It's an {InstaFriday} type of day!

I'm feeling tired today and didn't feel like blogging, so I thought I would do a photo dump of what we have been up to. Plus, I enjoy checking out other Instagram accounts as it offers a peak into different lifestyles. Feel free to join me with your own InstaFriday, and link up here!

If you want to follow me on Instagram, I'm jewelsntreasures there! I'd love to have you follow! :)




Yum! I love a good summer salad!



Country girl



More on this one later, but Zoelle is now forward facing.



Sleepy camping girl!



An amazing waterpark!

 



I have a thumb sucker! I guess??



Our very first eggs from our chickens. Did I mention we had chickens? :)

Have a great long weekend everyone! :)



 

Wordless Wednesday: My Little Monkey Girl

 

It's Finally Home

Up until this past week, I could not utter those three words. My house did not feel like home. Instead, I felt like I was visiting or just a stranger in a house.

I'm not sure what changed, but this week, when someone asked me if I just love my house, I finally could answer that yes, I was beginning to love it, and it finally feels like home.

Part of our backyard looking off our deck.

I know I haven't blogged much about our house yet, or the transition I faced. But I honestly didn't know how to do it. I would cry every time we went into town or even get close to our old house. If we had to go by our old house, or even the one time we had to stop there to pick up a package that got left there, I bawled. I missed the house, I missed the memories, I missed the neighbors. You name it, I missed it.

This week, all that changed and I began to feel comfortable in our house. I even looked forward to coming home and enjoyed it. It is peaceful. It is relaxing. It is home.

Did it take you awhile to adjust when you moved? What are some things that helped?

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday: Look Who Is A Proud Big Sister

or maybe not! ;)

LeapFrog Touch Magic Rock ‘n Learn Party

We recently had the opportunity to have a few different "mini" Rock 'n Learn LeapFrog parties. I say a few mini parties because we actually got the chance to have several different groups of kids over at different times to try these fun new LeapFrog products.

In our home, electronic toys are a rarity. Mainly because I want my girls to cultivate creativity on their own. However, we have several LeapFrog products already and each one I find, not only furthers their creativity, but also helps them learn. The Rockin' Guitar and Learning Bus did not disappoint.

Forgive the messy look. We live in the country now! :)

The Rockin' Guitar allows children to role-play, learn 10 songs, or even play completely on their own. For our guests, one of the favorite songs was one learned about sharing. As a parent, I appreciated a learning tool along with a fun toy. This song about taking turns and sharing has stuck with us and we often sing it if we are fighting over a toy.

The Learning Bus was my personal favorite as it taught letter sounds and recognition, early vocabulary building skills, and allowed for fun music play. We spent time with our guests singing through the alphabet, practicing each letter sound, and also just creative play time.

Part of our playtime with our guests also included some fun activity coloring sheets, cutting and pasting, and making books! Overall, our guests and my girls had an enjoyable time and I am thankful for the opportunity to share these LeapFrog products with others.

Disclaimer: I received free LeapFrog products in order to host the LeapFrog sponsored Rock'n Learn Party. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Wordless Wednesday: The Love Between Two People

*More details to come

Wordless Wednesday: My Love For Him Goes Deep

Almond Breeze Review & Giveaway

As part of our journey into going gluten free, we also are trying our best to be dairy free. I have never been a milk person, so I have naturally given the girls very little milk. Instead, they get their calcium other ways. In fact, I think Zoelle's very first drink of cow's milk didn't happen until after the age of 2.

However, I do like to offer the girls at least one glass of milk a day, and if we have cereal, we obviously like milk with it. So, when Moms Meet offered me the opportunity to test Almond Breeze milk, I was all on board.

A little note about myself: I am actually allergic to all nuts except peanuts (since they aren't really a nut). However, I am not extremely sensitive to almonds, thus I was willing to try this milk. While I personally, would not want to expose myself to it on a regular basis, I had no issues drinking it from time to time.

I found that it tasted rich, had a sweet subtle taste, and was very satisfying. I was nervous having the girls try it for fear they wouldn't like it compared to cow's milk. However, they loved it and begged for more. They had it both in cereal and as just a glass of milk. I also liked that it provides 50% more calcium than other milk.

In the future, I believe we will be buying this milk since it went over so well with the girls, is still nutritionally sound, and it helps us reach our dairy free goals. I would also not hesitate to recommend it to others!

If you are interested in learning more about Almond Breeze, make sure you check out their website and watch their Facebook page for new updates. Also, if you want to try it for yourself, check out the easy Rafflecopter Form below to win one of three vouchers for Free Blue Diamond Almond Breeze! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Where I've Been {InstaFriday}

If you hadn't noticed, I haven't posted in over a week! That wasn't my intention, but then my computer randomly started flashing at me to replace my battery. I ignored it for awhile and trust me, I should have listened to it and bought a new battery because then one day, it quit. So I hopped on my husband's computer and bought a new one. I even paid for extra shipping so it would get here faster. Then, when it came, I put it in, turned on the computer and it promptly died. So as soon as Chris got home from work, I grabbed his computer and ordered up a new charging cord. Today it finally came and my computer now charges, stays charged, and works!

Since I haven't been around in awhile, I thought I'd link up with InstaFriday and show you what we have been doing lately.

New toenail color

Zoelle got her very first violin

It's swimming time.

Blue skies

Nursing her baby. Love.

With my best friend of 15 years.

At the beach.

On our way to hubby's 10 year high school reunion. Psst...it's his birthday today!

As you can see, we have spent a lot of time in the sun, with those we love, and having fun. Hope you have been doing the same wherever you are! Enjoy your weekend and I will see you next week! :)