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Enter to Win My Favorite Summer Sunshine Things!

Hey friends! Since the My Favorite Things Giveaway at the holidays was so popular, I thought you guys might like another set of prizes to win now that it’s summer and sunshine-y :) I’ve got a big prize pack that one lucky fan will win, and a ton of my fave bloggy buddies have prizes for you too! Keep reading to check it out….

Our Favorite Things - SUMMER GIVEAWAY

Those are all of the crazy-amazing {craymazing, for short :)} prizes you have up for grabs! Awesome, right? Browse around ’em and pick your faves {if you can!} – then keep reading to see what my prize is, and how to enter to win them all!!

Here’s a look at it all in big ol’ basket :) My theme was “Summer Sunshine” – because you know, I’m all about sunshine. :) I shopped for a big assortment of things that were sunny and summery and made me smile. Here’s a better view:

Full gift pack photo2

I hope whoever wins this will love it as much as I loved shopping for it. It’s hard to let these goodies go – they’re so fun! And – there are So many other super amazing prizes to win too! So – enter to win mine, but also check out this list that all the cool kids are using this month to find awesome giveaways to enter, and hop around to enter them too :) And of course – share this with all your friends so they have a chance to win too. There’s a ton of prizes – and you can’t win them all :) Share the love!

SUMMER Blog Hop - Hop Around

1. A Helicopter Mom | 2. About A Mom | 3. Moscato Mom | 4. Homemaking Hacks | 5. Kids Fun Review | 6. Better in Bulk | 7. A Nut in a Nutshell | 8. My Sweet Sanity | 9. Mom Luck | 10. Around My Family Table | 11. The Rebel Chick | 12. Just Stop Screaming | 13. Sunshine and Sippy Cups | 14. MiscFinds4U | 15. The Divine Miss Mommy | 16. This Mama Loves

SUMMER My Giveaway - Enter to Win

Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form to enter. If you’re feelin’ lucky, be sure to check out the list of current giveaways going on, right on my sidebar. But as always – good luck and have fun! 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Makeover Your Outdoor Space this Summer!

Big thank you to Pier 1 and Mom Central for partnering with me to show off the coolest summer entertaining and patio decor! #Pier1OutdoorParty #Sponsored #MC

You guys know by now how much I love to entertain. And how much I loooove to be able to entertain outdoors. We have an inground pool, a big garden and play area, and a pretty large concrete patio right off the kitchen. But, with twenty seven zillion kids here each day – plus what feels like just as many dogs – the patio was in need of some serious love. So I “shopped” through our garage for things we weren’t using, scoured the house for a few more useful pieces, then went window shopping online at Pier 1 for extra inspiration.

make over your outdoor space - bright colors, fun, party

I knew I wanted more color. Lots of fun, bright, cheerful colors. Orange, red, blue, yellow, pink. And that’s totally what Pier 1 is all about this summer! Don’t you love it? So much happiness in this collection of outdoor oasis goodies. So, then I set out to our local store to see what else they had for me to check out….

Outdoor seating

One of the first things I noticed was their awesomesauce collection of outdoor seating – I mean, how could this gorgeously bright-colored set of cushions not totally brighten your day each morning, right? Love the mix of colors, textures, and patterns. SO much fun!

Super colorful outdoor cushions

And they’ve got pretty much the most ginormous selection of colors and styles and prints for patio cushions that you can imagine. {Do you want to guess which ones I picked out? Stay tuned to see if you’re right… :)} The prices are awesome, there’s almost always a sale, and the quality is really great. I always look for things like loose strings, unfinished stitching, pattern print pieces that don’t match, etc – but these were all awesome. And I swear, I probably touched almost every single one of these while trying to decide, lol.

And – if you’re not a fan of bright and bold, they have lots of options for more subdued colors too. I absolutely love this blue combo of more natural blues and whites. Simple, classic, but still so summer. So – when shopping at Pier 1, there’s totally something for everyone. Click over to Instagram to check out another fave of mine that’s in more simple, cool, calm colors. There are so many types of pretty :)

Once you have seating and cushion-y goodness taken care of, you need accessories, am-I-right-or-am-I-right? I mean, what girl doesn’t love some accessories? Here are some of the options:

  • Hanging lanterns and beautiful outdoor art.
  • Solar lights, battery-operated party lights, and outdoor candles.
  • Beautiful servingware that’s as functional as it is gorgeous.
  • Gorgeous trays, perfect for transporting food and drinks from indoors to out.
  • Awesome ways to serve those drinks – mason jar style drinking glasses or fancy stemware. Beautiful pitchers or casual dispensers. Platters, serving bowls, chip and dip trays, and more!

Again, something for everyone :) And of course, we can’t talk accessories without talking about table accessories – like place mats, dishes, napkins, and stemware. Check out my current favorite that we’re using right now….

Summer place setting idea - yellow and green

So fresh and pretty and summery!! I love the look of layered napkins – and honestly, who doesn’t need that, really? One to lay across your lap, but another to wipe your fingers on. Because you really don’t want to wipe your fingers on the one that’s setting on your clothes, right? Add in a totally casual place mat that will wash and wear well, plus some fun dishes and a beautiful glass for wine – you can’t lose :)

Outdoor lighting at night

But even on the sunniest of days, the lights go down. So – you need some awesome outdoor lighting, right? I picked up some gorgeous lanterns at Pier 1, plus this totally beautiful color-changing, battery-operated, lotus flower candle. It can also float in water, and I can’t wait to set up a pretty centerpiece with it soon. But even just sitting on the table, it rocks. Totally sets a mood as it cycles in between colors. Definitely one I’ll be stocking up on now that I’ve seen it in action.

I also got some awesome battery-operated lights to line the gazebo on our patio. Aren’t these so pretty? And there are LOADS of options at Pier 1 stores or on their website. Like, loads. And, here’s a peek at how some of my Pier 1 lighting looks even when not turned on, during the day – my super cool citronela candle, and lanterns.

And…. How do you entertain without some food, right? So, I made up this super simple and super yummy watermelon salad for our recent BBQ – on a gorgeously simple Pier 1 white serving dish. LOVE.

Make sure to check out the amazing goods and super summer sales at Pier 1 today – even if you don’t have a local store, you can shop Pier 1 online here. And leave me some comments below with YOUR favorite summer entertaining ideas, or trends you love for outdoor decor :)

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Freebies and Fun from Quaker Chewy

This is a sponsored campaign with Mums the Word Network and Quaker Chewy. All opinions are my own. I only share stuff with you guys that I love and think is super rad, and that I would want to hear about. #PinkyPromise :)

Life with a 3 year old, lol

I’ve realized lately that I really can’t call Abby a “toddler” anymore. She’s seriously a big girl. She’ll be 4 at the end of July. She’s bigger and taller than most 5 or 6 year olds we know. And she’s just getting so darn grown up. But she’s keeping the silly side – this is what our life looks like… Fairy wings, messy hair, wearing a dog tag we got at a no-kill shelter benefit event, a kazillion pictures she’s colored hung on the fridge, and posing while eating her fave snacks – Quaker Chewy bars. Yep. That sums up my life, perfectly, lol.

Quaker Chewy bars

Abby is a crazy-active kiddo. And I love that Quaker Chewy helps gives kids the energy they need to play. SO it makes sense that Quaker and NERF are teaming up to fuel backyard fun, helping families get out and get active together, right in their own backyard. Because what kid can resist a NERF toy? Totally helps motivate them for outdoor fun!

quaker chewy

When you buy three specially-marked boxes of Quaker Chewy, you can enter the codes online at fuelfun.quakeroats.com to get a free Nerf sports item. The available items are the Nerf N-Sports Weather Blitz All Conditions Football, the Nerf N-Sports Pro Grip Football, the Nerf N-Sports Nerfoop Set, the Nerf Sports Bash Ball, and the Nerf Super Soaker Tidal Tube Blaster 2-Pack. Super fun, right? And as a frugal mom, you know I’m all about freebies :)

Creative and fun kids lunch

Obviously we all know that Quaker Chewy is a great snack on it’s own – but it is also a perfect way to jazz up other meals. We use it mixed into oatmeal in the morning. Mixed with trail mix for afternoon snacks. Or topping on pudding like this lunch “snack tray.” Definitely a regular item on my weekly grocery list!

Be sure to follow Quaker on social media for more fun freebies and promotions like this – Twitter and Facebook. And, enter to win below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Cool Ways to Save Summer Memories

I received a set of products from HP to help us have more summer fun – and am so excited to share them with you! #HPFamilyTime.

“In the happiest of our childhood memories, our parents were happy, too.” – Robert Brault… I love this quote. It seems so appropriate for summer, since that’s the time that most of us truly try to slow down, enjoy life, and cherish the little moments and memories. Snuggling with the littles in a hammock. Lazing the day away on the water. Picking dandelions. Or just swinging on the swing set, staring at the clouds. Good times, right?

For me, photos are so darn important. They are what help me keep those small summer moments fresh. I love to browse my photos books, see prints on the wall, share pics with friends. And now, I have a super duper easy peasy new way to do that – My HP ENVY 5530 e-All-in-One printer! It is absolute must for every busy mom out there this summer, seriously.

HP Envy All-In-One Printer

Yes, this is a printer. Not the first thing you think of when you picture must-have’s for summer fun. But seriously – You are going to fall in love. Keep reading to learn why…

Summer graphic using HP products [Read more…]

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DIY Anthropologie Beaded Lamp Hack

Hey friends! Today, I’m super excited to share an awesome guest post from the absolutely awesome Olivia from DIY Mother – she’s created an very cool DIY lamp tutorial, based on a lamp she spotted from Anthropologie. Why spend huge bucks when you can make it yourself, right? I love frugal living. I love creativity. And I love having fun pieces of decor around the house that I’ve made myself. Which means I LOVE this tutorial! Check it out, and happy crafting :)

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Win an #HPFamilyTime Package – Printer & PC!

I received a set of products from HP to help us have more summer fun – and am so excited to share them with you! #HPFamilyTime.

So – I’ve told you guys about how amazing my new HP Pavilion x360 PC is. Then I told you about how rad my new ENVY 5530 e-All-in-One-Printer is. And on Thursday I’ll show you how freakin’ awesome this Instant Ink service through HP is. So stay tuned. Until then – I have a chance for you ladies to win your own set of these cray-mayzing {that’s short for crazy amazing, just to translate for newbies to this site} tech goodies. Check it out:

HP Envy All-In-One Printer [Read more…]

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Make this a Forever Summer!

Big thank you to The Motherhood and Oshkosh B’gosh for sending me a #ForeverSummer package so that we could share our summer fun with you!

It’s summer time – finally. It feels like spring took forever to get here, and even once it arrived, it was so cold and dreary. But then one day, like a switch had flipped – the sunshine arrived! We opened the pool a few weeks earlier than usual, the kids just got out of school {my nephews spend the summer break with me} – and we’re ready for fun.

Forever Summer - Kids Fashion - #ForeverSummer

We’d hoped for a trip to the beach this summer, somewhere on the Oregon Coast. But, it’s not going to work out for us. But just because there’s no beach doesn’t mean there’s no fun! We’ve got a big in ground pool, sprinklers, water balloons – and the Mister even helped me build a SUPER fun Kiddie Car Wash out of PVC pipe. It’s like a big ride-through sprinkler for the kids, and they love it. {Directions coming soon, but you can see it in the video below – so keep reading :)}

Oshkosh Kid's Summer Fashions

So – since most of our summer fun is spent outdoors and around the water, I was SUPER excited to stock up on summer swimwear for Abby. We headed out for a daytrip about an hour and a half away, to visit Oshkosh in North Bend, Washington. And seriously – how darn cute is this stuff? I mean, I want someone to make this whole outfit in MY size! So fun. Watch the video below to see it in action – her funny dance moves at the beginning are my favorite part!

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