Life has been very full lately. Between being pregnant, never ending kids getting sick, and just simply having three energetic children has been a lot. We have been keeping up with our seasonal activities and traditions that we all look forward to and love. I just haven't had the time to share. So here is a little glimpse into our late winter activities.
Store bought sugar cookies and frosting kits continue to be an easy holiday treat.
We love these white cafeteria trays for decorating cookies and doing crafts. I also use these divided kids plates from Target to portion out the frosting (because they tend to eat what they don't decorate with!). I also love these small knife spreaders (with no sharp edge) and mini square dishes from Crate and Barrel. We have our sugar cookie decorating routine down and it makes this simple activity so easy and fun.
I keep up with a monthly photo of our kids until age two. I just love this sweet one of our little guy! He is getting so big!
My parents came to visit which meant date night for Brent and I! I am trying to be more intentional about our time together so my parents have been so gracious about letting us get a night away when they visit. We stay somewhere local to simply go out to eat and sleep in!
Some of our flowering plants and bushes have started to grow back. I love bringing a few inside around February to force some early blooms in the house. I also have been on the hunt for some battery powdered automatic candles for our stairway. I found this set with lots of settings and customization and they have been working great!
Documenting the bump every week and trying to use it as an excuse to dress up a little bit! I get lots of compliments on my overalls. I use a ribbon to expand room for my belly!
I always love our heart themed February craft display. Plus some cute Lunar New Year crafts from my kindergartener.
Keeping up with tradition, we always get Olive Garden to go for our Valentine's Day meal. We even did this pre-kids with a romantic at home picnic. Our kids love Olive Garden! I am so glad as it is a favorite of ours. As the kids slurp up their fettuccine alfredo I hear, "mommy! this is soooo goood!!!"
Funny seasonal Amazon package.
In January we took a trip to Arizona for my cousin's wedding. It was the perfect getaway in the midst of our rainy winter. We stayed at an Airbnb with my parents and my brother's family. It was so nice to just hang out, swim in the heated pool, and be with our family at a fun destination.
And we ate a ton of In-n-Out while we had the chance!
We brought so much luggage! Thankfully our big kids were actually somewhat helpful in pushing luggage around the airport!
I got all the boy's clothes from the thrift store and our daughter's dress from Target. I was quite proud of my frugal finds!
And here are all the cousins together. For those who have been around awhile, you might recognize my handsome nephews I used to take care of! They sure have grown up but are just as sweet as they've always been.
Our little guy is quite the toddler these days. I love seeing him be more independent, he loves playing with his toys, and can tag along quite well with his older siblings.
Our Chinese New Year tradition of local take out is also a favorite meal.
Had our 20 week ultrasound and found out we are having a girl! Documenting another pandemic pregnancy for the baby book.
This year's Valentine's themed tile mat included these love inspired conversation hearts.
The kids always love to help me with changing out the tile mat.
In January I like to keep us some of our photo Christmas cards as we add Valentine crafts to the mix. Eventually we run out of room and have to take the photos down but I love the extended time we get to look at our family and friends.
A simple February mantel showcasing a new felt heart garland I got this year (this item comes and goes on Amazon. I had it on my wish list for about a year! But it usually comes back around Valentine's Day).
I also added some candlesticks from Target that I got for our Christmas advent wreath. I love the extra twinkling lights in the winter.
Homemade Valentine's are a forever favorite. We get a kit every few years that lasts us a couple of years. I have this set on my list for next year.
Our youngest has started to join in on the crafts and it just makes me so happy! I love seeing their little hands and minds absorb the activities. It truly is one of my favorite ways to spend time with my kids. I know crafting isn't for every mama. But I find when we create time together surrounded around my personal giftedness, we all reap the benefits of quality time together.
There is no one way to be a good parent. But I am able to let go of any guilt about things I don't enjoy doing with my kids because I know that I make up for it in other ways. None of us can do it all. But I can do a few things well and so we focus in on those things the majority of the time.
Our oldest lost his first tooth! It was very exciting!
Another trick I have learned - make anything seasonal with some holiday shaped whipped cream and sprinkles! My kids love it! Nutella also works great.
And our big kids got their bunk bed! They have been loving it. We will be transitioning our youngest into the shared room in the coming month as well. I love seeing them bond and connect through sharing a room.
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