Thursday, May 31, 2012

Pop Rocks

Ben let Layla try Pop Rocks for the first time a few nights ago...

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Party Planning

Yesterday I started thinking about Layla’s 4th birthday, yes it’s in August but July and August are super busy for us. I had plans for a camping party, with just close friends and family but then my Dad and Step Mom decided to fly up from Fresno, CA and there’s no way my Mom would camp with them. Agh annoying, it was years ago, let’s get over it. My next idea was a Cowgirl party with a pony! But then I realized we live in BFE and I doubt enough kids would come to make it worth it. So now I’m thinking a party at a Discovery Playground, which is close to her school. We drive about 30 minutes to her school that is close to my work. I’m thinking more of her classmates would come if the party was close to that… Plus the park has all these cool features:

Sun Gateway and Basalt Boulder Play
• Gathering plaza, climbing boulders and a bridge over a dry creek bed
Steelhead Trout River Bed "Splash Pad"
• Basalt water sprays, trout sculptures, seating and jumping water jets
Fossil Maze
• Herb garden, fossils, benches and a raised planting bed
Outdoor Classroom
• A quiet group gathering area
Secret Garden
• Wavy walk, bridge, larger-than-life objects, vine tunnel and sensory plantings
Bear Den Sand Play with Mammoth Fossil Find
• Bear den, mammoth and fossils, water spigot and raised sand table
Big Horn Sheep Challenge Steps, Double Slide and Sensory Garden
• Shallow and steep steps with wrap-around garden, and sculpture/seating/talk tubes
Eagle’s Nest Observation Deck
• Watershed and salmon wall, glacier rock slide, climbing wall, giant eagle’s nest sitting circle, swings, spinners, fish climbing sculpture and boulder seating
Elk Valley Picnic Plaza
• Shelter, tables, seating, boulders, sundial, fossils and split rock
Musical Elements
• Musical elements in seating nooks with a larger musical area
Landscaping
• Features Eastern Washington flora with a variety of scents, textures and colors
Discovery Pavers and Hidden Walk
• Educational pavers leading along a pathway with benches
Accessible restrooms

The best thing being the Splash Pad! BUT you can’t reserve it. So should I plan a whole party around a place when we might not get the shelter? I would be totally willing to get there early and try to steal the picnic area but it majorly stresses me out that it’s not a for sure thing. Would you do it? Or should I find a place that I can reserve?

And because I hate a post without a picture here's Layla before school this morning.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Weekend Pictures

1) Ben playing me a love song :)
2) Perfect weather!
3) Layla making friends with a boy... He was maybe 5ish and so sweet with her! He was camping with his grandparents, who live less than 3 blocks from us… They might meet again!
4) We had a pretty intense water gun fight.
5) Elmer, passed out! This Dog was popular this weekend, everyone had something to say about him. Every walk we took people would come out of their camps to ask us about him. Or follow us to the bathrooms...
6) Lou riding her bike. I thought her little legs might falls off!

Friday, May 25, 2012

Long Weekend!


Do you like camping? Oh my gosh we love it! We go every chance we can get in the summer! Living in the Pacific Northwest we get about 2 months of perfect camping weather. We are headed out today and I can't wait!!! I just have to get through 6 hours of work!

Have a fab long weekend!


 

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Mascara

I love make up! A few weeks ago I was online shopping at Avon and looking through their sale things and found this:

It’s amazing! I glanced through the reviews and everyone raved about it! I think it was like $3.99 but currently it’s $5.99. For mascara! That’s a killer deal! I have been blessed with fairly long lashes but this takes them to a new level!
From Avon.com:
High-gloss lushness with one swipe. Helix brush layers your lashes to their very tips. Super brush delivers maximum fullness. .35 oz. net wt.
All AVON mascaras are hypoallergenic and opthalmologist-tested.


Black and white, oh artsy! Literally they touch my eyebrows. (Which really need to be waxed.)


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Wednesday

Random Randomness today and pictures of my girl!  
Do you Pick Your Plum? I signed up for this website a week or so ago and I've already bought 2 things from them! They email you daily deals, just what we need right? I ordered this Elephant necklace for $3.95! Plus $2.95 shipping and had it within days. I'm a nut for Elephants. A little info from their Who We are section:
We post one time a day Monday-Friday at 7 am (MST). Good Times. 
It's in our blood. 
Have you ever glued your fingers together trying to put a project together? Stayed up all night just to finish that last project before your kids wake up? Gussied up your home just so the neighbors could gawk over your detail? Borrowed an idea from the store knowing you can make one too? 
We have. We know. Join us.
 
Get it before your neighbor does:
We have limited supplies on some of the most swank supplies. We have agents out in the field who find killer deals on high quality products.
 
We delicately slap prim-o pricing on crafting, clothing, baking supplies, home decor and other fabulous finds. Stellar pricing. Cool.
 
We sell it 'til it's gone or 'til time is up.
 
You leave feeling like you just won Martha in a crafting contest.
 
The supplies arrive in 7-8 shipping days and you've just picked your 'plum'! Doesn't it feel good?

It's fun, I love a good deal! Today I ordered a ton of pretty cupcake liners. Check it out if you want. 
(No one asked me to post this or sponsored this. But it would have been cool if they did. I just like the website)

And a few more pictures of Layla from our hike Saturday:


I love this shirt! It's a 24 mths (She'll be 4 in Aug) It's getting close to being too short, but it's just so cute!

And 1 more, this is from last Monday, we went out to dinner, oh Instagram what did I ever do without you?

It's almost the weekend!!! 

Monday, May 21, 2012

Weekend!

We had the best weekend! It was the perfect blend of relaxing and fun! Friday night we relaxed and watched Water for Elephants, yeah it’s been years since it came out but I hadn’t seen it yet. Pretty good! Saturday we went shopping then popped up this beast and cleaned him out!
I love this trailer so much! Best $400 I’ve ever spent, we have the best time in it. We are going camping for Memorial Day and I might already have the entire menu planned and about 5 different lists going. Excited, much?

When the Princess got up from a nap we went for a hike at Bowl and Pitcher:



It was a perfect day for a hike; we had a lot of fun! After that we headed to a BBQ where we can some amazing Blue Cheese burgers! Played some darts and had a few bevys.
Sunday we headed out to my Moms for breakfast. My step dad Tommy makes the best breakfasts! When we got home we have an awesome surprise! My good friend Heidi was in town with her sweet little Allison! Heidi is married to one of my best friends in the whole world Keith; they live in the Seattle area so I hadn’t met Allison yet. Layla and I met them at Starbucks:

Seriously she is the sweetest baby!!! Layla looks like such a big kid next to her! And now it’s Monday again. Agh, back to the grind. It’s rainy and cold here today but fingers crossed it clears up for the weekend!

Friday, May 18, 2012

Friday! Pinterest Love!

Happy Friday Loves! Can you believe next weekend is Memorial Day? Where is this year going? Also, Sunday we celebrate 2 years in our house! Anyways here’s some fun pin’s from my Pintrest to start the weekend off right!
Via Krista, original source not found…
I am always looking for new quotes to put on the monster chalkboard wall

Via Krista, original source here


Via Krista, original source here

Obsessed with beautiful outdoor spaces

Via Krista, original source here
Pomegranate-Champagne Punch, two of my favorite things!

Via Krista, original source not found.

I really need to do this. I hate checking my voicemail!


Via Krista, original source here
Bacon Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Via Krista, original source here
Maple Pecan Crescent Twists! Oh Yum!  

Not much planned this weekend, which is awesome! Last weekend was a little crazy! Tomorrow I am popping up the tent trailer and getting it cleaned out. So ready to go camping next weekend!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Silverwood

Two weeks ago? I think, I mentioned we were going to take Layla to Silverwood this is our semi local theme park. It's about an hour or so away. Its def no Disneyland or anything close to that but it’s not bad. It’s a lot of fun, and in the summer there is a water park so that is pretty cool! I mentioned before but I grew up in CA so weekend trips to Disneyland or Six Flags happened fairly often, the first time I went to Silverwood I wasn’t impressed. But once you live here forever and it’s all you got, you learn to love it!

  1. Layla on her 1st ever ride by herself!!! I might have almost cried
     
  2. It was super cold that day!
     
  3. On another ride, this ride kind of sucked basically just a mini Ferris wheel and it was very slow.
     
  4. Layla with Ottie! So cute! She’s not afraid of these things at all! 
  5. Ben on the Carousel
     
  6. Layla on the “go up high & drop you ride” again
  7.  My two loves! Layla didn’t nap at all that day
     
  8. Layla Lou on the Carousel, we rode it like 9 times
     
  9. Lou on the planes again, this was by far her favorite ride! 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Dear A Few TV Shows,


Spoilers! If you haven’t seen last night’s HIMYM or last week’s Greys. Stop reading!



Dear How I met your mother,  

I really really really like you! Really, you are one of the few shows the Hubs and I enjoy watching together… But this current season is driving me a little mad. Every week if you’re on, I get excited and think we’re going to get somewhere and then we don’t. Most of the episodes fill like filer episodes to me. Even last night while it was a great hour long episode I really thought we'd get a small look at the freaking Mother! But I am so glad that Robin and Barney are getting married! I called this at the beginning of the season. Speaking of Robin, why are you making her look so awful this season? Her hair really sucks. Marshall, I love you. You can do no wrong, ever. Even with your very bad drunk acting last night.

Dear Two Broke Girls,

I kind of like you. I think Kat Denning is super uncomfortable in her waitress outfit. Thank you so much for Nick Zano. I have loved him since What I like about you!

Dear Andy Cohen/Bravo,

You are a freaking genius! Seriously every show on this station I watch. Well every housewives show and dating show but I’m not down with the cooking ones. My husband says he hates you then watches everything with me…. Watch what happens live, hilarious! You are so cute!  Please keep all the RH of whatever on forever, especially New Jersey.

Cougar Town,

You crack my S up! I was so excited about the possibility of Laurie and Travis getting together! Please let this happen! Laurie is my favorite! Thank you TBS for saving this show!

Greys Anatomy,

Yeah, I still watch this show. Agh, what will come next season? A plane crash?! One of my worst fears, I hate flying! When I heard that someone was going to die, I totally thought Kepner was going to commit suicide or something. But now I don’t know, but I do know you’re going to make me cry. Again.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

...


To all the wonderful Mom’s out there, hope you're getting pampered and enjoying your day!

Friday, May 11, 2012

Oh Hey!

Wow it’s been a week since I posted! I’m not sure where this week went! I am oh so glad it’s Friday though! Tonight my step dad is picking Layla up and she’s going to get some Nana and Papa time. Ben and I have been throwing around the idea of going to a movie, I can’t remember the last movie we went to!
Saturday is going to be full of yard work and then a birthday party. And Sunday is all about ME! And my Mom! Were having the family over for a burger bar. Cant' wait to celebrate this lady:
The only picture I have access to right now, but she looks the same. Layla in the other hand has gotten a ton bigger!
Have a wonder weekend!

Friday, May 4, 2012

Week in Pictures

Happy Friday!!! Woo! This has been an interesting week, Monday I tried acupuncture… It was cool, I don’t know how much I believe it but it didn’t hurt and I got to lay in a dark room with a heat lamp uninterrupted for 30 minutes.  That was pretty much worth it. Anyways on to the pictures!

The first grass cutting of the year! Ahhh it looks so nice!

Layla, she thinks she’s too cool for this picture

Elmer thinks so too. He’s not impressed with me.

I am obsessed with veggie pizza!

Driving into my hood.

Wednesday Ladies Night! We switched it up this week and did it at Sharon’s house. These drinks were so good! Found on Pinterest, of course! Where else do you find things? It’s called Girls Night In.

Moscoato

Vanilla Vodka

Strawberry Soda

Toss a frozen Strawberry in


Layla’s silly face!

Monkey Bread! Oh this stuff is so good! I recently bought my first bunt pan. Normally I make Monkey Bread in a cupcake pan but I had to try it the original way. I like the cupcake pan a lot better.
And that is most of my week in pictures! (Most pictures are from my Instagram Kristakins_) This weekend we are headed to the sort of local theme park Silverwood. Its opening weekend and a super sweet friend gave us free tickets. Saturday night were celebrating Cinco De Mayo with my amazing enchiladas (I'll post a recipe sometime soon) and some sort of Mexican drinks. Have a fabulous weekend!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Getting to know me post!

In case there’s anything you’ve ever wanted to know here’s a little questionnaire I filled out. They are kind of all over the place.

1. Were you named after anyone?

Yes! We kind of. I was supposed to be a boy and my name was going to be Joshua. When I surprised everyone and was a girl my mom had to do some quick thinking. She knew a girl in high school who drove a yellow corvette named Krista. So I’m not completely named after her, but she liked the name. My middle name Louise is a family name. It was my dad’s mom’s middle name, her mom’s middle name and it keeps going back. I kept the tradition going passing the name onto Layla.

2. Do you like your handwriting?

Yeah, it’s ok.

3. Do you have a best friend?

Yes, I have a few. I’m really lucky to have a amazing group of friends.

4. If you were another person would you be friends with you?

Heck yes!

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Sort of, I try not to with Layla around. Ben is the king of sarcasm though!

6. Do you still have your tonsils?

Yes

7. Would you bungee jump?

Gosh I don’t think so. I don’t like no t being in control.

8. What is the least favorite thing about yourself?

Hum… probably that I am a control freak and kind of a baby about things when they don't go my way.
 
9. Blue or green?

Green! Any shade of green it’s my absolute favorite color!

10. Where were you born?

Fresno, CA. I lived in Clovis, CA until I was 12 then I moved to Eastern WA to live with my mom. I fell in love with it and I don’t see myself ever living anywhere but the Pacific Northwest. Or the Northwest. We’ve been thinking about Portland a lot lately.
 
11. What’s one of the best parties you’ve ever been too?

Only 1… I throw a lot of parties. But the best one would probably have to be my 22 birthday. It was a surprise 80’s themed party. So much fun!

12. At what age did you become an adult?

20, when we bought our 1st house.
 
13. Who was your favorite celebrity as a child?

Hulk Hogan! As I kind of mentioned up there I lived with my Dad until I was 12. He was super into wrestling. I used to think I was going to marry him.

14. What is most memorable about your high school years?

My 73 VW Bug! I love that car! So many fun adventures in it. I still have it although I never drive her. And Ben. We didn’t date in high school but we were really close friends.

15. If you could have any animal/creature, What would be your ultimate pet be?

An elephant!!! If they could breed them like large dog sized, I would the the 1st in line!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Photo A Day May

Totally slacked off on last month but coming back this month! Here’s the list from FatMumSlim. Check it out and join in! Go here to learn how to play!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Sinful Colors

Another product rave! Oh and happy Tuesday! My weekend was good, relaxing but also got a ton of things accomplished. The yard sale was kind of a bust, I found a side table for outside and Ben found a few movies but all in all it wasn’t as good as it normally is.

Anyways Sinful Colors Nail Polish. Amazing! (I would link to their website but it’s been down forever!) This has been my go to nail polish for quite awhile they have a ton of colors and new seasonal colors but the best part… $1.99! Their current spring collection is the Cast Away Collection. The colors in this collection are Zeus, Neptune, Greek Isles, Grecian Sun, Athens, Pandora and Olympia. Greek Isles is my favorite! It’s a perfect summer color! But they all look so pretty!


My basket of nail polish, this is about half of them.



After painting I enjoyed a nice glass of red wine

And today! Greek Isles and a Coral dress, great spring time combo!