Imaginative Play with Osmo.

Monday, November 27, 2017

Disclaimer: this post was sponsored by Osmo but all opinions are 100% my own.


** SPECIAL PROMO - starting today, #NationalPizzaDay, February 9, 2018 until February 24, 2018, Osmo is offering a 30% off discount on the Pizza Co. Game on their website! Learn more about the game below (or on their site), and then... what are you waiting for? Come be a "pizza" the fun! Get your Osmo Pizza Co. Game here!

While I am about to review Osmo's Pizza Co. game for you today, I have been singing Osmo's praises LONG before we were ever given this game to review. Mason was gifted Osmo's Genius Kit for his birthday by Seth's mom and has been obsessed ever since. The Genius Kit comes with the iPad base, the Tangram game, the Numbers game, and the Words game. If I had to put them in order of like for Mason, I'd say Tangrams is his favorite followed by Numbers and then Words, but he really does play them almost equally. I won't go in to too much detail about these games today, but I will say, CHECK THEM OUT. While you do need the iPad to play these games, I feel good about his iPad time as I know he is learning when he's playing them.

(Sorry about some of the dark photos. Mason insisted on playing it the night we got it and I wanted to try to snap some photos on "Day 1" and the light was not the best....)




 The Pizza Co. game is new to us as we've only had it for about a week, but I kid you not when I say that Mason asks to play it EVERYday. Yesterday morning I woke up with him at my bedside, asking me to take the cover off the iPad so he could play. He loves it!

The Pizza Co. game starts on Day 1 with you opening your own pizza shop. We've been playing for a few days now, so I can't remember exactly how it starts out, if you have some money already or not, but every day you get a delivery of toppings for you to be able to make the pizzas for your customers. There are different levels and we're currently on the easiest (the age range is 5-12 for this game and since Mason is 5, I started us on the easiest level), but the gist of the game is that your shop opens in the morning, you get walk in customers who ask for specific types of pizza, they eat, they pay, and they leave... hopefully happy. I say hopefully because obviously that would be the goal, but Mason is a little slow sometimes, so we have a range of happy, neutral, and sad customers. We even have some that leave angry because he takes so long, but hey, I guess that's real life, right?

To walk you through a day... First, you get a delivery of toppings and then your store can open. The door bell rings and your customer enters. A little screen pops up telling you what kind of pizza they want. It can range from:
- a picture of a bell pepper, a fish, and a pineapple (gross but true)
- a picture of a happy face by an olive and a sad face by a fish (means he likes olives, but dislikes fish)
- a picture of a design (an olive in the middle with pineapples all around to make a "sunflower" or a happy face with pepperoni eyes, an olive nose, and a pineapple smile)
- a picture saying they want 1/2 of their pizza with mushrooms, the other 1/2 cheese
- a picture saying 'I want tons of toppings'
- etc.


At the top of the screen where it tells you what the customer wants, there is a little timer that counts down. It wants you to make the pizza quickly, before the timer runs out, and push it in to the oven. While Mason is still learning, the timer runs out often, which I think is why most of his customers leave unhappy or neutral (unless Seth or I help and speed it up). As time goes on and he gets to understanding what needs to happen better, I'm sure most of his customers will leave happy again.

You, as the pizza owner, see what they want and make their pizza with the toppings that you have. Here is where we had a small problem gauging how many toppings to put on the pizza since the characters don't speak English, but instead say things like "magoo". I have no clue what that means, so we kind of gauged how many they want based on previous situations and by reading their facial expressions.





After you make their pizza, you push it in the oven to bake, it pops out, they eat, and then they want to pay. You flip the pizza over to the other side and you are able to help them pay. The customer basically tells you how much they owe. Sometimes they pay in exact change and sometimes you need to give them change. Say they owe $6, but they give you a $10. It will show that they owe $6, and then it will show the $10 they placed on the counter. At the bottom of the screen, it shows 10 "bars" with 6 filled in and 4 empty. If you can count them, you know they need $4 back. If you take too long to start giving back change, a box pops up saying $10-$6 and you can calculate $4. If you still don't start giving back the change, then it shows the answer of $4 and shows two $2 bills that you need to give back. I love this because it really caters to all levels of math skills of the kids. This is where Mason has more of a problem because while he does know some addition, he's not so quick with the subtraction. Seth and I help him a lot here.






At the end of the day, after you're done helping all your customers, your store closes and you find out how much money you made. It breaks it down to show you how much income you made - how much you paid for ingredients - the ingredient delivery fee + your tips = your profit for that day. I love that it does that because it really shows you that if you owned your own shop, you would make money, but you'd also have to spend money.


It also lets you know how happy or sad your customers were.



They also break it down in to goals. Your goals after just a few days of being open are very different than after you've been open for a week or so. In the beginning, your goal could be to save $100 in the bank and serve 10 happy customers. Then as time goes on and you achieve those goals, your new goals could be things like use 100 ingredients or buy a new oven for the shop, etc. I love that it not only break down how much you earned and spent, but also gives you goals as a business owner as well.

Want to learn more? Check out this short little YouTube video that gives you a little more information about the Pizza Co. game.


While I do think that this game is age appropriate for a 5 year old, it was a little hard for Mason to do on his own. I'm not sure if it's because he has autism and is a little slow to catch on sometimes or if we just haven't played long enough, but we had the level on the easiest which means there are only walk-in customers, no phone calls, and we had it set to a "calm" day versus a busy day. We also had it set to dollar bills change only instead of coin change, but I found that the subtraction was a little hard for him, so Seth or I had to tell him how much change to give and what denominations to give (for example, the change is $3 and we'd have to tell him to hand back a $1 and a $2).

Overall, I would highly recommend this game and any other Osmo game for kids ages 5-12. I know my niece, who is seven, has it and loves it as well. While the Pizza Co. game is definitely not one, for us, that Mason could play alone at this time, the Tangrams game definitely is and he loves that game just as much. Over the holiday season, I'd definitely check Osmo's website to see if they have any deals going on, or if not, I'd totally recommend these games at full price. They would make the perfect gift!

Loving Lately [Alternately Titled Favorite Food Finds].

Monday, November 20, 2017

I was going to include these in my Friday Favorites post from a few weeks ago, but then I decided to break it up it to it's own "themed" post. So, without further ado, a few of the food finds that I've been loving lately!

ONE.
Brownies with peppermint essential oil.



I saw someone comment on one of the essential oil Instagram accounts that I follow about adding one drop of peppermint to regular brownies and I tried it a couple weeks ago and OH MY GOODNESS. Make this. MAKE IT. It is SO GOOD and so, SO easy. All you do is prepare the brownies like normal and then add one drop of peppermint, bake, and then ENJOY. Seriously amazing and would be perfect if you need a dessert to bring to Christmas dinner!


TWO.
Trader Joe's pasta and sauce.



If you haven't tried either of these items at Trader Joe's, you need to. These butternut squash raviolis are my absolute favorite pasta and this sauce is amazing. Neither are healthy, but they taste amazing together. You can always throw some broccoli in there if you want a little health benefit 😉


THREE.
New Disney mug and Thrify's ice cream.



On our last trip to Disneyland, I saw that Starbucks had a new 'You are Here' collection Disneyland mug so of course... I needed it, right? I actually quite like the different look and the purple on this mug.

The ice cream is because we recently found this new-to-us ice cream shop. There is this flavor called "pecan praline" that is TO DIE FOR. One night when we were there, they were restocking some of the flavors and we noticed that the carton said "Thrifty" on it. The horror thinking that this shop was just using Thrifty ice cream and passing it off as their own, buuuuuuuut then I got thinking. If this amazing pecan praline is just Thrifty, why not buy a carton AT Thrifty? So, Seth bought this one day. I thought for sure it'd be identical and I'd be in love, but sadly it's not the same. Maybe they just use Thrifty vanilla or something because the ice cream shop's ice cream is SO MUCH better.


FOUR.
Rose finds.



I mean... how do you say no to a wine that has so many good things to say about you? Right?

In all seriousness, I've been on a total rose kick lately and have been wanting to try a bunch. My very favorite comes from Trader Joe's but I was recently gifted some Total Wine and More gift cards for my birthday so I figured I'd check out their selection. I picked up these three kinds and while I liked them all, the Sunday Funday was definitely my favorite of the three.



FIVE.
Kind people and Starbucks cards.



Not to end this on a Debbie Downer note, but I feel like there is so much sadness and negativity in the world these days that when I was at work one day and opened an envelope to find this inside, I was beyond surprised. It's a reminder that there are still good people out there.

A new vendor sent this Starbucks card to me and included a little note. A portion of the note said "Your customer service skills are off the charts. From your first greeting, you have displayed a warm and welcoming disposition. You have continued to assist us in a professional, yet down to earth way. You are very knowledgeable and never seem too busy to assist us (yet we know you must have many other things to do). We are grateful for you!"

I was blown away. I don't even have words. To me, I'm just doing my job. I treat everyone with respect and help to the best of my ability. I don't think I'm doing anything special, but they wanted to let me know they appreciated it. And I appreciate that. Thank you notes are such a lost art. I almost feel like politeness is a lost art these days. I went out of my way that day to say "thank you" and "have a good day" to everyone I spoke to. We need to love more. We need to say thank you more. We should hold the door for people. We should tell people when we appreciate them. We should just smile and say hi. It takes just as much energy to be nice as it does to be mean. Let's choose to be nicer. Be more kind. Help each other. Come together to support each other.

Any food finds that you've been loving lately that I need to try?
Any good recipes recommendations you want to share?

[Thoughts on Thursday] Confessions

Thursday, November 16, 2017


I must confess...

... that I was listening to the radio the other day and people were sharing happy news and a kid called in and said he had lost a tooth and the tooth fairy had left him $10 under his pillow. TEN DOLLARS!!!!! Since when does the tooth fairy leave TEN DOLLARS?! When I was a kid, I think I got a quarter. Mayyyyybe ONE dollar? But ten?! Holy cow. If this is the going rate now, I'm going to have to start a gofundme account to be able to pay for Mason's teeth when he starts losing them. Whoa.

... that I almost burned the house down the other day. Yep. Oops. In my defense, Seth had started the pasta water boiling and I was going to finish that and put the broccoli and cauliflower in the oven. I got the tray out and the parchment paper out and was about to get the vegetables when I somehow (by some miracle) turned around and THE PARCHMENT PAPER WAS ON FIRE. Holy *beep*. What do I do? What do I do? So I grabbed it and blew it out. Probably not the best move but when you think you are going to set your house on fire, you don't think straight. Appppppparently the parchment paper was a liiiiiiiiittle too close to the open flame of the boiling water. Who knew. And THIS, my friends, is why I don't cook. I think I'll stick to doing laundry and vacuuming.

... that I'm pretty sure I've seen better sunsets here in California than I did when I was in Hawaii. Yep, I said it. I was expecting EPIC sunsets in Hawaii, especially since we were renting a house on the beach, but sadly, I was disappointed. California has been more than making it up though lately!

... that some people have such PRETTY Instagram stories. How does one have enough time to put all that work in to a story before posting? I can barely get a quick (terrible) video and post it let alone have time to make it all pretty. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm swooning over these people's stories (that will be deleted in 24 hours), but man. I try to make my story look good...ish, but I definitely spend more time posting things that will stay forever on my feed than on my story.

... that I went over my data limit on my cell phone plan last month not once, not twice, but three times. Yikes. Thankfully it's only $10 per GB vs the $0.50 per minute we've been going over. Seems like I need to look into moving to a new plan soon...

... that I might be skipping Thanksgiving decorations this year and going straight to Christmas. I know, I know, respect the turkey. And I tried. I really did. But I wasn't loving it, so I moved right on to Christmas. For some reason, the bright reds, silvers, and greens are a lot more appealing to me than the oranges, yellows, and browns.

... that I HAAAAAAATE paying for shipping, especially on things that I am not 100% sure that I will keep or that will fit. I had some stuff in my cart the other day that was on a SUPER good sale and I had an extra 15% off coupon, but when I saw that shipping was $8.95... I just couldn't pull the trigger.


Can you relate to any of my confessions?

Try Stitch Fix Risk Free with a Waived Styling Fee!

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

For real? Yes! For real. Now that I have your attention, let me tell you some VERY exciting news!

This post contains affiliate links but, as always, all opinions are my own. If you use my affiliate link, I may receive a small commission.

For the month of November, if you sign up for Stitch Fix and schedule your very first fix, you can get your styling fee waved. That's right. No $20 styling fee and worrying if you don't like anything then your $20 will be lost. So, if you've been wanting to try Stitch Fix (or been wanting to sign your husband up - that's right, there is Stitch Fix Men!) but you've been on the fence about it, try it, risk free! Click here to get your styling fee waved and schedule your fix!

Try your first fix risk free!If you don't know what Stitch Fix is, let me tell you a little about it. Stitch Fix is basically a personal shopping service. First you fill out your online profile by answering some questions about likes/dislikes, style, sizing, price range, etc. Then you can write a note about what you're interested in as well as link a Pinterest style board to help your stylist know what you're looking for and what your style is. Your personal stylist will then gather some items that she thinks you'd like and sends them to you. You try them on in the comfort of your own home and decide what you do and don't want to keep and then you have three days to send back whatever you don't want. Easy peasy! The styling fee is normally $20 per fix, but is being waved for November if you are a new client. Normally if you send back all the items, you lose the $20. If you keep one (or more) items, they deduct the $20 styling fee from your total and you pay the difference. If you keep all five items, they deduct the $20 from the total and you get a 25% discount on all the items. Pretty great! If you're a new customer and you're interested in signing up, if you want to use my referral code then I'll get small credit to my account and will be forever grateful. As for future fixes, you can schedule them for as often or not as you want. You can auto schedule one to come once a month or you can do like I do and just schedule one when you want one. I usually get between 8-10 per year.


Unfortunately I don't have a new fix to show you today (but I do have one scheduled for later this month!), so I thought I'd show you some of my very favorite items that I've received in my fixes over the months.

Kut from Kloth | Corynne Distressed Boyfriend Short





What I had to say about them: 
Shorts. Yes, shorts. In this fix I had asked for more warmer weather clothes. At the point that I got the fix, the weather was crazy hot (think 80's in February) and I figured summer was on the horizon in California. I normally don't wear shorts, even in the summer, EVER but sometimes it is just THAT hot that you need shorts. Plus, now that I have work events outside, when it is 100+ degrees in the summer, I just can't stand to wear jeans and no matter how white my legs are, I will wear shorts. I saw some 'Dear John' shorts on Pinterest and pinned a bunch for my stylist to see, but she said they didn't have any in stock. I was a little bummed until I tried these Kut from Kloth shorts on...

I LOVED THESE SHORTS. LOVED. And I've never said that about any shorts EVER before. (Can you tell that I kept the shorts???) When I put them on, I immediately loved the material. Now while they are denim material, they are a softer denim. I don't quite know how to explain it, but they were so comfortable. I loved the length, I loved the material, and I loved the slight distressing. I felt that they were so flattering, especially on my (ahem) butt and legs. I don't even know what else to say, but these shorts were perfection.


Kut from the Kloth | Dayna Skinny Jean



What I had to say about them: 
Kut from the Kloth has been my favorite jeans brand ever since I got my most favorite jean shorts EVER back in my 5th fix back in April 2016. In fact, I loved them so much that I went online to try to find them so I could have another pair (Nordstrom (on sale!) for the win!).

The lighting in these pictures is TERRIBLE so it's probably hard to see how amazing these jeans are, but trust me. AMAZING. (See them better here // here). The thing that is so great about Kut from the Kloth is that they have a slight stretch to them, but not enough that they get stretched out over the course of wearing the jeans during the day (or week straight - no judging!) that you wear them. They are skinny and form fitting and FLATTERING and perfect in every way. I don't know where KFTK has been all my life, but I want all the jeans from them. Sadly, I didn't have any luck finding these online to order another one, so Raquel... if you find any, please send them my way!



Kut from the Kloth | Kate Distressed Boyfriend Jeans



What I had to say about them: 
THESE JEANS. They aren't quite my beloved Kut from the Kloth skinny jeans, but they are pretty amazing! I had been asking for some distressed jeans for forever and I was super excited to see that these were in my fix. Not only are they KFTK but they have slight distressing. I don't really know how much is too much, but I don't want a huge hole in my pants, so this seemed like a good amount of distressing to me. Of course these jeans fit perfectly as all other KFTK jeans do. I was a little apprehensive at first because I've been wearing and loving skinny jeans so much lately, but after some texting with Desiree, she convinced me that these would be super versatile and so I just knew I had to keep them. I've already worn them three times this week... and it's only Wednesday. So, needless to say, I love them!

Kut from the Kloth | Benter Mixed Material Top




What I had to say about it: 
My first thoughts on this was HECK NO. I thought the floral was ugly and that I hated it. Even when I pulled it out of the box, I thought I hated it. And then I tried it on and... it grew on me. I've been trying to get away from all my solids and stripes (I am SO not adventurous) and I think this might be a winner. I thought it was flattering and cute on and the floral was a nice touch.



Gilli | Tom Maxi Dress



What I had to say about them: 
I knew I loved this dress from the second that I saw it. How does that song go? "I knew I loved you before I met you..." (yes, I am a child of the 90's - boy bands all the way! lol). It was really love at first sight. I had been pinning this type of dress like a mad woman on my Pinterest board so I was SO excited to see that my stylist had found me one. I immediately loved the black top portion and the pattern on the bottom portion. And an added bonus? The gorgeous back detailing - a little sexy without being too sexy.

In fact, I love this dress so much that I've already worn it a bunch since I got it - once to the Elevate blog conference and once to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner for the wedding I was in last weekend. And those were just the photographed times I've worn it. Really this dress is perfection. It is so comfortable and flattering and I know it will be staple in my wardrobe for the summer (and even in to the Fall - it looks great with a jean jacket!).




Market & Spruce | Corinna Striped Dolman Top 


[Stitch Fix] Market and Spruce Corinna Striped Dolman Top - Blue
[Stitch Fix] Market and Spruce Corinna Striped Dolman Top - Blue

What I had to say about it: 
When I saw this in the box, I was excited and a little worried. I usually shy away from stripes, but when I tried this shirt on, I LOVED it. It is the dolman style that I love and had been wanting to try and it is a really pretty blue color with black stripes. I found it to be very flattering and hit in all the right areas. The sleeves were a little bit tight at the bottom, but I don't mind enough it enough to make me dislike the shirt. I especially loved the shirt with the jeans which is why I kept them too. The style of this shirt is totally my style. And the color is on point. While I don't want a whole closet of dolman shirts, I'd definitely be interested in getting another shirt like this in the future.


Look by M | Cliff Checkered Woven Infinity Scarf



What I had to say about it: 
I'm not even sure that I put in my style profile that I love scarves, but my stylist, Amy, hit the nail on the head with this one! I LOVE this scarf! While I do have one with similar colors already, the one I have is floral, and this one most definitely is not. This scarf is also a lot "cozier" than any scarves I have in the sense that it hugs around my neck more than the others I have. Most of the scarves that I have hang down, so I liked the style of this one too. It's also super, super soft! I actually wore this scarf the other night for the first time when I went to dinner and the movies with my brother in law, sister in law, and Seth. We sat outside to eat and the scarf helped keep me warm. Definite winner!

***

As you can tell, clearly I like the brand "Kut from the Kloth". Actually like is an under statement. I LOVE them. I literally ask for any and all jeans or shorts that my stylist has in stock every time I get a fix. No joke. And these are just a few of my favorite things. If you want to see all of the items that I've gotten in my fixes, click here.

Interested?! Schedule your first fix for FREE. Your styling fee of $20 will be waved if you sign up for your first fix by November 30th (new customers only). But hurry! The offer ends at the end of the month. Click here to schedule your first fix with no styling fee!

Currently Confessing.

Thursday, November 9, 2017

As I sat there scrolling bloglovin and Instagram the other morning, I couldn't help but feel a few feelings. For some reason, all these ideas and feelings started swirling around in my head and I figured... why not share a little brain dump confessional.



I don't have baby fever, but I'm super jealous of all the people having more babies.
I don't know what it is about this. Maybe all my friends just have insanely cute babies which makes me want a smiley little one of my own? Or maybe it's all the amazing baby products that they have now? Or maybe the idea of being on maternity leave, taking early morning walks with a baby, and then enjoying the afternoon until we would have to get Mason is creeping into my brain? Or maybe it's just Instagram brainwashing me?? LOL. I don't know. I'm sure things would not be nearly as perfect as I imagine, but man social media makes it look pretty perfect. Don't get the wrong idea, there won't be any baby announcements over here any time soon (or likely at all), but it doesn't mean I can't swoon over all these cute, squishy baby photos I'm seeing.

My want for a house, a REAL HOUSE, is getting stronger by the day.
The more I see people sharing photos and as Christmas starts to roll around and people are decorating their mantels, I start to get jealous. Well, I guess continue to be jealous since I've been swooning over people's kids being able to ride their bikes around their cul-de-sacs and play in their giant backyards all summer. To be honest, I don't even know what I'd do with all that space, but to just not need to tell Mason to use quiet feet and watch the volume of his voice as well as just being so paranoid about being those "rude neighbors" (kind of like my current neighbors), would be worth it.

My love for living where I do is strong, but the fact that it is SO expensive is really putting a damper on things.
I really do love living here in Southern California. Between the weather, having family so close, having so much to do, having good jobs, a roof over our heads, etc, it is pretty great. However, the cost of living is insane. I probably pay more for our two bedroom apartment than half my friends do for their giant houses. It's a bit depressing to think about. And a bit depressing to look at what it costs to buy even a 1,000 square foot condo. But, I guess there are pros and cons to everything.

I can't believe I am admitting this on the internet, but I'm not overly happy with my weight.
Seth and I did a Whole30 in January 2015 and I felt like I was at my best weight and felt the best right after it. Things were going well in the months following and then... we took a cruise in October 2015 and it was downhill from there. The holidays hit, then 2016, then 2017 and it's been downhill ever since. Don't get me wrong, I didn't fall off the wagon and gain 100 lbs, but I just don't feel like me if that makes sense. I kind of want to do another Whole30 or something similar but I just keep coming up with excuse after excuse and then I buy a bag of dark chocolate peppermint at Target and I'm just not helping myself.

I'm jealous of some people's giant groups of girlfriends. Girlfriends that get together for book clubs or supper clubs. Girlfriends that have scarf exchanges and earring exchanges. Girlfriends that have a 'moms night out' once a month.
I have some great friends, but not a core group of girlfriends. And truth be told, we all have such opposite schedules that we're lucky to see each other once every other month, if that. I'd love to have a group of mom friends or neighbors or something that I can get together with and do stuff like that.

I'm jealous of the carefree moms who drop their kids off at school and can do whatever they want for the rest of the day until they have to pick the kids up from school.
Maybe carefree is not the right word, but I feel like I see so many moms that drop their kids off at school and then have all this free time to go to the coffee shop or go shopping or go work out or blog or do whatever. I'm sure social media not painting an accurate portrayal of what is really going on, but man, it sure looks perfect and relaxing.

Which brings me to my next point...
I'm baffled by how people have so much time on their hands. 
Am I just a hot mess or what? I swear I am busy ALL DAY. Sure I do waste time on social media during the course of the day or do some online browsing/shopping, but overall, I don't have tons of time. I'd love to blog more. I'd love to read blogs more. Heck, I'd love to read a book. I have tons on my wish list to do list that never gets done. I really want to look more in to essential oils and diffuser and roller bottle recipes. The list goes on and ON. And then I come across someone's Instagram post promoting their coaching business and they say "you have no excuses not to work out!" Umm. What? When do I have time for this? I already wake up at 5:30am to get ready for the day, then am at work the whole morning and majority of the afternoon, and then most of the time I'm taking Mason to swim lessons/doctor's appointments/ABA therapy, etc. Then it's dinner, bath time, bed time, and then I AM POOPED. I guess it all stems back to me working outside the home all day, if I worked at home or was a stay at home mom, I'd probably have a lot more time to do stuff (especially while Mason was at school), but that's just not our reality. Unfortunately I have just as many hours in the day as everyone else and most of those are booked for me.

My apartment looks like a paper bomb went off. I would try to fix it but I have no clue where to put it all.
Doctor's appointment papers. Mail. Papers sent home from school. Papers that need to be filled out and sent back to school. And the list goes on. WHERE DO I PUT THEM ALL? I know I need to go through the papers, but some need my attention and some I need to remember to bring to XYZ appointment and I just don't know where to put them all. Maybe one day I'll have a desk to keep me more organized... or a desk to pile the papers on so my kitchen counter doesn't look so cluttered.

And lastly...
I really want to decorate for Christmas now.
I blame this one mainly on Target because HOLY CUTE. I wasn't overly impressed with the Hearth and Hand collection, but Target's Christmas stuff is ON POINT. I may have had to refrain from putting half the Christmas section in my cart the other day. I did hold back, but I also did buy a decent amount of stuff. I feel bad skipping Thanksgiving, but can I just use the excuse that 'I don't know where to store the stuff, so I should just put it up' as my reason for decorating early? If I'm being totally honest, I already took our mini Christmas tree out of storage and let Mason put it in his room. I mean, he practically begged me after we were at Target the other day. I was just being a good mom. 😉

Can you relate to any of my confessions?

[Mailman Mason Monday] #postofficeadventuresofmasonb #part15

Monday, November 6, 2017

When I last left you, we had gotten through August 11, 2017. We had an event for work on August 13th and again on October 15th, so today I wanted to share all of our post office adventures between the two events.

So, without further ado, here are the pictures that I've shared on Instagram as well as the captions (+ the emojis!) that I've shared from August 28, 2017 to September 29, 2017. Spoiler alert: kindergarten is majorly cramping my style on having a little side kick with me at the post office.

08.28.17 // This whole kindergarten starting at 8am thing is kind of cramping my post office style. So until I start having mailings that I can take Mason to in the afternoon, we're going to have to improvise. 😉 Though I'm not sure how long this improvising is going to last since he tried to stick half my mail back in the "outgoing mail" slot as I screamed "NO! NO! NO!!!!!!" 😂🙄✉️📮📬

09.13.17 // Not gonna lie... this whole kindergarten thing is kind of putting a damper on my post office runs. I mean, I have to do my own work now! 😂 Luckily for me, I had something to mail the other afternoon and my little assistant came with me. I actually recently decided to clean out my closet from stuff I haven't worn in forever or stuff that doesn't fit anymore and started selling it on Poshmark! @bybmg and @stephaniecox11 told me about how great it is (and how easy!) and I've already made a couple sales (hence the PO run the other afternoon). 🎉 The more I sell, the more new stuff I can buy, right? 😜✉️📮📬

09.23.17 // When soccer pictures are at the park across the street from the post office and mama has something to mail... ⚽️✉️📮📬




09.29.17 // Yesterday Mason had a follow up appointment with the doctor to see if his ruptured ear drum had healed (spoiler alert: it did! he got cleared to swim again! 🙌🏻). The doctor's office happens to be down the street from the post office, so you better believe I saved my daily mail drop for when I was with him. I miss my little helper now that he's in school! ✉️📮📬

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A little back story... When we stopped doing the Picture Perfect Project last year, I stopped sharing Mason's post office pictures on the blog. I had deemed it my "photo project of the year" through the PPP and when it ended, I didn't stop taking pictures of him at the post office, but I forgot to share them here too. I was thinking about it the other day and I want to continue to share them here even though I don't technically "have a reason" to each month. So instead of sharing per month, I'm going to share per event cycle (for my work - essentially why we go to the post office so often). We have seven events per year and as the events approach, we go to the post office more often and as they pass, we go less often.

You can find more of our post office adventures on Instagram here.



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