Wednesday, March 13, 2013

What I wore Wednesday

Okay, so I'll be the first to admit that fashion was not always my forte. I've always been interested in it, always loved shopping for clothes, SHOES and jewelry, but I just wasn't that GOOD at it.  Thanks to some of the awesome fashion blogs for moms (like Stylin Mommies!)  I think I'm getting a little better at it...and having TONS of fun too! (Although I can't say that my hubby is enjoying my shopping habits as much as I am!)

I think one of my biggest reasons that I didn't enjoy fashion as much was my insecurities with my own curviness.  When I was in High School I was anorexic and bulimic for nearly two years, which stemmed from a relationship with a boy who never made me feel good enough.  Now I'm learning, with much love from my AMAZING husband, to be happy with myself just the way I am!  That I can feel comfortable in my own skin and happy with myself, even if I'm not a size 2 (or 4 or 6 or 8 even!) I'm hoping that doing this will help me even more! :)

My favorite places to shop are Old Navy, Forever 21, Department stores like Macys and Elder Beerman, and all the great new boutique "deal" web sites such as GroopDeals, Very Jane, and Zulily. I love shopping, and I love it even more when I get a great deal! I'm a sucker for boots, TOMS, necklaces, and sundresses, and I'm transforming my closet from a boring neutral palette to LOTS of colors and patterns!

Today it's super cold and snowy in Ohio and I'm staying home with the kiddos.  This day just screamed for a warm cozy sweater and this is one of my favorites!  And yes!  I usually dress up even on days I stay at home all day with the kids...I think when I'm dressed with my hair and makeup done I feel better, and I get more done than I do when I wear super comfy clothes.

So here's my first edition of What I wore Wednesday...please don't judge the bad picture, next time I'll go outside or something ;)


Sweater: Forever 21
Shirt: PacSun (old)
necklace: Groopdeals
Jeggings: Old Navy
Boots: Elder Beerman

Hope you all enjoy your Wednesday!!! It's almost the weekend!  Woohoo!!  



Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Easter Marshmallow Pops

This time of year, with spring so close, I find that my kids seem to get more and more restless on days that we have to stay in.  Playing inside has gotten old, the coloring, reading, blocks, coloring, and usual indoor activities have been played out over the course of the last few months.  This is the time of year that I have to get CREATIVE when it's too yucky to play outside!

So this past Sunday when my husband and Lily came home with a giant bag of Easter egg marshmallows, I was excited to get to use them for this fun project with the kids!

Marshmallow pops are easy to make and QUICK so even the littlest of helpers can stay interested long enough to have fun with it before getting bored. Lily can make these on her own without hardly any help and she's four.  It's a fun project for the whole family!





What you need:
Wiltons' Candy Melts in your color choice
1 tsp. solid vegetable shortening
Giant Easter egg marshmallows
sprinkles
long sucker sticks
green florist foam block or Styrofoam


In a microwave safe bowl, add half the bag of candy melts and the shortening.  Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted. (The shortening helps to thin the candy melts and make them easier for dipping!) 

Dip the bottom half of the egg marshmallow into the melted candy until well coated and top with sugar sprinkles.  Slowly push in the sucker stick into the coated end and you're done! 




I use the green florist foam to stand the pops upright until they dry. Leave it wrapped in the plastic to protect it from drips so you can use it again. It's also easiest to use a sucker stick to pre-poke holes in the foam before using it for your pops!




Hope you have as much fun making these as my and my little ones did!  The possibilities with these are endless, just let your kids dig in and have fun!! 







Saturday, March 9, 2013

SNOW DAY!

One of the things I love the most about living in Ohio is that we really get to enjoy the seasons here!  Sometimes you even get to experience more than one season in a day (heat in your car in the morning, air conditioning in the afternoon ;) ).  Ohio definitely doesn't leave you lacking if you enjoy the changing of the seasons.  This year we've had a decent amount of snow, and we even got to enjoy a little snowstorm this past Wednesday ...we got about 6 inches of the white fluff and I'm not sure if the kids were more excited, or if I was!

Because Daddy wasn't home on Wednesday and Henry was too little to go out in the cold, the kids and I enjoyed our snow day inside.  Baking, Christmas movies, reading and lots of snuggling is my favorite way to spend a snowy day.  Here's a few pictures from our day :)

backyard view


kids waking up and checking out the snow
Baking time!  "Please stop taking pictures, Mommy"


Licking the bowl...the best part!
and finally time to snuggle up and watch a movie....sleepy babes!

even this little sweetie pie was out like a light!
And I don't know about you all, but one of my favorite parts of my day is naptime!  When the babies are sleeping, the house is quiet (and clean!) and I get just a little bit of Mommy time!! Time for Mommy to have some tea and check out a couple of new magazines I just got in the mail. 



Or......not.


Oh well, maybe tomorrow....how can I not want to snuggle with this little guy! Until then, wishing you the coziest of days!  








Wednesday, March 6, 2013

My little family....

Hi and Welcome to Happy Kate! Thanks for taking a minute to stop by and check things out! :) Although I'm not new to blogging, I am new to this blog.  I wanted a new and fresh start and wanted to head in a different direction than my last blog (you can find it here if you're interested!).  So here we are!  I'm guessing if you're reading this now, you probably already know me, but for the future (when I'm a super-famous Mommy blogger ;) ) some of you may want to get to know me a little better.

So here goes....



I'm Kate...I'm a 20 something (nearly 30! yikes!) Mommy to three little cuties...I love country music, fashion, decorating, photography, cooking, crafting, books, and blogs and spending time with my kids and my incredibly handsome husband.  I'm turning into an obsessive organizer and I'm hoping to share some of my ideas with you here as well :)


This is my husband, Matt.  We met in our physics class senior year of high school and I've been crazy about him ever since (and that was over 11 years ago!).  He's the best Daddy in the world, a fanatical sports fan, and my biggest supporter.  I don't know what I'd do without him. :) 


My sweet Lily, my first born.  She's four years old and knows she's the princess of the household! She loves anything disney princess or lalaloopsy and is really and truly the best big sister ever!  Lily was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder in November of 2012. We've been working hard to help her cope with it and still be able to be a normal little girl and do normal kid things.  


Charlie will be turning two in May.  He is the funniest, silliest little boy I've ever known, He laughs easily and loves his family like crazy, even his new little brother. 


Henry is our third and final baby. He was born in January of this year and is the sweetest little thing...and he sleeps through the night already - Yay!!!  I can't wait to see what kind of personality he develops. :) 

So this is just a little dive into my world, I'm so looking forward to sharing lots more with you!!