A Texan Odyssey

A Chicken Story

2025-02-19T23:28:00.003-06:00

Once upon a time, in the not-so-distant past, we had six backyard chickens! We got four of them as pullets (close to laying age) and two as chicks a few months later. We had:

A Black Australorp named Poppy (seed)

A Black Star named Chili (powder)

A Red Star named Ginger (spice)

A Delaware named Pepper (corn)

A Buff Orpington named Star (anise)

A Blue Plymouth Tint named Truffle (salt)

I guess you could call them our spice girls!

We spent way too much money on them (we ordered the pullets from Heritage Pullets) and for them (a thousand-dollar coop from Urban Northern Coops and organic feed from Scratch and Peck when it got difficult to find organic options at Tractor Supply Co.), but they were totally worth it. The experience of raising them and caring for them was something the whole family will never forget. We treated them like pets and would rush home before sunset to make sure they were closed up safely in their coop every evening. We have nightly visits from a family of racoons where we live, and we always worried about the chickens as night drew near!

Feeder and Waterer

It was such an exciting day when the first egg showed up in the nesting box! (I almost put egg-citing but decided to spare you all)

Ginger was by far our best layer, not missing a day for months on end! Isn't she lovely?

We had dark brown eggs, pale brown eggs, speckled eggs, spotted eggs, and when our last hen, Truffle, started laying, we had white eggs as well. They were beautiful and tasted amazing!

We even helped raise a neighbor's pullets for a while, too. We called this one Doublefat. 😄

This is Star.

This is Chili.

Here's Poppy when she was still a pullet.

Pepper.

Truffle.

We loved having backyard chickens, but we eventually had to give them away to a local rancher after my oldest son started to have allergic reactions when he was around them.

We enjoyed the gals (and the eggs!) while we had them, though, and that is the end of our chicken story.

-Val

(This post contains affiliate links)

Cleaning Supplies That Get The Job Done!

2025-02-19T17:33:00.002-06:00

Hello! My mom recently hired me to go clean her house once a week. She wanted someone she knew to do it, and I've been happy to help her out and earn a little money while I'm at it! I decided to purchase a set of cleaning supplies to keep in the trunk of my car so that I wouldn't have to be packing and unpacking my own cleaning tools each week.

I ordered this set of four roomy and sturdy tote bags (my cleaning spray and vinegar bottles fit into the slots meant for wine):

These disposable gloves:

These dust cloths:

This purple Norwex window cloth (because I love mine so much in my own home):

These stiff bristle brushes that are amazing for cleaning grout:

I gave her my vacuum (it's cordless, lightweight, and self-empties) and ordered the same one again to keep:

I also use my steam mop on her floors:

For anything else I need, (for toilet scrubbing, etc.) I just use what she already has.

I've been quite pleased with all of these purchases so far, and they came in handy when I went to go help clean at my friend's new house last week as well!

-Val

(This post contains affiliate links)

Leo's PFAPA Diagnosis

2020-06-30T15:30:00.054-05:00

Since my last post we have added a third wonderful son to our family! Leo James Fox is our spunky one and a half year old who keeps us all on our toes with his penchant for mischief and mayhem! He's also completely adorable, loving and oh so squishy which helps us deal with his hyper antics and toddler tantrums. 😜

The first time he had a high fever was in August of last year. He was 8 months old and our pediatrician diagnosed an ear infection and what looked to be the beginning of a throat infection. He said that it was strange for Leo's fever to be that high from an ear infection (I think it was 103 at that point) and that if it got worse that night we should take him to the ER. That evening, even with meds and cool baths, his fever spiked to 105. I rushed him to the ER in a panic and after all the tests and swabs and a chest x-ray the doctor said Leo just had a cold! He thought it was strange that Leo's fever was so high as well and recommended alternating between children's motrin and children's tylenol within a 6 hour period to keep the fever from getting that high again.

Exactly a month later the whole situation repeated itself. Persistent fever that spiked to 105 and didn't want to go down even with meds, the ER trip and all the scans... it was deja vu. This time the diagnosis was enterovirus and pink eye. His big brothers had just started public school the month before and it seemed like Leo was just catching everything they were bringing home from school.

We had a break from illness in October and most of November, but by the end of November my oldest had strep and then Leo caught it as well. He also had a double ear infection with persistent fever again. In December we spent his first birthday at the doctor. All three boys were sick but Leo had it especially bad, testing positive for the flu, RSV, and a double ear infection accompanied by those high fevers again.

Three weeks later Leo's fever was back. This time he did not test positive for anything. Ryan and I were confused and worried but thought he might just be one of those kids who get feverish every time they're teething!

Three weeks later, on February 2nd, Leo and his older brother were both sick. (We were really OVER the non-stop germs from the school by this point and wondered why our kids could not stay healthy for more than a few weeks at a time. In the five years I homeschooled my older boys they had never gotten sick so often! I feel bad for public school teachers who have to deal with so many illnesses in the classroom all of the time!) Connor just had a cold, but Leo had the flu again. My poor boy.

One month later, on March 2nd, Leo had a high fever again. The fever reducers we had to give him always caused upset stomach and diarrhea and when Leo tested negative for flu, strep, RSV, etc, we asked for a urinalysis. Sure enough, he had developed a UTI and needed antibiotics.

In the next few weeks the COVID-19 pandemic started picking up speed in our state and the boys' spring break kept getting extended. Then came the official announcement that the schools would not be reopening for a while and we transitioned to online distance learning instead. We thought the silver lining would be that Leo would stop catching everything the boys came in contact with at school...but then on April 7 (after weeks of lock down and self-quarantine!) his fever returned. We did phone consultations with our pediatrician (due to COVID precautions) and he prescribed antibiotics for Leo. Six days later his fever shot up to 105 and we knew he needed to see our doctor in person. The visit had to take place in the car (again due to COVID) and the doctor heard congestion in Leo's lungs and recommended that he be tested for COVID-19. We spent three awful days not knowing if he had it or not and I was pretty much praying the entire time! We were so grateful to God when Leo's test results came back negative! He was diagnosed with bronchiolitis but thankfully albuterol treatments in the nebulizer helped him recover quickly.

Then about a month later the cycle started over....and we realized we couldn't wait until the pandemic was over to pursue answers about Leo's recurring fevers. We got a referral to an immunologist and his appointment was set for June 4th. He started with his next fever two days before the appointment and was almost turned away due to concerns about COVID. Thankfully Ryan was able to convince them to see Leo anyway since the fevers were the whole reason for the visit. The doctor was very surprised that Leo was talkative and playful and in good spirits even with a 102 fever! He is one tough little boy! They did blood work and set a follow-up visit for two weeks later. Two possible diagnoses that were mentioned were cyclic neutropenia or a primary immunodeficiency disorder.

As I started researching those possibilities I prayed that Leo wouldn't have either of them and kept searching for other possible causes for his recurring fevers. PFAPA is one syndrome that kept popping up. I had read about it before but dismissed it because in the past Leo's fevers had almost always coincided with the various illnesses going around at school or church. I wrote it down on a post-it anyway to remind us to bring it up with the doctor. At Leo's next visit the doctor happened to see the post-it and said "Oh! I was just going to talk to you about that!" Leo's test results showed that his white and red blood cell counts were normal (thank the Lord!) but that he had an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate which is indeed a sign of PFAPA.

PFAPA stands for periodic fever, apthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis... and it makes you just as miserable as it sounds. Flares last for a week or so and come back every 21-28 days with some or all of the symptoms in the name. It also causes headache, joint pain, and upset stomach. My tough little boy has been dealing with so much! Most kids outgrow it sometime after age 10 and in the meantime a short course of steroids can end each episode quickly. (Although the side effect of the steroids is that the flares can happen more often.)

We got Leo's diagnosis on Friday, June 19th, and based on our fever tracking we knew Leo was due for a fever flare within the next few days. Sure enough by Monday evening his fever started. He had been fussy and uncomfortable all day Sunday and Monday, didn't have an appetite and was cradling his wrist like it hurt. We gave him a dose of prednisolone as soon as his fever presented and within 3 hours it was gone and did not come back! I can't tell you what a relief it is to finally know how to treat his fevers!

Over the next few days we checked Leo's temperature morning, noon and night and were over the moon that it was always normal! The steroids' success in stopping the flare is actually another diagnostic tool used to confirm cases of PFAPA. The meds stopped all his other symptoms too and Leo went right back to being his usual (non-flare) energetic self!

We are currently on day eight post flare and are watching Leo closely for signs of the start of the next episode. His immunologist wants more labs done during the next fever so we'll have to go get that done before giving him steroids. Our prayer is that the flares can come less frequently as time goes on, and that he will not need to be on steroids so often. We also hope he can outgrow this sooner rather than later!

I wanted to write about all this so that any other parents or caregivers going through recurring fevers with their little ones could possibly benefit from our story. My advice is to start logging your little one's symptoms and fevers so you can have an accurate history to share with your doctor. We hadn't documented Leo's fevers at first so my homework after Leo's first visit with the immunologist was to go back through all my social media/text messages/pictures to create a timeline of his health. We also got a print-out of any medications he had been prescribed from our pharmacy and that helped me find all the exact dates I wrote about here. Now I have a file that I update with every new flare or symptom as they come.

In the meantime I am praising God for every healthy and fever-free day we get!

-Val

Kinsa Smart Digital Thermometer

Milk Paint Cabinets, Shoji White Walls and Lots of Flowers: A Kitchen and Dining Room Update

2017-03-18T21:56:00.000-05:00

Hello! I'm back with lots of pictures of my updated kitchen and dining room! Although I realized after the fact that I seemed to take more pictures of the flowers (purchased and from my yard) than of the actual work I've done to the space! I guess I just really love fresh flowers! Here's how things were looking last year with our tiny fridge, curtains hung too low, etc...

I was tired of the orange oak cabinets and island, and wanted a fresh look for our old table as well. Here's how it looks now!

I used General Finishes milk paint in Seagull Gray on the cabinets, and Sherwin Williams Alabaster on the island. I painted the island first, and chose oil based paint for its durability. However the fumes were so awful and lasted so long that I knew I had to use something different for the rest of the cabinets. After some research, I found this blog post about using milk paint on kitchen cabinets and I was sold! I ordered everything I needed through Amazon and still have plenty of paint left for touchups. It was definitely time consuming, even without having to sand, but I just love how much brighter my kitchen looks now!

My sister and brother-in-law gave us this painting and I think the muted blues and grays look so nice filling the space above the fridge. My little fern is still alive too! So far it just gets an ice cube a day, but it will need some diluted fertilizer soon.

As soon as I started painting the cabinets I knew that the walls would need a new color of paint as well. The cool gray cabinets clashed with the warm beige walls and it was a bit overwhelming to think of what a big project I had taken on. The kitchen walls connect to the living room, dining room and hallway so that meant there was a lot of painting in my future!

I did it though! Well almost, I've gone through 3 gallons of paint and need to grab some more before I can finish the hallway. I chose Shoji White by Sherwin Williams in eggshell. It's the perfect warm white, and I even painted my bedroom too! I absolutely hate using a roller and trays though, so I've done all the walls with just a paintbrush. It's been a labor of love I tell you! Especially because I'm such a slow painter. (My bedroom took me 9 hours...) I like to take my time so I never have to tape things off before I start work or use drop cloths (just a trash bag under the paint can). So far it's always worked for me!

Down the line we might update the stove and maybe install a microwave above it to free up space on the counter. I might want to do something different with the vent hood in the meantime though, like using this paint on it. Seems easy enough!

I also haven't decided what to do with our old dining room chairs yet. They're not very comfortable so we may just replace them at some point. As for the table, it needed a little TLC after a hot dish discolored a big spot on top of it. I sanded it down last year and used a combination of milk paint and gray stain until I was satisfied with the results. I finished it with a few coats of clear topcoat to seal it. You can see how it looks up close in the first picture of this post. No scratches or damage to it yet!

We love our Craigslist piano! I purchased a cushioned storage bench to use with it and I love how the color ties in with some of the leaves on the rug nearby. The task light is from Target and it's perfect for brightening up evening piano practice.

I was going to paint our desk, but after sanding it down I actually liked it the way it was! I might change my mind later though, we'll see! The chair is a recent find from Hobby Lobby. It had to meet Ryan's comfort requirement and yet still look good... and this one fit the bill! Oh and our bulletin board still has the thankful leaves and feathers the boys and I made last Thanksgiving displayed on it... they're a constant reminder to be grateful for all that we have been blessed with!

Well alrighty then, that's all I've got to share for now! Until next time. God bless!
-Valerie

p.s. I'm linking up with Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick. Make sure to check out all the awesome makeovers!

Unblogged Birthday

2017-02-14T11:27:00.000-06:00

Is it even a birthday if you don't blog about it? Kidding! Once upon a time I blogged regularly. First I used the blog to record my weight loss journey after I had a baby, then (as I started to enjoy fashion again) I started posting my outfits and participating in blog link-ups. I did a few guest posts for other bloggers, won a lot of giveaways, wrote a few sponsored posts, and commented on a lot of blogs I followed (and got comments and followers in return). It was a lot of fun, but not something I wanted to keep up with in the long run. I'm not fashion forward or creative with clothes. I do want to dress uniquely and feel effortlessly stylish in whatever I wear, but I refuse to waste money just to have something new to post about. As I work towards getting back to my goal size (again!) I want to curate a closet that only has clothes I love, clothes that are flattering and can be mixed and matched with ease. Anyway, the point I'm getting at is that it's been a long time since I was on any type of "schedule" for this blog. I always pop back in now and then to share some family event or random project, but somehow completely skipped Connor's 2nd birthday last year! I did manage to post about Sean's (triple!) 6th birthday celebration but I wanted to get Connor's party up here too.

I didn't have my new camera yet, and only managed to snap a few pics with my phone, but it was a fun day with family celebrating our little monkey. June is coming around fast and I can't believe we'll have a 3 year old soon! There's a lot of things I want to accomplish before summer rolls around again though. Things like:

-finishing all of Sean's first grade curriculum.
-taking pictures of all the projects I've been working on in the house. (SO.MUCH.PAINTING.)
-catching up on my yearly photobooks. (I'm halfway done with 2015...haven't even started on 2016!)
-completing a few months of a modified whole 30 eating plan.
-continuing getting at LEAST 15 thousand steps a day. (LOVE my fitbit charge 2!)
-getting back to piano lessons with Sean, we paused during basketball season and then never got back on schedule.
-taking the group basketball photo that we've been trying to coordinate for months!
-getting a few new plants for the backyard after we lost some to (rare) freezing temps this winter.

First order of business is to get over being sick so I can start work on all of this!

Warm Weather Sweater

2016-11-01T17:30:00.001-05:00

Sweater (TJMAXX) Jeans (TJMAXX) Sandals (Marshalls) Necklace (JewelMint) Watch (Fossil)

It's the first of November, but that doesn't mean much here in Texas. It's still warm and dressing in lovely layered fall clothes is not an option. (It's definitely NOT sweater weather!) Enter the warm weather sweater...appropriate for fall without making you sweat. Love it! (I linked similar jeans, but mine were $20 not $70!)

A Week of Celebrating Sean's Sixth!

2016-08-08T12:07:00.000-05:00

Sean turned six on the 2nd and we ended up having three separate celebrations for him, one with my side, one with friends, and one with Ryan's side. We had so much dessert last week I need to give up sugar again to make up for it! Everyone had fun though, and we're so proud of our smart, fun, six year old! On Sean's actual birthday we treated him and his friends to 2 hours at a local trampoline park. It was the perfect spot for a bunch of active kids to jump around to their heart's content!

My friend Karen made the most delicious cupcakes for Sean!

The kids had a blast and several of us parents jumped as well. We can't wait to go back soon, even though we were sore and tired afterwards! Connor actually took a LONG nap, unheard of!! We appreciated that for sure.

This was from the dinner at my sister's house. That candle we picked out was a sparkler and it spooked Sean a bit!

Connor wanted the presents to be for him!

My brother-in-law's clown fish.

Chris and Rachel. Thank you for hosting!

The cousins enjoying their ice cream cake.

Nana and the birthday boy!

The last celebration was at our house with the Foxes. We just had pizza and salad and tea and more ice cream cake! It was sweet and low key and the perfect way to end Sean's birthday week!

Submerged! VBS 2016

2016-08-01T01:22:00.000-05:00

Vacation Bible School 2016 is complete! So many children came and had fun and learned about how Jesus sees, Jesus knows, and Jesus saves. It was a beautiful week. A little crazy, a little exhausting, but very rewarding as well. I know God will bless our church's efforts to teach kids about Him. I did the photography this year and I wanted to share some of my favorite photos here. My new camera came in handy!

"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way." Psalm 139:23-24

A Summer Evening at the Park

2016-07-16T17:44:00.000-05:00

Connor has been wanting to give up his naps lately...but since he's soo cranky on the days he doesn't nap I'm not too crazy about that idea. Yesterday was one of those days...I finally loaded the kids up in the car around 6:30 in the evening and they both passed out for an hour while I drove around looking at houses for sale.

When they woke up I stopped at a park for some fun before dinner. I had my new camera with me so I was able to get a few pics while they ran around enjoying the playground. I can't wait to familiarize myself with this camera and improve my photography skills. I recently took some photos for our church's website, and I was supposed to take more but my old camera started malfunctioning. Hopefully with this new one I can get back to work on that!

Cheep Cheep Valentine's Day "Box"

2016-05-27T10:06:00.000-05:00

Well look at me, blogging two days in a row! :P In February Sean and I made a Cheep Cheep (the cute little fish from Super Mario) Valentine's day "box" out of a plastic fish bowl and it was a big hit! He won most creative in his age group at our homeschool group's Valentine's party, but more importantly we had a lot of fun making it together! In true procrastinating-perfectionist behavior, I waited until the night before the party to buy the supplies, and then kept working on it until satisfied.

(Source)

This is the Cheep Cheep Sean chose to model his "box" after. He liked the mohawk/fin! We already had the plastic fish bowl, and only needed a few inexpensive items from Michael's to complete our task. We bought a few acrylic craft paints, chenille wire stems for the yellow fins, and sticky-back felt squares for the white fins. Please excuse the blurry cell photo, it's the only one I got while we worked. Oops. Sean painted the body red, and then I painted the eyes on top and pink mouth along the rim of the bowl. I drew the white fin shape on paper plates, and then used that as a template to cut the felt.

We stuck the felt onto the paper plate fin for added support, and then taped it to the bowl (after the paint was dry). Making the Mohawk fin and tail was easy, it was just a matter of twisting the chenille stems into the proper shape and then taping it onto the bowl. I used yellow washi tape to blend in. Oh and you can see the Valentines we made in the above picture too. They had a fish on the front and the phrase "You're o-fish-ally awesome" inside. Sean painted the ocean waves and signed the backs of them. They fit nicely into the Cheep Cheep's mouth for transport to the party! As you can see below, we had to make a base for the fish because otherwise it would roll to the side when set down...Sean painted a cardboard box blue and I painted his name on the front and "Cheep Cheep" on the sides. That's his really proud smile on the right by the way! Love it.

All the kids at the party made really amazing boxes! Sean's favorite was R2-D2 made from a trash can and I appreciated the creativity that went into a skyscraper building complete with mirrored windows! It was fun oohing and ahhing over everyone's boxes and Sean loved passing out his valentines to all of them. He was thrilled to bring home candy of course and enjoyed looking through all the valentines he got. Can't wait for next Valentine's day!
-Valerie
(Linking up to Jen's Link Party Palooza over at Tatertots and Jello!)

From November to December

2016-05-26T11:13:00.002-05:00

My last post was in November! That means there has been six months of life lived with no blog evidence of it. Oh horror! ;-) For continuity's sake I'd like to post some of the highlights from the time that has passed by undocumented (on here at least). This post will cover Nov-Dec.

-Thanksgiving and my boys playing and eating as always! *Not including pics from our big family gatherings, just our mini Thanksgiving at home*

-Snapshots from December

-An evening walk around our neighborhood

-Family trip to Seven Bluff Cabins on the Frio River

Ok, off to wrangle my rascals. Maybe my next post will come sooner than 6 months from now!
-Valerie

Cibolo Creek

2015-11-06T13:15:00.000-06:00

Back in August we drove up to Boerne, Texas to attend a family wedding. We actually missed the ceremony due to faulty GPS instructions...but we all had a blast at the reception afterwards! The next morning after breakfast we visited an antique shop and then decided to spend some time at Cibolo Creek on our way out of town. The boys had a lot of fun seeing a bunch of geese and ducks (and a few turtles!) up close, although Connor kept trying to run off on his own! He is becoming quite the independent little boy! Here are ~~a million~~ some pictures we took of our morning by the banks of the creek.

Going Out In Pajamas...

2015-10-14T01:05:00.001-05:00

Dress & Sandals (TJMAXX) Plaid Shirt (Target) Purse (Ross)

...is a no no, but a sweater dress that is as comfortable as pajamas is perfectly fine! I found this one on clearance at TJMAXX recently and know I'll get a lot of use out of it this fall and winter. The above pics are from last Saturday for some errands and park time with the family, and the one below is from Sunday before church. It was a lovely weekend, despite all of us still having the sniffles. We got groceries after church, picked up lunch, and then settled in to watch the latest Doctor Who episode. (Still waiting for this season to pick up a bit...) Sean's allowed to play games on the weekend so Ryan got him set up on the computer and I got Connor down for a nap and then we enjoyed our mini date together. With iced coffee and snacks of course! Oh and speaking of snacks, I'm still trying to get back into better eating habits, I've made some progress but I'm not where I'd like to be yet. I'm not going to beat myself up about it though and even decided to hold off on weighing myself for a while. (The daily weight fluctuations were driving me crazy.) Instead I'm just going to focus on the positive things going on in our lives right now, (choir practice for me, karate class for Sean and Ryan, a fun game we're all enjoying playing together, progress in Sean's homeschooling, new cute things Connor does and says each day, and sweet time spent with friends and family) and just keep trying to be healthier every day! Onwards and upwards my friends, by the Grace of God!

Dress (Target) Sweater (Old Navy) Flats (Gift) Necklace (James Avery)

(Linking up to the Stylish Housewife and the Pleated Poppy!)

Shortcomings

2015-09-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

Shirt & Shorts (Old Navy) Boots (Marshalls) Watch (Fossil)

I've been feeling pretty frazzled lately, especially after a weekend spent at home with a sick baby (just a cold thankfully), and then getting sick myself. Lack of sleep and falling back into poor eating habits don't help either. (Like that scone pictured above!) I've gained some weight back and that sends me into a cycle of feeling bad about myself and then eating sweets to feel better, and then feeling like a failure for not having better self-control. I need to pray for strength to do what's right for my health instead of giving into the momentary pleasure of junk food. I know I feel better and have more energy when I follow a paleo diet, but I keep slipping up and vowing to "do better tomorrow." Last week I made cookies and strawberry cobbler for the family, and today it was a toddler on a nap strike that drove me to sweets. Ryan rescued us from cabin fever after work and we went for a drive and picked up coffee and dessert. We eventually wound up at a dead end street in a neighborhood nearby and stopped to watch the deer we saw in the surrounding field. It was nice to see a bit of nature in the middle of the city. We also did some window shopping and let the kids burn off some energy running around before heading back home. I thought for sure Connor would nap after that but NOPE! Still flat-out refused to fall asleep. It would be fine if he wasn't tired and didn't need to sleep, (when he's well-rested he's a joy to be around!) but he was delirious with exhaustion and acting out because of it. He finally passed out at 7:30, which means an early morning is in store for me tomorrow... Oh well, at least Sean went to bed early as well and I've had some time to get my feelings out here. It's true what everyone says, blogging is therapeutic y'all! Here's to making better choices tomorrow and God bless husbands for treating tired mommies well!

Anticipating Flashback Fashion Fridays: Four years ago I was blogging about this fall outfit I put together:

I still like it and how appropriate are the deer earrings considering my little encounter today! :)

(Linking up to the Stylish Housewife!)

(Also linking up again with the lovely Adri and Jessica from Adri Lately and Jeans and a Teacup with Flashback Fashion Fridays.)

Autumn Colors

2015-09-11T11:02:00.000-05:00

Dress (Target) Bag (Target) Sandals (Ross) Watch (Fossil)

I bought this dress a few months ago and finally got around to wearing it last Sunday to church with the family and then out to lunch afterwards. We put Connor down for a nap when we got home and Sean had already changed into his "soft shorts" (what he calls his comfy exercise shorts) so it was just me for the pics. I think I'll like this outfit more when it's cooler out and I can do some layering with it. Anyway, obligatory mention of fall...my DIY autumn wreath is up again. I did wait until September 1st to put it up, even if fall doesn't officially start until the 23rd (according to google). Fall in south Texas comes even later, but when you're inside (with the a/c on!) you can fake the feeling of fall with nice scented candles, hot chocolate for the boys and maybe a pumpkin here or there.

Linking up again with the lovely Adri and Jessica from Adri Lately and Jeans and a Teacup with Flashback Fashion Fridays. Exactly four years ago (tomorrow) I posted this outfit:

(Linking up to The Stylish Housewife too!)

What I Wore: 96 Degrees

2015-08-15T17:40:00.000-05:00

Tee and Shorts (Old Navy) Sandals (Target) Bag (Gift) Watch (Fossil) Sunglasses (Kohl's)

You know it's been hot lately when you step out into 96 degree weather and think it feels cool! The Texan temps lately have been at least 10 degrees higher than that so today was a nice reprieve. I didn't bother with any extra layers though! A soft tee and my trusty four year old denim shorts were just the thing to stay cool and comfortable while grabbing lunch with the family and running some errands. Next on the agenda is to hit up the pool when the baby wakes up! Enjoy your weekend y'all!

Oh and I'm linking up to Adri Lately and Jeans and a Teacup with Flashback Fashion Fridays (a day late, oops)! Around this time four years ago I posted this outfit! It's certainly a lot more feminine than today's sporty look!

(Linking up to The Stylish Housewife and The Pleated Poppy)

Sean's Fifth! A Lego Robot Party

2015-08-10T13:07:00.000-05:00

Robot Lego Party Commence!

I made Mr. Robot Man from tissue paper and wrapping paper. The kids had fun posing with him!

For the robot containers I just covered cylindrical tissue holders with tape and then decorated them with pom poms for eyes, pipe cleaners for arms, and card stock designs for the front panels. I used a few rubber bands as well to separate the different parts of the robot. Sean helped and now they're being used to hold his paint brushes. Waste not, want not!

We had a variety of snacks available, (junk food and healthy options) and a bunch of pizza, plus favor bags filled with an assortment of twizzlers for the kids to take home. I made the banner and Ryan, Sean and I worked on the big lego robots.

And to continue in the tradition of last year's birthday post, here are some of Sean's favorite things at age 5:

Favorite color: "Uh, black. Actually I think I don't like black, I like blue."

Favorite number: "5."

Favorite letter: "Well, J."

Favorite food: "Mac and cheese."

Fave drink: "Dr Pepper." (Treat on his birthday!)

Favorite animal: "Elephant."

Favorite song: "The VBS songs."

Favorite baby: "Connor!"

Favorite toy: "I like my plane and my Millennium falcon."

Favorite Robot: "The one you made on the table at my party because the lip goes up."

Favorite game: "Jenga."

Favorite plant: "Connorbee." *With a laugh*

Favorite show: "Reading Rainbow and Space Racers."

Favorite book: The big and the little Dr. Seuss books."

Favorite part of Kindergarten: I like when you color and cut out papers and cutting out the fruit today."

Favorite place to go: Restaurants and stores.

Love you buddy! Never change!!

(Linking up to Friday Finds at Salt and Pepper Moms!)

Easy Master Bedroom Improvements: Part Two

2015-08-09T12:41:00.001-05:00

After looking at the last post I just wasn't satisfied with the layout of the room...so I went back to the drawing board! I've been liking the look of desks next to the bed lately, so I thought I would try it out in my own space. Tried it, loved it!! I know it's silly to get so excited about moving a piece of furniture...but something about this arrangement just feels right. I already used it for devotions and to do my makeup yesterday. I foresee myself getting lots of use out of it in this location. Plus I get to watch Sean playing outside! Removing the clunky old computer from the desk freed up the space for writing, drawing, etc, and when we get a laptop soon it will fit just fine. (Anyone have any good laptop recommendations?)

I saw a picture of this room from almost two years ago and got inspired to bring the same artwork and bedspread back in. The blue comforter from the last post got the boot! Next Sean and I got to work painting an abstract piece for that old frame I had. We just used the board that was inside the frame and grabbed some blue, green, white and yellow tempera paints and played around with the colors until we liked it! Sean had so much fun and I think the final product ties in well with the other abstract art in the room. Below is the beginning of a (dare I say it?) gallery wall! A picture from our wedding day and Connor and Sean as little babies went up as well. It's on the wall that the desk used to be on and there's plenty of room to grow over time!

Ok, last shot of my new fave spot in the house, complete with the face of a rascal trying to steal my pencils! Adios!

(Linking up to Friday Finds over at Salt and Pepper Moms!)

Easy Master Bedroom Improvements

2015-08-05T18:20:00.000-05:00

I recently made a few small changes to our master bedroom to spruce things up a bit without spending any money. We have yet to buy a new bed frame after our last one broke, and I was tired of looking at our mattresses sitting directly on the floor. They're still on the floor, but with the addition of a bedskirt and a larger comforter (that we already owned), it's not quite as obvious! I also pulled out the leather part of our old headboard and propped it up behind the mattress. It's comfortable to lean back on, but it's just a temporary fix since they're not attached to anything. Eventually we'll buy a nice new bed, but in the meantime this will do the trick! I swapped out the two tree pictures for an old frame full of my son's artwork too. It's nice to add a personal touch to the space, even though I'd prefer one large piece of his work rather than several small papers in the frame. That's something I can switch out later after I find the right size paper for him to create with.

I made some quick feather art using my charcoal set and three blank canvases I already had to dress up the top of my bookcase. I rearranged the shelves while I was at it and threw out the dust jackets of my Chronicles of Narnia set. The black and gold binding was a lovely surprise and it adds just the right touch to the styling of the shelf!

It felt good being able to freshen up our space by utilizing things we already owned, and down the line I look forward to working on our wishlist! New floors, new paint and some new furniture!

-Val

What We Wore: Nautical Blues

2015-08-04T14:21:00.000-05:00

V: Dress (TJMAXX) Sandals (Ross) Bracelets (Loft)

S: Top (Gift) Pants (Target) Shoes (Target)

C: Romper (Carter's) Shoes (Marshalls)

Last Sunday was Sean's 5th birthday! We celebrated with family and friends on Saturday and had lots of fun! I'll put up a post soon with pics from his party. If you want mediocre ideas for a robot lego party...check back later this week! Hah!

We wore these outfits to church on Sunday. Well, Sean and I did, Connor was still napping when it was time to leave so Ryan stayed home with him. Sean's been staying in the service since children's church is out for the summer, but we survived with plenty of crayons and activity books. After church we ran to Target to spend Sean's birthday money! He picked this lego set (his first big kid set) and we've been enjoying putting the different creatures together. I broke a nail trying to get two pieces apart though! A lego brick separator has already been ordered to prevent that happening again.

I'm happy I fit into this dress again! The last time I wore it was to my cousin's wedding in 2012! (Here) This time I tied it in the back and added a "pop of color" with the shoes. (Sorry I know that term is overused in the fashion/decorating world!) Anyway, I hear the boys making a huge mess in my closet so I'll stop here! Have a good week!

(Linking up to WIWW at the Pleated Poppy and the Stylish Housewife)

What I Wore: Date Night (in the Afternoon)

2015-07-28T22:45:00.000-05:00

Top (Ross) Skirt (Marshalls) Sandals (Marshalls) Watch (Fossil) I can't decide if this outfit is cute or cutesy. The former is definitely preferred over the latter! I'll be 30 next year (eek!) and I wondered if the silhouette of the skirt is too young. Ryan said it was fine though so I wore it and I think I agree with him after seeing the pictures. We took these today when the boys were at my Mom's house for the afternoon. It was heavenly to get a long date with Ryan! Since we already finished our whole 30 we chose sushi for lunch and picked up some ice cream too. It was like being reunited with a good friend. ;) We're pretty stoked with the outcome of our second whole 30, ten pounds down for me and fifteen for Ryan. I'm back in the 140's and pretty darn close to my goal weight! (I'm 5'10" and would like to get back down to 135, which is what I was when I got married almost 8 years ago.) If we keep the ice cream to a minimum I'm sure I'll get there eventually!

(Linking up to WIWW on the Pleated Poppy and the Stylish Housewife)

What We Wore: Day Off With Daddy

2015-07-15T09:09:00.000-05:00

V: Shirt (Marshalls) Shorts (Marshalls) Sandals (Marshalls) Watch (Fossil)

S: Shirt & Shorts (Kohl's) Flip Flops (Old Navy) C: Shirt & Shorts (Carter's) Sandals (Marshalls)

Oh that baby! Love his little surprised expression in the top picture! Ryan had an extra day off last week so we took advantage of the time and went out to eat together. We picked up coffee (black) and iced passionfruit tea from Starbucks (whole 30 compliant!) and then ate at Taco Palenque while the kids played on the playground. Ryan and I stuck to fajitas/onions/guacamole and the kids had beans, rice and tortillas too. It's not that hard to stick with the plan while eating out! We also ran downtown for some errands and stopped by my Mom's too. It was a nice day off!

I'm really liking my new Franco Sarto sandals with their little bit of wedge heel - just enough to feel a little more put-together than just with flats! (similar) I found them the other day along with this new chambray shirt. I have several others of course (here, here) but couldn't say no to the nice rich blue of this one.

(Linking up to WIWW at the Pleated Poppy and the Stylish Housewife))

What We Wore: Birthday BBQ

2015-07-05T00:44:00.000-05:00

V: Top (TJMAXX) Shorts (Marshalls) Sandals (Ross) Watch (Fossil) Shades (Target)

S: Shirt & Shorts (Old Navy) Flip Flops (Payless) C: Onesie & Shortalls (Osh Kosh) Shoes (Payless)

Happy Fourth of July! We had a lovely time at the family BBQ and enjoyed grilled chicken and salad with watermelon and grapes for dessert. There was corn on the cob, pork and beans, and cheesecake for the birthday girls, (which looked amaaazing) but Ryan and I are doing another Whole 30 this month so we avoided those. After lunch we dropped the boys off at my Mom's and ran a few errands and drove around and talked. I love spending time with my man! It was sad to not be able to pick up lattes like we usually do on dates though! I miss dairy! (Whole 30 eliminates dairy, sugar, grains, and legumes for 30 days FYI.) We started on June 29th and are considering doing 60 days...we'll see! Anyway, back to my recap, we couldn't let the day go by without some sparklers, so we pulled some out for Sean to use right before bed. He loved them and we survived with only minor burns, kidding! It was a nice end to a lovely day. Hope you guys had fun too!

P.S. My new top reminds me of this Lilly Pulitzer dress!
(Linking up to The Pleated Poppy)

What We Wore: Casual Lunch Attire

2015-07-02T23:16:00.000-05:00

V: Tank & Shorts (Old Navy) Shirt (Target) Espadrilles (TJMAXX) Bag (Marshalls)

S: Shirt (Carters) Shorts (Gift) Shoes (Target)

We snapped these on the way out the door to go get some lunch sometime in May. All of June passed without any outfit pics, oops! I'd like to try to do a few outfit posts in the month of July because I really feel stuck in a rut concerning clothing. I need to put some more effort into what looks good and what works for my body type. That last picture makes me smile because Sean is staring at his shoes in an attempt to look like a fashion blogger! Silly boy! He somehow lost his lizard shirt when we went to the beach and he has requested that we go back to the store to buy another one. He knows what he likes!

Have a great 4th of July weekend everyone!
-Val

(Linking up to The Pleated Poppy)

Connor Turns One!

2015-07-01T12:01:00.000-05:00

What a busy month June was! We celebrated Connor's first birthday at the beginning of the month and then left for the beach for four days the next morning. The party was a blast and the beach was fun/chaotic (traveling with kids, you know how it is...) and when we got home I had lots to do to prepare for Vacation Bible School the following Monday. I helped teach in Sean's class and Connor had lots of fun in the toddler room! My mom and Ryan joined us for family night at the end of the week and that weekend was my 29th birthday as well as Father's day. My sister's birthday is a week after mine, so we waited to celebrate with my side 'til last Saturday, and my mother-in-law's birthday is today so we're going to celebrate both our birthday's on the Fourth of July! It feels like June is one long party, I love it! What a happy, crazy month! Lots of sun, sunscreen, and pool time too. Just the way summer should be!

Connor's First Year in Pictures from val fox on Vimeo.