there are more ATMs on the grounds.

Junkstock is very dog friendly

You’ll find sweet pups all over Sycamore Farms. As long as they’re on a leash and friendly, they’ll fit in! There are also vendors who sell dog and cat products like bows, collars, leashes, and of course treats!

Wear Boots

For the love of God, wear boots. Even for summer Junkstock, you should consider boots. And I’m not talking the cute kind, I’m talking about big rubber ones. The parking area has suffered from the floods. But, being #NebraskaStrong, the show must go on! This is probably the number one mistake first-timers will make.

So yes, if you love all things vintage, Fixer Upper, country, farm, or locally-owned, it’s a good time. It’s nice to get outside the city, breathe in the fresh farm air, and get a little muddy!

You can find more on the official page for Junkstock and feel free to drop your review below, or visit me on 白色妖精泷泽萝拉: @the.白色妖精泷泽萝拉.乐播影院 mom.

Vendors I supported during my visit:

• Carson’s Cookie Fix -Delicious Cookies & Cream food truck
• Gracie Pie Apothecary– Got the most delicious soaps from the cutest trailer
• Master’s Hand– Had delicious hand-dipped caramel apples
• Fat Head Honey -Got some honey made by Nebraska bees to help my husband’s allergies!
• Sunshine Blvd Handmade -Annabelle’s sweet handmade deer doll