Summer temps have finally hit here in Wyoming, which means you’ll find the kids and I outside with our favorite water play items nearly everyday!
We LOVE park trips, but high temps make it hard to go any time but early mornings or evenings. My kids would spend all day outside if I let them, so we some fun water play items that keep us outside, but not melting from the heat!
Our most used item so far this summer is our H2OGo! Blob. It’s essentially a giant water trampoline /slip and slide, AKA the best thing ever. 😉 It is also on sale right now! I rarely see it for anything other than full price.
We also love this Bonzai Splash Pad Game! It’s like twister with the added fun of sprinklers. We’ve had it for 2 years and it’s still a favorite!
On days that they want to “swim”, we use our spray pool! It is medium sized and all three kids can fit comfortably. They love the spray feature for a little added fun.
For little ones who aren’t huge fans of jumping in to the cold water yet (like my youngest), water tables are a great alternative! It gives the younger kids something do while the big kids are playing in the water.
Aside from all of these great products, we have a few other products that we love for summer time! Native Shoes are THE best water/summer shoe. They are so well made and stay on tiny toddler feet, which is a HUGE win for me! These Old Navy are a great budget-friendly option! We are big fans of June & January’s hooded towels, but they no longer sell them. I found some similar here.
I am not a huge fan of hot temps, but enjoy summer time a little more because of these items! Make sure to follow along on my Instagram and Pinterest for more summer fun ideas!
As a stay at home mom, my days involve a lot of cooking, cleaning, playing, and taking care of my sweet Littles. It’s fulfilling in SO many ways, but it can also be lonely.
I am SO grateful to have this time with them. To help them and watch them grow.
BUT I was feeling more and more like I didn’t have anything else but being mom. The question “what are your hobbies?” Or “what do you do besides raise your kids?” Always made me uncomfortable because I didn’t have any real answers.
After months of just feeling BLAH, I decided to compile all of the things that bring me joy, and start this blog. A place to share things I am passionate about. Our lifestyle, mom life, fashion, family recipes, how we use essential oils- just to name a few. 😉
It feels so good to write things down and express myself, to someone – anyone- who isn’t related to me. 😂 Whether one person reads a post, or 100 do- I feel like a creative need is being met, and I’m so grateful for that.
Mamas- what do you do to fill your own cup? What brings YOU joy?
More often then not I put myself on the back burner. I focus on filling everyone’s cup, and neglect my own. I am thankful for this outlet to help give a little to myself. In the past 2 months I have found some great fellow mamas through Instagram that have been so supportive and helpful in my journey! Trying to find my path has been been a little easier with them in my corner, along with my sweet family and IRL mom friends.
If you are in the same boat I was- I’m here to say jump in. Jump in to whatever it is and just TRY. Chances are you will enjoy it. If not- at least you can say you tried. ❤️
*This post was originally posted in June 2019, and was edited to add updated links to similar items on July 13, 2020!
Recently my sweet friend (and amazing photographer) Alex, asked myself and a fellow mama Sarah to help her with a little project she was doing. She wanted to put together a Family Photo Outfit post with some different perspectives, and I was more than happy to help! Outfit planning is a hobby and passion of mine, so I was excited to contribute. After spending the time researching and putting it all together, I wanted to come here and expand a little more on my thought process and my tips for choosing these outfits! To read Alex’s in depth blog post click here! She has complied a TON of great info on her Instagram as well!
When we first started this, Alex took a poll on IG and asked her followers to choose a retailer and budget for me. Old Navy was the most common answer, and they set my budget at $200. To be honest, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. Having 5 people to plan outfits for is a task, but even more so at ONE store and with a set budget. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and fun it was to do though!
My first step was to head to Pinterest for inspiration. Having visuals always helps me put everything together! Most of my outfits for pictures are inspired by Pinterest in some way! Whether it’s an outfit/piece (usually for me! 😉), a specific color to build on, or even just a vibe I like! From there I found my color schemes. I wanted to make sure I had a few colors to work with so that finding cohesive pieces for all 5 outfits wasn’t AS challenging. Having those colors to refer back to helped keep my search organized and focused. For this first set, I wanted a brighter color scheme more geared for spring/summer.
Baby/Toddler Boy– Polo, similar HERE $10.97 // Shorts, similar HERE $11.00
Girl– Jacket, similar HERE– $20.00 // Romper, similar HERE – $15.97
Boy- Shorts, similar HERE– $15.00 // Shirt, similar HERE $15.00
Men’s– Shorts, similar HERE– 20.00 // Shirt, similar HERE– $10.00
Total- $142.94
I was originally only going to do one set, but I had so much fun that Alex gave me the go ahead to do another! I wanted this one to be versatile for multiple seasons. Depending on accessories/shoes I feel like these outfits could easily be used for Spring/Summer/Fall for sure, maybe even Winter! Again, I looked to Pinterest for color inspiration. Neutrals and earthy tones are great to add in the mix, because they’re generally easy to find for everyone and it adds balance to the other colors.
Links
*note- this exact Womens dress is sold out, so I included a similar oneagain!
Boys- Shirt, similar HERE – $15,00 // Pants. similar HERE– $12.50
Baby/Toddler Boy- Shirt, similar HERE– $8.00 // Pants, similar HERE $17.00
Girl- Cardigan, similar HERE– $14.00 // Dress, similar HERE– $18.00
Men’s- Shirt, similar HERE– $20.00 // Jeans, similar HERE– $19.97
Total- $149.44
The great thing about Old Navy is they are constantly having sales! When I first compiled these outfit sets, the total came in at $200 for each. Today they came in under! My advice- watch for those sales! You could use the left over funds for accessories, shoes, or just enjoy that extra savings!
Some outfit building tips –
I usually start by finding my own outfit, because let’s face it, it is usually the hardest! I like to find things I know I will feel confident in and will accentuate the features I like the most. After that I go on to find pieces for everyone else- making sure to focus on things that everyone would feel comfortable in and could be worn day to day afterward! I try not to make my family wear things that might annoy them, because it will show in the photos. I also feel better about spending the money on the outfits knowing they weren’t for a one time use! My husband for instance, is very simple in his style. I try to find things that fit his casual vibe, but still work for the overall feel. Opting for a Henley or Polo shirt is an easy switch he can usually do! I am a big fan of layers and texture, so any chance you get to add jackets, sweaters, knee high socks, suspenders, hats, vest, etc etc. – DO IT.
I am so glad Alex asked me to collab on this! It was a blast and I hope to get to do more things like this in the future! ❤️
I have 3 main goals when shopping for my kids- Keeping everything affordable, the clothes are comfortable, and the clothes can be paired/styled in different ways.
I have a few favorite places to shop for basics/must haves, but my most frequented is probably Target. I can easily shop great pieces for all three kids and get it all shipped to my door in just a few short days (thank you Red Card!)
Right now Target is having a 20% off sale on kids tees, so I compiled some of my favorites here so you guys can stock up too! 🙌🏻 This is my favorite time to grab some of our favorite basics, and some play tops as well.
A Lady and Her Littles 