Progress Report

My Summer Cleaning Helpers....

Thursday Blog Finds + Operation Summer Clean

So, friends, it is Thursday once again! The summer weeks are flying by, we are spending a lot of time by the pool and outside in general. Last week for "Thursday Blog Finds" I got a comment from Heather of the coterie. I loved what I found on her site!

From her site I stumbled to DESIGN IS MINE, another really great blog. Check them out, you won't regret it =)

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Twice a year I try to do a major house clean before I get all the carpets cleaned... There is just something about getting the carpets cleaned that makes everything feel better! So, it is that time of year again, fun fun! Literally I do love to clean and organize. The only problem is that I have an almost 2 year old who makes it nearly impossible to achieve the cleaned to perfection home I so desire. I thought that maybe if I made a list I could make it a little more manageable. Once each of these to do's are crossed off I can make the call and have my, oh so in need, carpets cleaned!

wISH mE a hAPPY cLEANING!

Happy Father's Day!

Like Mother's Day we had dinner at our house for my parents and Shawn's mom. The only father present for ALL the food was my dad, because one of our tenants in our rental properties had an emergency door issue, which took Shawn for the whole day. Steve, Shawn's dad, was out of town. All in all it was still a great time and nice to be the one to host a dinner and give my parents and mother-in-law a break!

While I was getting the grill ready a friend hopped over to visit Lillias and Me, and who can resist a frog this tiny and cute! So we made a little home for him until Grandma and Grandpa came over (about 20 mins later). I tried not to let Lilli hold the container too long because as you can see she didn't hold it too steady. I'm sure it was very excited to go back home after that entrapment! Poor thing!

Isn't he cute! Our little "hop, hop" as Lilli called him.

She didn't shake the container, but he did do a couple flips...

The dinner spread:

- Chicken, green pepper, onion, and mushroom kabobs

-Salad with all the goodies

-Fruit platter

-Pasta Salad -- via Judy

-Sour cream potatoes -- via Sharon

-Lemonade

AND for desert a yummy, chocolate fudge cake! via Costco

I have been on the hunt for place mats for, well a long time... and can never find ones I like, that will go with many different themes and are WASHABLE! So my new solution is cute paper napkins. These on the table today were from Target, I bought the larger size for the actual placemat (black and white pokadots). Opened up they are 13 x 13, which is smaller than a placemat but still do the trick. Then, I got coordinating napkins to use as the actual dinner napkins (red n' white stripe). Together it makes a cute place

setting!

Thursday Blog Finds

I have been quite a blog slacker this week, but I still managed to find a new blog that has some really great ideas and great photos!

Can't you just taste the yummyness that are these Lemon Bars!

Find the blog and the recipe for these bars plus many other delicious looking deserts HERE.

What a find!

Well I just posted about my new favorite blog find, So Buttons, now I'll prove why... Her latest post is on a free 8 x 8 Shutterfly photobook you can make now through June 24th! I've made one before, such an easy way to keep memories together in a cute way.

Just use the code: GETMYBOOK at checkout.

Ready set create...

HERE.

A Thursday First ... Of Many...

Since I spend most of my free time blog surfing I come across a lot of different ideas and blogs in general that inspire me. Now I just need to spend some of that free time putting that creativity that I am admiring to use...

At any rate, I thought that I'd pass along some of my favorite finds of the week, each week, every Thursday.

So for today, I thought I'd share one of my favorite blogs to read -- Which lead me to a new blog that I'm pretty sure is going to become a daily-must-read!

Say Yes To Hoboken

I came across this blog a couple months ago and it has fast become one of my favorites to read. She has great style and her posts are witty and full of fresh ideas!

Liz from SYTH, posted that she had been interviewed by the writer of this blog:

So Buttons

So excited to have come across this blog! And the interview is a MUST READ! Find it here.

In the interview SYTH was asked what some of her favorite DIY projects of late were and she mentioned this one:

I'm thinking that a chalkboard like this one might just be hanging in my kitchen very soon...

Time to get busy!

Shabby Apple + Giveaway

I have been eyeing this dress for quite awhile, so a couple weeks ago I gave into the yummyness that is this dress and bought it. I love, love shabby apple! They make dresses that are modest yet trendy! Check them out here. The inspiration for this post was a giveaway on the Grosgrain Blog, go there to possibly win one of these lovely dresses!

Marseilles Dress SHABBY APPLE GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

New Adventures in Hair Styling...

First time we tried PIG TAILS!

My girly girl is going to be TWO in a couple months. CRAZY! Although, if you meet her you would probably think she was younger because she always has a binky in her mouth, and she has very little hair for her age. A friend of mine has a little girl who is just over one and she posted on her blog some oh so cute pictures of her girl with pig tails. So thanks Ellen and Amelia you were my inspiration! It's amazing how much older she looks with her hair up in those things! Even more amazing than the fact that she has enough hair,finally, is that she keeps them IN! Hooray!

At the zoo with her pig tails...

At the girly girl lunch...

Lilli and her tails with the whole group!

Fun times!

Happy JUNE!

Summer is my favorite season, there is just so much more to do! (At least here in Ohio...)

Here are a couple places we will be spending our summer-time at:

ORANGE POOL

ZOOMBEZI BAY

THE BEST ZOO!

CEDAR POINT 

GNO's ON THE BRIO PATIO! 

Meet ya there...