A Late Scarf Exchange Reveal

Last month I signed up to do a scarf exchange.  This was the second year in a row I have participated and it's one of my favorite blogger exchanges.  I even anticipated the event and bought a scarf way before signing up/being matched with a partner  - back in August!!  I sent my partner's scarf, received a new scarf of my own, and then, you guys, I completely dropped the ball and forgot to link-up/share what I received!!!  Ugh - that is so unlike me and counts as a major blogger fail!  But #pregobrain and #37weeks got me all like {insert wide-eyed emoji here} so I think I have a pretty decent excuse!

Anyway, I was matched with one of my blogging besties, Liz at Chasin' Mason--also one of the co-hosts of this exchange.  Liz and I have a lot in common and we share pretty similar styles, so I knew she would come through with a gem of a scarf.  I was so excited to receiver her package and even more excited about the scarf inside!

Liz sent me this very fall-like, but lightweight, infinity scarf!  Lightweight is key for me right now because I seriously sweat so much while teaching!  Although the scarf is black, it includes some yellow, blue, and maroon floral print, which I love!!!  And perfect for fall, in my opinion!!

Bonus: I found the exact scarf online if anyone wants to twin with me! ;)

Double bonus: Liz also sent a package of Oreos.

And how cute is my little side kick?  He really wanted in the pictures!!

So there, I feel better for finally sharing my scarf!  Liz, I am so, so sorry for the delay.  I promise it's not because I didn't love what you sent!  You can check out the scarf I sent Liz here...it may or may not have been a plaid blanket scarf, which she styled so, so well!

Thanks to the three hosts for once again planning this fun exchange!

Mug Love Reveal + A Giveaway

Time is flying and today is the day to share the mugs we received in the Mug Love Exchange announced in early September!  I was paired with Jamie of No Getting Off This Train and I'm so glad because both Jaime and her blog were new to me!  It's always fun "meeting" new bloggers!

Anyway, between spending a weekend in both Iowa and Wichita in mid to late September, I didn't have a ton of time to go shopping for Jaime's mug, so I did the next best thing - headed to Etsy.  I stumbled across this mug from this shop and it was soon delivered to my door.  I added a few fall touches and sent it Jaime's way!

From Jaime, I received a mug that was near perfect for me!  Nerdy?  Yep!  But fitting?  Absolutely!  (I'm a high school math teacher, if you weren't already aware!)  And the chocolates were definitely an added bonus!

Now it's your turn to link up and share your new mug!  Mugs are so fun and I can't wait to see what everyone got!

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And perhaps the best part of today's post--the other hosts and I are giving away a $50 gift card to Starbucks so that you can put those new mugs to good use!  However, the giveaway is open to every one, not just those who participated in the exchange!  The winner will be announced after the giveaway closes on October 16.  Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below!

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Jaime of No Getting of This Train

Jen of And Hattie Makes Three

Courtney of A + Life 

Whitney of Work it Mommy

Liz of Chasin' Mason

Sarah of Seeing All Sides

Lexi of A Blissful Haven

Amy of Keeping Up with the Smiths

Beth of Our Pretty Little Girls

Stephanie of Wife Mommy Me

Favorite Fall Things + A Mug Exchange

Although I love me some summer, fall ranks right up there!  There's just something special about it after a few months of pool days, tank tops, and 90+ degree temperatures.  In honor of a fun fall-themed exchange (keep reading!) I thought I'd make a list of my top 10 favorite things about fall!  Spoiler alert: pumpkin spice lattes are not included!  Though I like them a few times throughout the season, I don't live for them like some people!

1. Fashion

Boots, sweaters, jeans, leggings, scarves, jackets, layers, etc.  I feel like fall is really the best season for fashion...perhaps because summer is just so basic?  Anyway, fall just makes me want to shop.  Every year.  And I know I'm not only one.  Love me some fall fashion!

2. Football

It's no secret I'm a college football fan (go Hawks!), though not nearly as die-hard as I used to be  thanks to kids + being removed from Iowa for almost ten years.  (Although who said that's a bad thing?  Iowa losses used to ruin my days.)  Nonetheless, I still love a good football game, whether it's high school, college, or NFL.  Plus, football often couples with friends and good food and that I'm always a fan of!!

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3. Crockpots & Soup

Fall goes with slow cookers like peanut butter goes with jelly.  I know I could use my Crock Pot year round, but for some reason I have to dust it off come fall.  Ditto with soups!  Ain't no one want a hot bowl of soup when it's 90+ degrees out, so I welcome my soup recipes with open arms once September arrives!  (Side note: I love my new programmable Crock Pot.  It was my one and only Amazon Prime Day purchase--and a good one!  If you're in the market, this one can be purchased for a great price and can be set to change to "warm" after a set number of hours.)

4. Lenexa Chili Fest

 My favorite fall activity is hands down our local Chili Fest.  We've gone every year for about five years now and it's just such a fun fall family outing.  There's live music, beer, and face painting for kids.  Not to mention, all the samples of chili you can handle--for free.

5. The Pumpkin Patch

 No fall is complete without a trip to the pumpkin patch!  The pumpkins may be overpriced, but the donuts and kid-friendly activities make up for it!  See old trips to the pumpkin patch here--2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.

The photo I accidentally deleted from my memory card last year.  And spent hours trying to recover.  Only to find it was blurry!

6. The Weather

As much as I'm a hot weather girl, the chill in the air come fall is very refreshing.  Not to mention, the sun actually feels good once again rather than feeling like a sweaty-hot mess like it does for much of the summer!

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7.  The Colors

Is there anything prettier than fall foliage?  I remember being on maternity leave with Brantley and taking photos of the trees around our old neighborhood.  Craig made fun of me, but seriously, how can you not enjoy them?  Prettiest part of fall!!

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8. Caramel Apples

I've always loved these things.  Here's proof.  Ugh, can we talk about how horrible that photo is though?!

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9. Family Photos

Okay, so maybe not my favorite thing when it happens (ultra stressful).....or leading up to (the outfit planning), but I do love looking through the photos we take each fall, replacing photos around our house, and choosing one for Christmas cards.  I also love seeing the photos other families take!

10. Halloween and the Start of the Holiday Season

Halloween is just so much fun, and as is almost everything, it's even more fun with kids!  The costumes, the candy, the parties--I love it all!  And let's be honest, I'm usually ready to decorate for Christmas the moment the calendar turns to November...definitely another fall fave!

What are YOUR favorite fall things??

...

And now for a fun announcement.  Together with a handful of other bloggers, I'm hosting a fall mug exchange--because let's be honest, hot drinks just taste better from a fun mug!  Am I right?!  Buy a mug, send it to your partner, and receive a new mug in the mail?  Sounds about perfect, huh?

The details: 

\\ Mugs should be $10-15 before shipping.

\\ Sign-up closes on September 14.

\\ Partners will be matched (emailed) on September 16.

\\ Deadline to mail your mug is September 30.

\\ Share the mug you receive with the world (and us) on October 10--either blog post, Instapic, or both!  Use the Instagram hashtag #MugLoveExchange.

To sign up, click here and complete the form.  It will take you one minute or less.  U.S. residents only please.  And don't forget to check back on October 10.  We may or may not be hosting a fun mug-related giveaway. ;)

Favorite Things Exchange

One of my favorite things about the blogging world are the recommendations and product reviews from other bloggers.  Sometimes, the reviews introduce me to new products, and other times, well...I'm just nosy and enjoy reading what other people use!  So when Jessica and I started brainstorming this Favorite Things Exchange, I was pretty excited.  Excited to share one of my favorite things, but also excited to read about everyone else's!

First up--my favorite thing.  I make no secret of the fact that in the summers, I take two, maybe three, showers per week.  I just hate blow drying my hair when I don't have to!  Instead, I rely heavily on dry shampoo.  Whether I haven't washed my hair for a few days (#noshame) or I washed it the night prior, slept on wet hair, and in need a little something, I use dry shampoo almost every day.  I've tried all kinds of salon-quality brands - Moroccan Oil, Hempz, and Amika to name a few, but for the price and quality, Batiste's drugstore version ranks at the top of my list.  And if we're talking my most favorite, it would have to be the blush scent.  It smells so darn good!  Not only is this a quality dry shampoo (it doesn't weigh my hair down and doesn't leave it feeling full of product), but it won't break the break ($5 to $8 per bottle) and it doesn't require an extra stop at the salon/beauty store to purchase (sold at both Target and Walmart).  Win, win, win. 

I Amazon primed (ahem, another favorite thing, free shipping? yes please!) a bottle to both Emily (Three Boys and a Girl) and Stefanie (Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam, and Dylan Too!).  I hope you both love your dry shampoo as much as I do and if nothing else, it will work nicely as a good perfume! ;)

I received favorite things from Stephanie (Wife Mommy Me) and Missy (My Shitty Kitchen) and I'm excited to put both to great use!  To see what they sent, you'll have to visit their blogs. ;)

Thank you to all who participated and don't forget to link up and share your favorite thing using the widget below!  You can also share what you received, but it's not required.  And if you'd like, you can post your favorite thing to Instagram using the hashtag #favoritethingsbloggerexchange.

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Summer Birthday Exchange

For the second year in a row, I participated in a summer birthday exchange among a handful of some pretty famous bloggers.  Or at least, they're famous in my eyes!  And it technically wasn't me who participated, but Brantley, plus all of the bloggers' kiddos!

Our Secret Santa-style partners were Julia {blogger} and Myles {birthday boy} at The Everyday Momma.  This was a new blog {and blogger} to me so I had to snoop around a little to learn all about those two!  Like Brantley (and many of these kiddos below), Myles will turn 4 this summer.  He adores all things superhero, which is what I based the main part of his gift on.  I'll leave it at that and you can check out Julia's blog post for more!

When Brantley's gift arrived to our doorstop, I couldn't help but laugh because it was sent from our friends, Brittany {blogger} and Charlie {birthday boy} of Just Another Day in Paradise, who live just five miles down the road!!  Brittany and I started as blog friends about four years ago, but have since become real-life friends who now attend the same church (except that we haven't been in awhile!) and belong to the same mom's group!  And clearly, great minds think alike because Brittany {and Charlie} sent exactly what was on Brantley's list my list for Brantley without even knowing!!  Add it to the multiple ways in which we're more alike than not, Brittany, and thank you for the game, ball, and package of fruit snacks (which were promptly eaten)!

I think that takes care of all Brantley's birthday-related posts!  For a list of other bloggers who participated, see below!

Ashley and Waverly // Being Brickner

Elizabeth and Mason // Chasin' Mason

Laureen and Tyson // Chateau Deveau

Brittany, Charlie, and Maddie // Just Another Day in Paradise

Desiree and Julia // Macke Monologues

Natasha and Ethan // Schue Love

Sarah and Brantley // Seeing All Sides

Vanessa and Arden // Sunflower State of Mind

Julia and Myles // The Everyday Momma

Traci and Charli // The Hallway Life

Amanda and Lily // Tickled Pink

Laura and Liam // tiny toes, little nose

Whitney and Brielana // Work It Mommy

#BoyMom Box Swap Reveal

In case you missed yesterday's post, I revealed that we're adding another BOY to our family!  Which officially makes me a #BoyMom for life!!  I've said before that I wasn't opposed to four kids, but after our most recent scare, I've come to realize that I'm perfectly content with three, and three only.  And because I'll be living in this world of bugs, balls, and baseball bats for the next 18+ years, I am even more excited to share our #BoyMom box swap goodies today!

We were matched with Andrea of Long Days, Short Years and I'm so glad because before this little swap, I had never come across her blog!  She lives in Rhode Island and is mommy to four - two girls and two boys!  That is seriously my dream family, but again, see above.  So I'll just live vicariously through you, Andrea! ;)

I had so much fun picking out gifts for her boys - one a huge Star Wars fan and the other a fan of dinosaurs.  Target's dollar spot was on point with both of these interests!  If you want to see what we sent, go check her blog!

Our package from Andrea arrived while the boys were at Grandma's.  It took everything I had not to rip into it (who knew seeing what your kids get could be so enticing!?), but I held out and let them open it as soon as they arrived home.  It was full of boy goodies--Legos, matchbox cars, a soccer ball, spray chalk, window clings, outdoor rackets (perfect because we just had the same one that broke), glow sticks, and a Star Wars something-or-other!   I should have take a picture of everything together, but the boys were way too eager to play!  Also, I'm not sure Brantley could have loved the gifts any more--check out his expressions!  Thank you, Andrea and boys, for the super fun package!!

And I certainly can't post about being a boy mom without leaving you with this one final photo.  I didn't even know I had snapped it, so you can imagine my amusement when I came across it after uploading the photos to my computer. #thisismylifenow

Alright all you boy moms, link up below and show us what you got!  I can't wait to see!  Elizabeth, Stephanie, and I are glad you participated!

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