Category: Our Life

Let’s Look At…Stocking Stuffers

Posted on by Lauren Lane

The very last “Let’s Look” of the year is a look at stocking stuffers for the holidays.

I start collecting stocking stuffers in October for the boys as I come across little items that they would like. Take note of small things they ask for over the last few months of the year. Have you seen that meme about a little kid needing more toothpaste, and their mom saying that they’ll have to ask Santa for it.

I definitely feel like that sometimes when it comes to stocking stuffers! But here are a few items that I go to year after year…

First off, there must always be a little bit of candy. I remember to this day getting an M&M filled candy cane and a chocolate Santa in my stocking year after year. I looked forward to those treats every single year.

Second, my boys love bath bombs. They do a bath bomb in their bath every Sunday. So Santa always stocks them up on bath bombs in their stockings. Santa also made the mistake years ago of gifting bath bombs that have a prize inside of them, and now he’s not allowed to bring anything but that. This is the brand I usually buy because it doesn’t irritate my kids skin, who are both extremely susceptible to eczema.

They always get a re-stock on craft supplies that are low. This year, the only thing they need are new markers.

Band-aids, special hot chocolate, and a book that was specifically requested. Harrison specially asked for more gum from Santa. So Santa is going to deliver this year.

And then they are getting counters, and Jonathan is getting a visual timer.

Adult male stocking is always very exciting…

It always, always, always includes new Kansas City dress socks. Santa’s going to need to come up with some new designs next year, because I think Nathan owns nearly every pair the big guy already makes.

And then it includes some specific soap that Nathan likes, and usually a specific special item. This year, it’s a K-State sweatshirt.

What are your go-to’s for stocking stuffers each year??

Happy Advent!

Posted on by Lauren Lane

It’s December! And this house has FINALLY turned a corner on all of the sicknesses. I’ve slept in my OWN bed for several nights without being woken up. Coughs are subsiding. And my goodness, it’s December and time to look forward to the holidays.

Last year, I began a journey to make our advent season more intentional. I love the anticipation of the season, but wanted to feel like we could do a little bit each day to celebrate the season and build up to the celebration of the birth of the Christ child. In particular, I wanted our advent season to focus on the joy of giving. And thus, we began doing an advent calendar that incorporated some fun activities for the boys, and various ways to “Be the Gift” in the holiday season.

The boys are still so young, but I want them to grow up having always looked for ways that they could show kindness and love to others.

I’m sharing two pages of printable advent prompts with ideas of how to Be the Gift this season for little kids (and big kids alike!)

Advent Calendar- Be-the-Gift-promptsDownload

Hoping your advent season is full of meaning and expectation as we get ready to welcome the Christ child this year.

When It Rains, It Pours

Posted on by Lauren Lane

Friends. We just can’t seem to catch a break. Poor Nathan was diagnosed with pneumonia now. And I’ve got little Aidan home with me full time because of additional potential exposure to a stomach bug. And you guys, I’m just hanging by a thread. I’m going to take care of my people this week, and try to get us back on track. While knocking on every piece of wood in this house that somehow we are out of the woods with illnesses for awhile. This mama is tired. Hoping your households are healthy!

Thanksgiving 2023

Posted on by Lauren Lane

I seem to remember I had planned last year a post to share some pictures and stories from Thanksgiving. And then we all ended up so absurdly sick.

And here I am to share some pictures and stories from Thanksgiving 2023, and what I have to share is we must be cursed on this holiday. For a second year in a row, the entire family was so sick. First, COVID got passed around through everyone.

The ol positive test….

And then just when we thought we were out of the woods, Nathan woke up with a fever again on Thanksgiving only to find out later that weekend that it was the flu.

Thanksgiving sicky crew reporting their family picture.

We did manage to decorate the tree…

And then I redecorated it after they went to bed….

And then it snowed…and it looked pretty for the morning and the boys were excited to play.

And that was our Thanksgiving. Remains to be seen how the rest of this week goes and if anyone else gets sick. Crossing my fingers, toes, hair….legs….basically everything. Hope your Thanksgiving was more restful!

Let’s Look…At Our Biggest Comforts

Posted on by Lauren Lane

Happy Wednesday, friends!

It’s another edition of LET’S LOOK!

This is a little link-up where we “look” at different aspects of our lives. And today we’re looking at our biggest comforts in life.

My biggest comfort by far is my family and faith.

Having all of these people that have been entrusted to Nathan and me home, asleep in their beds, right where they belong safe and loved.

And faith…well, sometimes it’s felt like the only thing that has gotten me through some of my darkest days struggling with depression.

On a much lighter note, there are a few things that just comfort me whenever I’m feeling down or out of sorts…

To-do lists. And checking things off. It feels so good.

Love having an awesome candle burning day or night. It lifts my mood with the flickering of the flame and yummy smells.

A really long, super hot shower is one of the best comforts of life.

Followed by a huge bowl of Tonight Dough Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

Time spent gardening. Planting, caring for, cutting flowers. So rewarding and comforting to create something beautiful in nature.

Re-watching Gilmore Girls for the thousand-eth time. Let me move to Stars Hollow, please…

Getting an area organized and purged so it’s functional AND pretty.

And last, but not least, my mom’s chocolate chip cookies. Forever a comfort.

A Kids Halloween Carnival

Posted on by Lauren Lane

Around Halloween, my sister and I plan a cousin Halloween carnival. It started during COVID. We weren’t comfortable with the kids going trick-or-treating in the neighborhood, and we both had small little babies at the time. But we wanted the kids to be able to celebrate and have something fun to do for Halloween. And thus, the Cousin Halloween Carnival was born. I think my sister and I look forward to it as much as the kids.

The games change as the kids get older, but it’s been a fun way for the kids to get another wear out of their costumes and celebrate the holiday together.

Here’s a look at their first Cousin Halloween carnival…

I mean….those littles are so dang cute.

I’m sharing some of the games that we’ve done in the past with the kids today!

Zombie’s Laboratory

One game that we added last year was lovingly referred to as “Spooky Feels” primarily because we couldn’t remember what it was called from our elementary school days when we remember it at the school carnival. You could call it a bit of a haunted laboratory of sorts.

Here are the items we used as the different body parts that the lab had dissected…

Guts/intestines: Cold cooked spaghetti with olive oil
Teeth: Candy corn or popcorn kernels
Ears: Dried apricots
Eyeballs: Peeled grapes

Heart: Boiled tomato peeled
Brains: Boiled cauliflower head
Fingers: Cocktail sausages

I vividly remember as a kid that the ‘eyeballs’ felt so darn realistic, that the mere thought of it sent me over the edge. The kids absolutely loved this game….although, they were a bunch of cheaters trying to see in the back what they were actually feeling.

Mummy Wrap

Each child picks an adult to be their wrapper. The adult is given a roll of toilet paper, and it’s a race to see who can wrap their kid the fastest and best. Other plus side is that breaking out of a roll of toilet paper is a ton of fun!

Gone Fishin’ for Treats

The kids get to “cast their lines” into the sea. When they feel a tug on the string, bring it back up to see what treat you got from the ocean!

Cake Walk

I remember so clearly in my mind doing the cake walk at our elementary school Halloween carnival as a kid.

We cut out pumpkins and tape them to the ground, and the cake walk is just a good old round of musical chairs until there is one winner that earns themselves…a cupcake. 🙂

Spooks Hunt

During the days of COVID when we weren’t comfortable trick-or-treating with the babies, the kids did a Halloween Easter egg hunt for candy. They loooooved it. I don’t know any kid that doesn’t love a good old fashioned egg hunt.

Happy hauntings, ghouls and boys!

What’s Up Wednesday {10.25.23}

Posted on by Lauren Lane

How did we get to the last Wednesday in October? It flew. The whole month, absolutely flew by. The holidays are right around the corner, and it’s a mad dash until the end of the year. Again….how did we get here?!

As always, I’m linking up with Shay and Sheaffer to share with you what’s going on in our life!

1: WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK: So far this week, we were lucky enough to have my dad offer to smoke some brisket and give us a portion of it….which I absolutely never say no to when there’s smoked meats involved. And then we’ll round out the week with some spaghetti and meatballs and baked salmon.

2: WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT:

Aidan is up on all fours and doing the rock back and forth. The precursor to full blown crawling. He’s going to put it together any day now. And given how close to the same time of year Aidan and Harrison were born, all of my memories showing up on TimeHop right now of this little one crawling for the first time…

Nathan and I were talking just the other night that watching some of these videos of baby Harrison crawling is like watching a video of Aidan.

3. WHAT I’M LOVING:

It took us awhile to get here, but the boys have been really into imaginative play lately. I loooooove listening to them craft stories, rules, come up with ideas. It’s the MOST FUN THING to overhear.

The most recent concoction was a full blown construction site in Jonathan’s room. Jonathan kept coming downstairs asking me to put his drill back in his back jeans pocket.

And getting some fresh fall flowers with the boys has been bringing me so much joy on dreary days.

4. WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO:

Soooo busy. Lots and lots of fun things!

Harrison finished up his fall soccer season.

Nathan and I celebrated our nine year anniversary!

Of course, I went to the Taylor Swift Eras Tour movie, which was so much fun to get to see the concert again!

I was able to skip out from work one morning to get to go on Harrison’s first school field trip to the apple orchard with him.

Aidan started solids. Seriously, almost seven months have gone by in a flash….how did we get here?!

And then last weekend, we cheered Nathan on as he finished his first half marathon!

And we went pumpkin patchin’ with the cousins.

5. WHAT I’M DREADING:

Nothing at the moment.

6. WHAT I’M WORKING ON:

At the moment, I’m working on our laundry for the week. Ha!

7. WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT:

I’m so excited for Halloween with the boys. Harrison & Jonathan both really get it, are so into it, and these holidays with little kids are just something special. Look at these cuties from last year!

Jonathan would have been thrilled to dress up in his lawn mowing costume again. He’s still VERY into lawn mowing.

And Harrison is still into superheroes.

8. WHAT I’M WATCHING & READING: I’m watching all of my typical Bravo shows. But I’ve been particularly pleased with this season of Southern Charm. Last season was….meh.

Much more entertaining this season!

I just started My Sister’s Keeper audio book based on my Mom’s recommendation. I’m still very much behind on doing a new book review. Maybe next month!

9. WHAT I’M LISTENING TO: Taylor. Taylor. Taylor.

10. WHAT I’M WEARING:

I’m a 100% obsessed with this new pullover from Target. I got an XL based on reading the reviews….because sizing was….weird.

Still love this dress for fall.

11. WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND: It’s going to be cold. And rainy. With no plans. Ahhhhhh. We’ll have to find something to do out of the house! Definitely carving our pumpkins for Halloween!

12: FAVORITE AMAZON FIND THIS MONTH:

Few things have brought me more joy of things I’ve purchased lately than these gigantic spiders…

13. WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH: Thanksgiving. Of course. It’s almost annual biscuits and gravy time in the Lane house.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Friday Favorites {10.13.23}

Posted on by Lauren Lane

Happy Friday the 13th!! If you saw my post earlier this week about my biggest fears, you know that I kind of like Friday the 13th. But I failed to mention one of my biggest fears. Like the most obvious fear that I have. A fear of having my blood drawn or getting an IV. And this past weekend, we survived flu shots for the family, and little Aidan was due for FIVE shots yesterday at his six month appointment. We are immunized out over here. But happy to have the heavy fall shot time behind us!

I’ve rounded up some of my favorites from the past week!

Speaking of shots…when we went to get our flu shots as a family, the pediatrician had this buzzing little bee that she put on the boys’ leg while she was doing the injection and on my arm and I literally felt nothing. The boys didn’t cry at all. And I immediately went home and ordered one to keep in my diaper bag for all future shots. Ha!

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Let’s Look…At Our Biggest Fears

Posted on by Lauren Lane

Did you know that Friday is Friday the 13th? I’ve always kind of liked the number 13. Harrison was born on a Friday the 13th. And that kind of cemented it for me as being a good number. So, while there’s no triskaidekaphobia over here, there are plenty of other rational and irrational fears.

And that’s what we’re sharing today in this “Let’s Look” link up! So, let’s jump in!

I spiral if I don’t hear from you. And this mostly pertains to my immediate family. But if I text Nathan and know he’s out with friends, and then I don’t hear anything for an extended period of time…I spiral. Down into a deep dark hole of irrational thoughts about what happened to him. What if he got in a car crash and nobody knew how to get ahold of me? What if he got robbed and someone took all of his stuff and he had no way to reach me? What if he’s lying dead in a gutter….? It’s not a pretty place…and it’s grounded in….absolutely nothing that has ever happened to me.

I have a fear of cockroaches. I can handle a lot of bugs. Cockroaches I just can’t. When I lived in North Carolina during my masters program, I found a cockroach in my kitchen, and nearly died of panic. Stood on my kitchen counters and called my parents in a panic. Expected them ideally to jump on a plane and come kill the bug for me. And only came off the kitchen counter once it ran under my dishwasher where I taped the little gap between the bottom of the dishwasher and the floor shut so that in theory…it couldn’t get out. I removed the tape when I moved out of the apartment.

It’s not a fear, but I don’t like even numbers. I wake up on odd numbers, will choose an odd number any day of the week when asked to pick a random number. It pains me slightly that some of my children will graduate high school in even years. So while it’s not a fear…it’s definitely an irk.

I have a fear of running out of money in life. I squirrel bits and pieces of money away with the best of them for a rainy day.

I have an irrational fear of not knowing something and everybody else being in the know…like it’s obvious and I’m the only idiot left out. I’m not built for surprise parties. It absolutely killlllls me internally if I know something is being kept from me. I am way too afraid of looking dumb.

And lastly, I’m terrified of running out of gas or having any car trouble at all. I refill my tank when there’s a quarter of a tank left, without fail…in case I need to make a surprise 100 mile journey and don’t have time to get gas. And other rational thoughts like that.

So those are my fears! Please tell me I’m not alone!