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”, 四虎网站 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 绯色av蜜臀av无码亚洲: @the.绯色av蜜臀av无码亚洲.性夜影院爽黄a爽免费看不卡.mom

性夜影院爽黄a爽免费看不卡 in news during a pandemic has been a rollercoaster ride- from the adrenaline highs of constantly breaking news to the lows of 性夜影院爽黄a爽免费看不卡 from 四虎网站 while trying to 四虎网站 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 四虎网站, 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 四虎网站 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 绯色av蜜臀av无码亚洲: @the.绯色av蜜臀av无码亚洲.性夜影院爽黄a爽免费看不卡.mom

Visit a new destination

This doesn’t have to mean travel across the globe. I wanted to make sure this list was doable for anyone on any budget. Maybe it’s visiting a new campground in town. Maybe a new state. Certainly if you can afford an international trip, do it! 2020 should be all about the experiences!

Try a new restaurant

Again, this doesn’t have to be a fancy dinner, but it could be. Save up for a nice meal or just check out a new dive with a greasy burger. I love to search Yelp and find hidden gems when I’m looking for a new restaurant.

Have a self-care day

Hit the spa. Get a massage. Get your nails done. Get highlights. I’ve started splurging on getting my hair done. No more box color for me. I work too damn hard to put myself last all the time. If you’re still concerned about money, doing something as simple as buying some masks and soaps from the dollar store and doing your nails will go a long way. Or maybe it’s just taking a day to sleep in, pop in your ear buds, read a book, or go on a walk.

Go on a date

Finding time for your significant other is important, especially if you have a demanding job or kids. For Josh and I, we haven’t lived near family in years so it was hard to find a babysitter. We used that as an excuse for far too long. Find someone on Care.com or use a vacation day to have a day date while the kids are at daycare or school. If you’re not in a relationship, date yourself! You can’t expect someone to love you if you don’t love yourself. Enjoy your time alone. Go to dinner alone. Find confidence in your solo dates. Or grab your best friend and make it a girls/guys night out. Reconnect. Reminisce. Laugh.

Have a goal writing session

Sounds corny, but do it. Block out an hour or two and write down all your goals for 2020. What do you want out of your job? Your personal life? Your finances? Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? What do you need to organize?

Get your yearly physical

This one is so important. My husband hasn’t been to the doctor for a physical in years! I’ve got to get him there in 2020. For one, you get a free physical each year. Use this trip to talk to your doctor about any concerns you might have; A strange spot, a pain that won’t go away, abnormal stressing. By attending your annual physical, you may also catch a problem early- like pre-hypertension, pre-diabetes so you can start fixing it before it becomes a problem.

Find your tribe

Humans are 四虎网站 beings whether we like to admit it or not. At work, if I see an employee struggling, I encourage them to connect with their coworkers. Attend a net性夜影院爽黄a爽免费看不卡 event. Talk to the moms in your child’s class. Put yourself out there. In this day and age, the nice thing is, even if you’re 四虎网站ly awkward or an introvert, you can also find your tribe online. Maybe it’s a Facebook group for moms, maybe it’s connecting with travelers on 绯色av蜜臀av无码亚洲. Have you heard of Mastermind groups? They’re groups (in-person or online) where you brainstorm with people who have different strengths. You’ll inspire each other, get new ideas, and find motivation.

Play like a kid

Yes! Just have a night of good old-fashioned fun this year. Go bowling. Play laser tag. Have ice cream. Hit up the arcade. Go swing at the local park. Slide down the slide.

Donate to a charity

Do. Some. Good. Donating doesn’t have to mean money. Donate your time. Go visit the animals at the shelter. Ring bells for the Salvation Army. At the very least, take Facebook up on its offer to ask people to donate to a charity of your choice for your birthday.

Read a book

I’m the worst at reading. I can read 四虎网站 media for four hours straight on my phone at night, but somehow I can’t find time to read a book. I only seem to do it on vacation. I’m going to try for at least five books this year, which I realize is nothing compared to some of you.

Try a new activity

Go axe-throwing. Paint. Try calligraphy. Step outside your comfort zone and try something new. If you’re bad at it, you’ll have a few laughs. If you’re good at it, you might just find a new hobby!

Have a board game night

Monopoly and the Game of Life are my favorites! Grab a couple board games and play with the kids. Pull out Cards Against Humanity and play with your friends. Pull yourselves away from the screens for a few hours and make some memories.

Go see a movie by yourself

I know this strikes fear into some of you. How can I be seen at the movies alone? We’re not 13 anymore. It’s cool to do stuff solo. When I worked overnights, I went to the movies sometimes by myself and it’s pretty liberating. For one, you get to pick whatever you want to see. You don’t have to worry about someone talking to you during the movie. You can laugh, cry, and no one will judge. PRO TIP: Go to a weekday matinee if possible. You might have the entire theater to yourself!

Try a new style

Spend a day off trying on clothes you’d never wear; Put on that bold, red lipstick. COLOR IN YOUR EYEBROWS! It took me 32 years to figure out how to color in my eyebrows. I should’ve been doing this for years! You’ll never know what you like and what you’ll look best in if you don’t try!

Do something to connect with your spiritual side

Maybe it’s reading scripture or praying. Maybe it’s just taking a walk in nature and breathing in fresh air. Maybe it’s yoga.

Compliment a stranger

We should do this more than once a year, but make it a goal. There have been many times where I liked someone’s outfit or thought they had beautiful hair– I should have told them. They may have needed that compliment that day. You can never go wrong saying something nice to someone.

Organize something

We all need to organize something. Maybe it’s your closet, your drawers, or your finances! Decluttering your life is good for your mind. Check out Marie Kondo or A Bowl Full of Lemons. They’re organizing geniuses who will help get you motivated!

Do something artsy

Find a new appreciation for beauty by doing something artsy. Sketch, paint, craft, body paint (wink, wink)… grab some color pencils and one of those adult coloring books. It’ll be good for your stress level!

Take a bubble bath

We have this huge, deep-soaker tub in our apartment, and yet I never take a bath. Always showering because I feel like I never have the time for a bath. MAKE TIME. Force yourself to decompress. Get one of these cool bath trays and multi-task by reading, too!

Update your resume

Even if you’re not looking for a new job any time soon, it’s always a good practice to keep your resume updated. For one, you may forget some of your accomplishments if you wait too long in between updates, or your company could reach out to you out of the blue for a promotion.

What’s on your 2020 Bucket List? Drop ideas in the comments below or connect with me on 绯色av蜜臀av无码亚洲: @The.绯色av蜜臀av无码亚洲.性夜影院爽黄a爽免费看不卡.Mom

Twice this year now, we’ve chosen to use one of our vacation days to have a day date. The bonus here: We don’t have to pay extra for a babysitter like we would on the weekends, and it feels like we’re playing hooky from the rest of the world.

So for our fall Friday date, we decided to go wine and cider sipping in the small town of Ashland, Nebraska. It’s situated right between the state’s two biggest cities- Omaha and Lincoln.

So quick back story on why I chose Ashland. I was at my friend Midwest Essentials house and she had these cans of Glacial Till Hibiscus Ginger Cider. You guys, it was amazing and at the time I had no idea it was Nebraska-made. So when I was searching for places to wine taste and saw Glacial Till come up, I was pumped!

Let’s start with ambiance. First off, the space is large. Two floors, plus a rooftop patio. As you can see there’s a rustic industrial vibe at play. The service was great. We had a wonderful woman who was outgoing and knowledgeable. My husband did the wine tasting while I came to try all the ciders!

As far as the wines go, they were alright. Nothing exceptional, except for maybe their Prairie Fire port- a dessert wine served with chocolate.

While I already knew I loved the hibiscus ginger (the pink one), I also loved the original. It tastes like green apples. Each cider just bursts with flavor. The dry was my least favorite- but it was still very good. My new favorite though? The honey lavender! I can’t even explain how smooth, calming, and delicious it is! We were also lucky enough to try their seasonal cider- caramel apple. They tapped the first keg of it while we were there and gave us a taste! I ended up buying a growler of it and a growler of honey lavender to take 四虎网站.

Cellar 426

Being from Michigan, wine tasting in Traverse City is a fall pastime. I doubt many other states (with the exception of California and maybe New York) will live up to the beauty and perfection of the wine tasting along Old Mission and Leelanau Peninsulas, but Cellar 426 was at least reminiscent of it.

At Cellar 426, you’ll find a wide variety of red and white wines as well as some sangrias. Josh mostly stuck with dry reds while I tried the semi sweet whites and sweet reds.

We ordered the cheese and salami board. The cheeses were delicious! The stuffed olives were amazing. The chocolate-covered almonds and apricots went so well with their cherry wine! We bought a bottle to take 四虎网站.

We sat and enjoyed the view as the breeze blew through. We talked and connected. November will mark 7 years of being married (holy hell how did that happen) and it’s admittedly hard sometimes to find something new to talk about or laugh at. Days like these help refresh our relationship.

After finishing up our wine and snacks, we took a walk around the property.

It’s an interesting mix of farm, vineyard, and even spruce trees. At one point I said, “I wonder if this is also a Christmas tree farm?” Josh cracked up saying they would be some damn big Christmas trees

We will definitely be back to visit both. It was also great to see children during both stops. Sometime we will bring the kids back to run through the vineyards while we taste some wines and stop at Glacial Till to refill my growlers!

All in all, it was a near-perfect day together. Soon, I’d like to check out two other wineries that are closer to Lincoln. James Arthur Vineyards and Windcrest Winery. If you’ve ever visited those, or know of any other wineries in eastern Nebraska or Western Iowa, I’d love to hear about them. Drop me a line in the comments or visit my 绯色av蜜臀av无码亚洲 account: @the.绯色av蜜臀av无码亚洲.性夜影院爽黄a爽免费看不卡.mom