Anyone else love a good pair of flip flops?

I know I do.

Can’t have enough of ‘em!

For our last MOM meeting at our church, we thought we’d splurge and get each precious mommy in attendance a pair of Old Navy flip flops to help them get ready for the summer season.

I was able to get the Old Navy flip flops for $2.50 each – a total steal.

Their flip flops are really great quality – amen???

With the addition of a cute tag – we thought they turned out super fun.

These would make excellent and inexpensive gifts for your child’s teacher, your mommy friends, your daughter’s girlfriends, the gal who drives the bus, your pastor’s wife…  Anyone!

You could even add a gift card for a pedicure if you want to glam it up a notch.

Click HERE for your FREE Printable Flip Flop Tags

Happy End of the Year Gift-ing!

*Check out THIS GREAT POST featuring fun Flip Flop Crafts and Snacks for Summer!*

How can it be?!

I think we need to do a little celebrating…

Here are some fun tradition ideas to make the last day of school A-W-E-S-O-M-E.

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Remember those adorable FREE Printable First Day of School signs I posted about at the beginning of the year?

Chickabug created a set for the Last Day too!

Snap a shot of your Happy Buddy holding the sign in the same position as the photo you took back in September.  How fun to watch them grow!

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Crayon Wishes and Popsicle Dreams created this Hello Whatever Grade Your Happy Buddy Is Going Into FREE Printable to stick in a fun after school snack.

What’s even more fun is that she also created a set to stick in your Happy Buddy’s breakfast treat that say ‘Goodbye Preschool’ or whatever grade was just completed.

Say Goodbye at breakfast and Hello after school!

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I am LOVING this surprise Summer Garage Banner created by The Frakers’ Acres.

You can find more Welcome to Summer Banner inspirations HERE and HERE.

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I also thought this Last Day of School Welcome Home Decoration from Kat’s Credence was incredibly do-able!

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How great is this Last Day Candy Gram from Madsen’s Memories?

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Do you have girls?  They will love this cute End of School Year Glitter Toes Tradition from Tatertots and Jello.

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Yup.  This is happening this year.

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Make one of these super simple Autograph T-Shirt Pillows from Family Fun for your Happy Buddies to get all of their classmates to sign.

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I also liked this Have Everyone Sign a Beach Ball on the Last Day idea from Adventures of Room 129.

The ball reads, “We had a BALL in 2nd grade!”

Grab a plain T-Shirt and some puffy paint to create Last Day of School Shirts for your Happy Buddies to sport all day long.

Send him/her with a bunch of Sharpies and get his classmates to autograph his tee!

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Every year My Crazy Little Projects puts together a Summer Fun Kit filled with all the summer essentials (like new flipflops, sunglasses, bubbles, etc.) for her Happy Buddies to receive upon returning home from the last day of school.

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What a FABULOUS idea from Crafty Mischief!

Line up a few brand new hula hoops with this cute sign and everyone’s sure to be smilin’.

I think this idea would also be fun to do as a family for someone else.  Sneak by another Happy Home’s garage and drop off this happy surprise for them to find when they get home from school!

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Rock the car pick-up line with this Decorated Last Day of School Party Vehicle.

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This is the simplest way to bring a little magic to your Happy Buddy’s last day – a Last Day of School Lunch Bag.

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Bake a batch of happy-looking cupcakes like Pink Lemonade Boutique and write each student’s name on one!

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And, finally, your Happy Buddies will NEVER FORGET it if you let them have a Last Day of School Shaving Cream Fight like Miss Zippy.

Or why not greet them at the bus stop with a bunch of water guns or water balloons?  Take no prisoners!

Your Happy Buddies deserve it after all their hard work.

Happy Last Day of School-ing!

*Please enjoy the random (but adorable) photos of my Happy Buddies that have nothing to do with the content of this post.  I didn’t have any photos of them in a storm, so these will have to do.*

On Saturday afternoon the Happy Baby woke up from his nap crying hysterically.

I raced to his room.

I gathered my bawling baby out of the crib only to be covered in lots and lots of throw-up a moment later.

My thoughts immediately started going wild.

Like rodeo buffalo wild.

He had been crawling around earlier that day on a dirty floor and I had forgotten to wash his hands…  What if he had contracted something serious?  What if he was going to keep throwing up and would get dehydrated and we’d spend Mother’s Day Eve in the hospital with an IV?  What if he was so sick we’d have to move back to the hospital for another 3 months?

As I vulnerably type these things, I wince at my lack of faith.

No matter how faithful God has proven Himself to me in the past (especially where the health of the Happy Baby is concerned – um did you see yesterday’s post?!), I still let myself get consumed with fear.

Later that evening, the Happy Baby spiked a fever.

Around 10 pm he still wasn’t settling after many attempts to rock, sing, and snuggle him to sleep.  I finally gave up and wandered with him and my anxious heart out into the living room to watch TV with the Happy Hubby.

A thunderstorm stirred in the distance and I thought rather bitterly, “Fitting.”

It was upon us in a matter of minutes – the thunder cracking so loud the dishes in the cabinet were rattling.

The Happy Buddy roused awake and burst into tears from his bedroom.

He came hurtling out to join us on the couch as another thunderous boom filled the sky.

Both of the boys were crying now.

Then tears welled up in my own eyes.

I was heading down that path of hopelessness and despair.  Do you know the one?  When all of motherhood just seems like this big giant thunderstorm raining sick babies, and no answers, and FEAR, and sleepless nights?

Almost in an instant, the Lord reminded me of the words from that popular song, “I will praise you in this storm…”

And it hit me.  Praise.  Yes.  That’s exactly what we needed to do.

Summoning strength from the Lord Himself (because my flesh wanted to just leave the boys with Daddy and go escape under the covers – or in a pint of ice cream), I reached over to hold the Happy Buddy’s hand.

Remembering something I had heard in a sermon once, I said in a hushed voice, “Whenever we hear a thunder boom, let’s see who can shout GLORY TO GOD the fastest.”

He wiped at his wet cheeks and I saw the faint hint of a smile.

We quietly waited for the thunder.

When it came, we all shouted, “Glory to God!”

And then we all dissolved into giggles.

“Shhhhhh!” the Happy Buddy said, “Here comes another!”

So we waited for the thunder again.

And our voices rang out, “Glory to God!”

Even the Happy Baby forgot his discomfort (which I later sheepishly realized was from teething) and sat there pointing his little finger heavenward.

Suddenly the big, horrible storm didn’t seem quite so bad.

That night when both boys were finally asleep… peacefully, I might add… I felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit.

Motherhood is full of storms.

From big storms like a child’s health, or mommy guilt, or whether or not to hold your child back a grade, or toddler tantrums, or teenager troubles, or even the whole pregnancy itself, to little storms like sibling squabbles or how/what to feed them, or the permanent red marker stains on your beautiful living room rug (when will they make a Magic Eraser for carpets?!?), or LAUNDRY, or that diaper blowout that happened right after you put fresh sheets in the crib…

Storms of motherhood are basically the things that happen that make us feel like we are not in control.

When real storms rage outside, there is nothing we can do.

When our kids get sick, there is not a whole lot we can do.

When our kids draw on the carpet, there is not a whole lot we can do (except Time-Out until he’s 17, maybe?).

If we are not careful, we can let these storms beat us up, knock us down, make us panic, make us weary, make us feel all alone, consume our thoughts and make us forget who loves us so incredibly much.

These storms of motherhood, however, are designed for our good.

Storms make us trust a little more.  Storms teach us Who’s really in charge.

Storms make us better mothers.

Because doesn’t the rain make things grow?

My mother-in-law reminded me when I confessed my fearful heart about the Happy Baby, “Julie, you must be ready for the enemy’s attacks.  Know they are coming so that when they do, you are prepared.”

Mentally prepared, friends.

The enemy can have a field day with our thought life, can’t he?

In a matter of seconds I was 100% sure the Happy Baby had something akin to Ebola and I was practically packing our bags for the hospital again.

But something even smaller like our kid getting in trouble at school, or pitching a fit on aisle 3 can make our thought life take us straight into the path of the storm and before we know it, we are laying down, defeated – convinced we are the worst moms on the planet and we are all alone.

So we must be prepared for the days of in-climate weather.

We must know what to do when they come.

I find it interesting that as our game from the night before progressed, we began to anticipate the thunder.

In fact, we couldn’t wait for it to come so that we could stand firm and shout joy in its face.

And with every shout of praise, we were reminded of our great and awesome Father who is bigger than any ole’ thunderstorm.

So maybe that means the next time the Happy Baby starts to show signs of illness, or the enemy starts whispering lies, or one my kids poops in the tub, or the kitchen looks like someone had a paint gun war in it, or I’ve been up all. night. long., or {insert-something-that-happened-to-you-that-didn’t-go-the-way-you-wanted-it-to-here}, BECAUSE THE STORMS WILL COME, instead of letting my thoughts run wild, or my flesh try to fix and figure out, or despair to creep in…

I will remember the night we shouted praise at the storm.

And maybe, as I learn how to respond to a storm, my Happy Buddies will, too.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:10-11

To Whom It May Concern:

We were told that our son, the Happy Baby, would never lift his head, sit up, crawl, or walk.

At the beginning of this year, several people encouraged us to get connected with your program so that the Happy Baby could receive free therapy services.  It sounded too good to be true!  FREE?!?

Then our wonderful coordinator, Simone, gave us a call to tell us that she had placed the Happy Baby under the care of Miss Stacey.

The first day Miss Stacey arrived at our house (which was another incredible blessing in itself!  After months of driving 40 minutes to the hospital for all of the Happy Baby’s health issues, I could not believe that she was coming to US!), the Happy Baby and I were just beyond thrilled.  Miss Stacey was so warm and encouraging.  She immediately made a connection with the Happy Baby and announced that she was going to do everything she could to see him twice a week instead of the one day we had originally agreed upon.

Most of the Happy Baby’s life we’ve had doctors tell us his limitations.  That first day we met Miss Stacey, she looked me in the eye and said confidently, “This little guy has great potential.”

I have clung to these words ever since!

Our twice-a-week sessions are the highlight of the week!  We can’t wait to see what color scrubs she is wearing that day or what new things she has brought for him to play with.  Most of all, I love how knowledgeable Stacey is about her field.  She will be working with the Happy Baby and she will say, “Julie, he is so close to sitting up. I’ll bet he’ll be sitting on his own by next week.”

Sure enough, her prediction came true – pretty much to the day!  She went on to predict his pulling up on things and even crawling.  She diligently works with the Happy Baby and gives him the tools he needs to be successful.  Her professionalism and expertise have brought great comfort to my soul as I have watched her help our son overcome so many of the things other doctors claimed would be impossible.  And I have learned so many valuable tips and techniques along the way to partner in her work with the Happy Baby on the other 5 days of the week.

Perhaps, though, one of the most amazing things about Stacey is that she is a mom herself.  As a young, hard-working single woman, she felt called to adopt a little girl from Guatemala.  Being married with 2 kids and feeling overwhelmed most of the time, I cannot express enough how much I admire this woman for making such a beautiful, selfless, sacrificial decision to give a precious little girl such a fun, incredible, love-filled life.  I so enjoy hearing stories about her daughter, their love for the beach, and their generosity and service to others.  Stacey’s strength and confidence have helped me to grow in my own strength and confidence as a mom of a child with special needs.

I seriously could not have imagined a more amazing therapist for our son.  Thank you so much for bringing Miss Stacey to our door.

Sincerely,

The Happy Baby’s mom

The Happy Hubby was returning from a trip the other day and I wanted to have a nice meal waiting for him when he got home.

When I found this little ditty over at Nothing But Country, it sounded like just what I needed.

Easy, Mexican-y, and delish.

Badda-bing, badda-boom!

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (you can use frozen chickens!)

16 oz Salsa (I bought a 24 oz jar so that I could use the extra salsa as a topping)

1 package Taco Seasoning

Taco Shells and your favorite taco toppings

Directions:

1.  Place frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot.

2.  Sprinkle taco seasoning on top.

3.  Cover with salsa.  Do not mix.

4.  Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

5.  Shred chicken with 2 forks.

6.  Serve in taco shells with all your favorite taco toppings.

*I didn’t get a photo of this because everyone was hungry from our trip to the airport to pick up Daddy and it disappeared so quickly!*

Everyone will love it!

Happy Crockpot Salsa Chicken-ing!

We were discussing how one day, if it was God’s plan, he would get married.

I began listing for my firstborn son all of the qualities I am praying God provides in his future wife.

“I am praying she will be kind,

and generous,

and pure,

and fun,

and full of joy,

and in love with Jesus…”

But before I could finish my list,

The Happy Buddy interrupted and said, “Oh, you mean Mom-Mom?”

Yup, that sounds about right.

Happy Mother’s Day to someone who exemplifies all the qualities of the perfect woman.

You are amazing.

We love you!

It’s my job every year to put together Mother’s Day favors for the moms that attend our church.

I have a budget of $1 or less per mommy… This is no easy task, people.

I spend A LOT of time scouring the dollar sections of various stores – if you ever see someone’s hiney poking out of a dollar bin, it’s probably mine!  I’ve found the deeper you dig, the more treasure you find.

With that said…

Have you seen the new bright-colored pocket hand sanitizers at Bath and Body Works?!

Just look at this adorable line-up…

You can get 5 for $5, so I knew immediately this was the answer.

Add a cute tag and BOOM.

Super-easy-budget-friendly-make-mom-happy Mother’s Day Gifts.

And they’re inspirational, too!

Proverbs 31:31 went PERFECT with our theme of pampering a mom’s hard-working hands.

If you want to make some of these adorable little favors for the all of the moms in your world, you can click the link below for the FREE Printable tags.

Print on card stock and attach the hand sanitizer with a glue dot.

Click HERE for the FREE Printable Mother’s Day Tag

Happy Mother’s Day Gift-ing!

*Note – If you are a reading this and you are a member of my church, please pretend to be super surprised and delighted by your Mother’s Day prize on Sunday (wink!).*

We tried it out tonight and it worked great!

Help your baby transition from a baby tub to the big tub by putting them in a laundry basket.

This is awesome for so many different reasons.

For starters, it keeps your little tyke from smashing his noggin’ on the side of a hard tub.

It prevents slipping.

The sides of the basket are easier for baby to grip than the sides of a tub.

It keeps your baby in one place.

And, most important, it keeps the toys close at hand!

Once again, Pinterest, you have made me feel better about the 2 hours I spent pinning things the other night in order to find this fabulous idea.

Time well spent, indeed.

P.S.  I may or may not have used a touch-up tool on PicMonkey so that the actual condition of my bathroom grout was not revealed.  Ha!

Happy Laundry Basket in the Tub-ing!

*NOTE – AS ALWAYS, NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER LEAVE YOUR PRECIOUS GIFT FROM GOD UNATTENDED IN THE TUB.  EVER.*

There are mostly boys in the class, so we had to come up with something that would ring true in their little boy hearts.

What better 3-year-old boy theme than trains?

We had so much fun and it turned out so cute I thought I’d share it here in case you want to Pin It for future inspiration.

Are you doing anything for your teachers this week?

Check out all of my Teacher Appreciation Ideas and FREE Printables HERE.

And if you’re looking for more Door Decorating Inspiration, go HERE.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Door Decorate-ing!

Mother’s Day…  It’s one of those days (kind of similar to Valentine’s Day) where we women heap all kinds of expectations of storybook romance on our precious husbands and then when those expectations aren’t met, we fall into a heap of despair.

Some of us have husbands that are great at intuiting our deepest wants and desires.  These special days begin with breakfast in bed, followed by rose petal trails, ending with horse drawn carriage rides and original love poems.

But the reality is that most of us are not married to natural romantics.

The Happy Hubby is amazing.  He is such a wonderful provider, leader, father/husband, etc., etc.  When it comes to these holidays, though, he simply doesn’t know what to do.  And I don’t really help him out – instead I just sort of hope he will figure it out.  I mean, we’ve been married for almost 10 years – doesn’t he know what I would like?

This, sweet friends, usually does not end well for any of us.

My man’s heart is precious – he wants to bless me, but all of my unspoken and unrealistic expectations would make any man freeze under the pressure.

So, this year, let’s give our men the gift of knowledge.

Let’s tell them exactly what we’d like for Mother’s Day.

Good news is I’ve made it REALLY easy for you.

Simply print the FREE Printable letter (download at bottom of post), fill out, and deliver to your man.

The two of you are sure to get a good giggle out of this silly note, but hopefully, come Mother’s Day, it will help you feel appreciated and him feel satisfied that he was able to bless you the way he wanted to but didn’t know how.

Girls, this FREE Printable comes with 1 important disclaimer…

*DISCLAIMER* – EXPECT NOTHING.  Even though (if) you are giving your Happy Hubby this letter, hold it before the Lord with open hands.  Your Happy Hubby may read the letter and have wonderful intentions, but then STILL forget about Mother’s Day or simply not act as you hoped.  I don’t want anyone’s marriages falling apart this Mother’s Day because of unmet ‘checkboxes.’  Got it?!  :-)  Plus, there are always those unexpected moments of motherhood where everyone ends up with the stomach flu on Mother’s Day or something and the whole day is a wash.  This requires faith on our part as daughters of the King.  We must lay our expectations at the foot of Jesus and find our ultimate satisfaction in Him alone.

Just wanted to hang mine in a place I know he wouldn’t miss.  Ha!

OKAY.

Now for your FREE Mother’s Day Printable to help the hubs out.

Click HERE.

If I could, I’d give Tiffany diamonds to each and every one of you.  Y’all are the best Mommies {and readers} EVER.

Happy Mother’s Day FREE Printable-ing!