DIY Witch's Broom

I saw these witches' brooms from Pottery Barn the other day and loved them!! I figured they would be pretty simple to duplicate and they ARE! I decided to forego the lights on the ends though. They make the perfect addition to porch for fall/Halloween!

The supplies you will need ... 2 large branches (with character!), a bundle of small sticks, jute rope, and a hot glue gun. I bought both the birch branches and bundle of sticks which I cut shorter from Hobby Lobby but you could easily gather them from outside to use in this project.

S T E P   O N E | put a line of glue on either side of a large branch about 3 inches from the bottom.

S T E P   T W O | firmly press two sticks over the glue holding them there until the glue dries. (Tip :: use the thicker sticks against the branch first and save the really thin ones for the outside layer!)

S T E P   T H R E E | continue gluing thicker sticks around the base of the branch until your first layer is filled in completely. (Tip :: line the glue against the previous stick you added as you fill it in like in the pictures below)

Once the branch is filled in, you are ready for the next layer, this time using thinner sticks!

S T E P   F O U R | gather two or three thin sticks and bunch them together in your hands. 

S T E P   F I V E | glue the bunch of thin sticks partially sideways across the base layer of thick sticks. This will create a more full look at the end. Don't worry about any hot glue showing when dried because we will cover it up in the next step. :)

S T E P   F I V E | when you have attached all of your thin sticks and the broom is as full as you want it, place a line of glue just below the ends of the sticks near the branch. Glue the ed of your jute rope across the sticks. 

S T E P   S I X | continue wrapping the jute rope around the sticks, keeping it tightly wrapped and close together about three inches.

 S T E P   S E V E N | after about three inches of rope, place a drop of glue underneath the existing jute rope and slide the end underneath to be glued down. AND you're DONE! Find a cute new spot to put it on your porch! :)

Favorite Halloween Books

Happy Monday Friends! The weekend went by way too quickly as weekends often do but we are loving the 65 degree sunshine that welcomed us today! Even though the weather doesn't feel so much like fall, that hasn't stopped me from pulling out our Halloween books and filling Liam's shelves! I thought I'd pop on here today and share a few of our favorite Halloween books ...

L I T T L E   O W L ' S   N I G H T | about a darling little owl who stays up all night because he is just too excited to witness all the amazing things around him (Liam loves trying to find the little owl on every page too!)

W H E R E   I S   B A B Y ' S   P U M P K I N ? | a flap book to search for baby's pumpkin and find other fun Halloween things along the way like bats, ghosts, and even caramel apples

L I T T L E   B L U E   T R U C K ' S   H A L L O W E E N | little blue truck picks up his animal friends who are all dressed up in different costumes on his way to a Halloween party (This has been a favorite we added to our collection this year and Liam loves lifting all the flaps to discover what animal is under the costume. No matter what animal he finds, he says "MOOO" for every single one with his head thrown back and everything! haha)

H A P P Y   H A L L O W E E N   D A N I E L   T I G E R | Daniel Tiger and his friends dress up as their favorite characters for Halloween (Another new book we added this year based on Liam's obsession with Daniel Tiger. It is fun to see him recognize all the characters already in the story.)

H O O D W I N K E D | about a little witch who tries to find the perfect "creepiest" pet and ends up with one of the cutest after all, it's adorable

(These next two have been a little too long to keep Liam's interest so far this year but I still love them and hope he will in the future too ... )

R O O M   O N   T H E   B R O O M | a witch and her cat begin to lose things off their broomstick as the wind picks up and other animals come to their rescue to save the items that have fallen off but want a ride on the broomstick in return

H U G G L Y ' S   H A L L O W E E N | a hilarious little story about Huggly and his friends out trickor-treating on Halloween night (This was a favorite I would read to my elementary school kids when I taught third grade!)

 I T ' S   P U M P K I N   D A Y   M O U S E | Mouse decorates each of his 7 pumpkins with faces that have a different emotions (Liam's favorite part ... when a dog jumps out from behind the pumpkins and says "boo"! haha) 

W H E R E   T H E   W I L D   T H I N G S   A R E | not necessary a traditional Halloween book but Max does dress up like a wild thing so it felt fitting, not to mention it is a true childhood classic after all (I even planned Liam's first birthday party around it last year!)

I hope you find a few new ones from this list to add to your Halloween collection this year! We are always looking to add to ours so please share your Halloween favorites in the comments below! XO

Friday Favorites

TGIF could NOT be more fitting for today! After five days of constant cranky toddler meltdowns and an iPhone that fell out of my back pocket and into a unfortunate bowl of water, I could not be more ready for the weekend. And if I'm being honest, a GIANT bowl of ice cream! Most likely only one of those things will come to pass so I'll just be over here sending heart eyes to some of my favorite finds "on the line" this week. Anyone catch that movie reference?! ;)

F O R   T H E   L I T T L E S

My favorite bear ear sweatshirt that I mentioned in this post was sold out finally went back in stock in the exact size I needed it for Liam last week so I hurried and scooped one up before it was gone again! It is currently sold out in the ochre color he is wearing but they still have a few sizes left in the blue one. This is my new favorite picture of Liam and Nic together ...

I also love these astronaut and fireman costume jammies for Halloween, so much fun! I still haven't quite decided what to dress Liam up as yet. Considering this will likely be my last year that I can help pick it out I better make it a good one. ;) I have been pinning away some cute ideas but I'm also thinking a trip to the Halloween shops that just opened in town is in order this weekend!

I came across this Q&A journal for kids and think it would be so fun to do with Liam as he starts talking more! Maybe at age 3 considering we are coming upon age 2 in less than a month and he pretty much sticks to "more", "bye", and "bubble". haha

F O R   T H E   H O M E

Halloween is one of my very favorite things about fall and while it is still over a month away and fall only officially began yesterday, I won't admit that I've had my favorite shelves decorated for a few weeks now. Won't admit it at all. ;)

Speaking of fall, I want to make these felt ball acorns for my Thanksgiving shelves and these gold leaf pumpkins for our porch after our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. I am loving this porch and this porch for inspiration. I'll let you know how it turns out!

F O R   M O M M A S

This open sleeve maxi dress is so beautiful and would look really cute with a pair of booties. I am interested in trying these hi-rise jeggings (might need to be a try on in the store with these hips that don't lie), and am loving this striped peplum top. If only it was still in stock. Anyone seen something similar lately?

Cheers to Friday!!! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! XO 

p.s. And one last favorite if you are in need of a good laugh because you had just as long and rough of a week as I did, you can not go wrong with Carpool Karaoke! ;) You're welcome.  

a walk at Cherry Springs with papa

We had plans to go see Nic's dad (Grandpapa) at his house on Sunday evening but some of the family was sick so we picked him up and explored a new walking trail instead! We expected it to be a dirt hiking trail but found a beautiful paved path in its place which was perfect for Liam. Last time we took him hiking, he tripped over every rock and pot hole possible and ended up with a cut on his knee. I have a feeling this one will now be our first choice. ;)

Liam and his Papa!

Liam's favorite part were the bridges. Of course the one thing that makes me the most nervous because he has to squeeze his head between the slats and peer over the edge to see the bottom! Part way through the walk he kept pulling us back to the beginning, I think because he would have rather spent all of his time on the bridge instead. haha

The leaves on the trees were already changing for fall and it made the walk that much more beautiful! Liam giggled whenever they would crunch underneath his shoes and he would do his hop skippety little dance that he does to hear even more of them. I kept joking with Nic that I reeeeally wanted to bring a bag of yellow leaves home to decorate our front porch with but he wouldn't let me. ;) Something about all of the spiders we'd bring in the car from the bag of leaves. I don't know where he would have gotten THAT idea. Ahem, it's happened before with pine cones, oops! haha

This was only one of a few different paths/trails up there and so I definitely want to go back and explore some more. Besides, I can't wait to see what Cherry Springs looks like a few weeks from now when ALL the trees are changing colors. :) Thanks for the fun Sunday walk Papa!

Liam at 23 months

In one month from today my baby will be two years old!!! He is not so much a baby anymore and reminded me of that just tonight as he climbed up on one of our kitchen chairs and demanded he eat dinner from that very spot as he stubbornly pointed his fingers at the tabletop. After dinner we went and got him his very own booster seat and put yet another "baby" thing away in storage (his highchair). I get nostalgic sometimes for baby Liam but most of the time, I embrace the milestones he reaches each day as a toddler. He has become the most fun and loving little boy I know! 

A few things about Liam at 23 months ...

F A V O R I T E S | Home & Transylvania 2 (movies), Daniel Tiger, and tumbling class.

L O V E S | playing with TRACTORS/truck/planes/balls/animals, covering his body in stickers and tape, and having story time before bed. 

E A T S | apple sauce, fruit, greek yogurt, peanut butter, pretzels, and excavates every last chocolate chip or m&m out of his cookie and tosses the rest. 

A L L   B O Y | thinks it is hilarious when he toots.

S T U B B O R N   A B O U T | wanting to fill up his own sippy cup with water at the fridge and running from me giggling when I try to gel his hair.

M O M ' S   P R O U D   O F | that he knows his animals, some colors, and can name all of his facial features, when he busts out his signature arm flapping and head shaking dance moves to Cake by the Ocean!

D A D ' S   P R O U D   O F | that he listens to things like "don't go in the road" and "hold my hand in the parking lot".

W E   L O V E   A B O U T   L I A M | his hop skippety run, that he waves and says "bye" to everyone and everything as he walks away, when he points at everything and asks "what is this?", that he grabs our hands now and guides us to what he wants help with instead of standing there grunting when he wants something he can't get by himself, and dramatically signs the word "please" with both hands rubbing his chest.

That is our oh so sweet topped with a smidgen of stubbornness Liam Rex at 23 months old. He is the best at testing my patience and challenging me as a parent but he's quick to forgive and is still my best snuggle guy. We share the same love language him and I. 

We can't wait to celebrate your birthday with you next month Liam! We have some fun surprises in store for you and it looks like I have a tractor/construction party to plan for my favorite soon-to-be two year old! 

Idaho Power Centennial Exhibit & Grandmasita Visits

Happy Tuesday! The last two days have felt exceptionally long with a little one who has struggled to nap from a cold and coming off a weekend not only with our favorite guy but with a surprise guest as well! My mom (grandmasita) came to visit for a work trip on Friday and ended up being able to stay with us for the rest of the weekend! Friday evening was her work event so we got to tag along and experience it with her. The company she works for (Idaho Power), is celebrating their 100 year anniversary and has had a traveling historical exhibit set up in different locations throughout Idaho this year. Our town happened to be one of them and they opened it up to the public at the Idaho Museum of Natural History on the ISU campus. I was not only impressed by the amount of work that went in to this exhibit but also how "kid friendly" it was! Liam had a blast exploring it! We're proud of you Grandmasita!

This exhibit had buttons AND lit up so of course it was a favorite!

There are times when Nic takes my breath away when I least expect it and this was one of those moments, doing what he does best and playing with our son ...

I know this next photo is super grainy because there was very little light but I love that excited expression on his face and clapping! After checking out the exhibit, the museum had a discovery room for kids with these fun magnatiles Liam was loving! 

"Mr. Rhino, do you have a heartbeat?!" ;)

After Liam ate about 15 crackers and had all of this pent up energy, we took him out on the campus to run and play. I'll give you one guess what he ran for first ...

A giant STICK! ;)

"Peek-a-boo! I see you!"

On Saturday we all got some exercise at the Wellness Complex in the morning and then my mom and I got to have some girl time while Liam napped! We went shopping and found fun fall decor. When Liam woke up we all met up with Nic's mom at a new Japanese restaurant in our town called Fuji. We had a hibachi style dinner where they cook your food in front of you. Let me tell you, the entertainment was just as good as their food and we will definitely be going back! Liam loved watching the flames rise higher and higher and he blinked every single time our chef banged his utensils on the skillet in a pattern. haha It was the best! After dinner we went for a walk and ended up at the playground. 

While Liam went down the slide a few times we all tried not to gag on this horrible dead fish smell that was radiating throughout our neighborhood! Bleh! We think that the farm fields next to us had been fertilized with some type of fish product earlier in the day. Thankfully the smell is gone now!! After we put Liam to bed we watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and all loved it. In my opinion, it was just as hilarious and fabulous as the first one! 

Sunday we had to say goodbye to Sita but hope, despite the fish smell, she will come back and visit us soon. :) Hope you all had a great weekend!!!

summerfall

If you were to ask me, "What is your favorite season?",  I'd find myself saying summerfall as if they were one because both summer and fall equally have my heart. We just so happen to be in this sweet spot where the mornings are crisper and the leaves are beginning to change but by the afternoon the sun unveils itself again and sandals don't have to be put away juuuuust yet. That bittersweet phase where summer is becoming fall. 

F I V E   T H I N G S   I ' L L   M I S S   A B O U T   S U M M E R

1 | Sunlight. Both the mornings and evenings are already growing darker with each passing day and it is becoming harder to crawl out of my cozy warm bed in the mornings to workout when the sun isn't even up yet. haha

2 | Outside. In the summer, we spend almost all of our time outside but as the weather grows colder, we don't last as long out there. Why is it that day after day outside never gets boring but day after day inside I find myself running out of ideas quickly to keep Liam entertained and the technology turned off?! We'll just have to do our fair share of bundling up!

3 | Walks. Almost every evening this summer our routine has been to go for a walk around the Wellness Complex together. I cherish that time outside, getting a chance to talk to Nic about his day and the added exercise bonus after eating dinner. It was so incredibly windy up there the last couple of nights that we had to cut it shorter than usual. 

4 | Tan Lines. Because there is nothing cuter than sandal strap tan lines on toddler feet! :) It also means days filled with swimming, sidewalk chalk, and sandbox time under the sun.

5 | BBQ's. I love the smell that drifts through our neighborhood every evening with families bbqing all summer long. I also love a great shrimp, chicken, and peppers shishkabob. mmm! AND watermelon. It's not something you bbq but it is definitely a food I adore during the summer time.

F I V E   T H I N G S   I   L O V E   A B O U T   F A L L

1 | Clothing. Cardigans, boots, jeans, wellies, all my favorite things to wear in one season!

2 | Holidays. Liam's birthday (planning kid parties is SO much fun), Halloween, and Thanksgiving!!! So much to look forward to between time off from work for Nic and enjoying spending time with family and friends. I love decorating for the holidays and experiencing family traditions year after year! I also appreciate the reminder this season brings to reflect on all of the things I am thankful for in my life because there is so so much.

3 | Pumpkin Everything. Chocolate chip pumpkin cookies (my favorite cookie in the world!), pumpkin spice candles burning, pumpkins covering my front porch, pumpkin patches! I could go on and on. 

4 | Leaves Changing. It is incredibly beautiful to be surrounded by bright red, orange, and yellow leaves everywhere you look. To walk through them on the sidewalk and have them cascade down around you. 

5 | Soup. It is often too hot in the summer time to be making soup over a stove but there is nothing better than a warm bowl of soup or chili after a cold day in the fall. Some of my favorites that I can't wait to make again are seafood chowder and tortellini soup! 

I will miss you summer, even more so on January 1st when I am no longer wanting to see snow outside my window after the holidays are over. ;) But I am sure looking forward to everything that fall brings. For now, I'll be soaking up every second I can of summerfall! XO