It is Friday! Thank heavens! I have barely been able to collect my thoughts with this crazy week. It is really one of the best aspects of summer though, so much to do and you never have to worry about bringing a coat! 

First: Cheers to trying new things!

I got my first “Fab Fit Fun” box this week. Honestly, I have been curious about these things for the better part of a year and I finally caved during a weak moment after surgery last month. I was so excited to see it finally arrive! 

I'm a grown woman, I can shop with the best of 'em. But this is different. This is fun. This is trying something for me - just me! - just for the sake of trying something. Honestly, I am happy with it. It was fun to get, I like the products and I will do this again. The seasonal box is $50, but I used a code to get $10 off of my first box. If you want $10 off you can use this link!

You kind of get to make a few choices and "customize" what is selected for you, but it is still mostly a pleasant surprise when it comes. So far I am loving this bronzer/highlighter palate more than anything else. For one, I have never tried a "highlighter."  I mean, I am 36. In my opinion this is a new phenomenon for young millennials on instagram. But I LOVE this one! 

The very first thing I noticed was that it smells like chocolate. Um, yes, please! Then I tried it out yesterday with my regular makeup in place of blush and I really liked it. I am not sure that I would try it as a substitute for my day job as a lawyer, but it is definitely worth it for the weekend! 

This Coola sunscreen also came in the box. Perfect timing too because we are headed to the beach soon! I have tried their sunless face tanner before and I really like it. Their products have a great reputation and are also rated pretty decently as far as natural products go (per my crunchy friend!) In fact, everything in this box was. 

Second:

The Greatest Showman! 

Omg! This movie plot was mediocre for sure. But the music! The dancing! The costumes! And Hugh Jackman! YAAAASSSS! We cannot stop listening to the soundtrack. My kids are obsessed. I am obsessed. It is just so fun and colorful! It is a go-to song in our kitchen dance party repertoire. 

Third: 

I attended several "Thirty One" parties this spring. It had been at least five years or more since I had been to one of these parties and to be honest, I was a little skeptical at first. I am all for bags making life easier, but I am picky and wasn’t sure what I really needed. I quickly realized that due to the fact that I now have one more kid, my kids are older and have SO MUCH stuff to organize and travel with, I have entered the phase of my life where Thirty One is indispensable.

I am now in full mom mode, and buying ALL of the mom bags and I was also pleasantly surprised to see that Thirty One now offers a few more products than just bags. This little rustic piece caught my eye and I thought it would make the perfect thing to organize our counter top. 

You know what I mean - that place where the mail comes in and you aren't sure whether to save or throw it away. Or, you want to save it for like 30 days then throw it away. Or, it is a vehicle recall notice that you have been getting for like 18 months and you are just going to schedule it any day now! Our counter situation was kind of a wreck, but I saw this little thing and I knew it would be perfect to get my organized and clear the persistent mess. 

Look how clean it looks! I am so happy. I am not even sharing a before because it was just embarrassing. 

My Thirty One rep is so fun and down to earth. For boxes like these contact her here. 

Fourth: Deck staining project paying off

We (mainly Terry) stripped and stained our deck last month. It was an awful and terrible chore. It involved power tools and chemicals. I was fresh out of surgery so I could not even help. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!) 

All of this outside work is so much more of a pain than the inside work for some reason. It is harder, it takes more time, and in the back of our minds we know we cannot enjoy it during the winter months. Nonetheless, it must be done. 

We stained our deck a new color this year and it was 100% worth it. We used a product that we both, after trying many different paints and products, think is worthwhile.

It went on smoothly and easily, it dried quickly, and you can see how great the coverage is in the photo below. It is just one coat! We will probably do a second coat later this summer just because we had really stripped off all of the old paint and we want to protect the old wood, but if it was just for color purposes we would not really need to. 

Finally: my tiny dancer 

This past weekend my sweet little Madeline had her first dance recital. Just seeing her on stage made my eyes well with tears. (Like, ridiculous happy, hot, and proud tears.) She was so excited to be on stage! Performing does not phase her one bit. I’m so proud of her for being so brave and for remembering her dances. 

(Sidebar: huge shoutout to LMN Photography for doing a great job with Madeline and all of the dancer's photos. Madeline can be a stinker but she really was so sweet and fun with her and somehow got her to look at the camera and flash her sweet little smile!) 

I watched her dance and I was so proud and so happy watching my sweet little babe perform, but at the same time I felt like I had been slapped across the face. 

I was a dancer for years. I was an early student at a growing local studio and I truly loved my dance teacher. She was not "just" a teacher. She was an extension of how I identified as a person. I emulated her. She was like a perfect little snowflake waltzing through my life. 

This past week brought up so many old memories for me. So many vignettes of joyful times. Sadly, with every memory of pure, youthful happiness there is a twinge of sadness. My sweet and delicate ballet teacher died tragically and young by suicide. 

It has been a number of years. Time separates the shock of the loss and I have learned to carry with me words that paper over the wound that my heart carries.  My mouth is full of words, but for some reason they still fail to properly encompass the complicated wave of emotions that wash over me ever time I think of her, or dance, or the timelessness and simple elegant beauty of a dancer on stage. It's crushing to think that she might have been in pain all those years but I hope she knew how much she influenced my life and how much we loved her.

To see my sweet little love shine on stage - it is complicated. I am moved with pride for my daughter. I am bursting with joy to see her love something that defined my childhood. I am absolutely broken-hearted at the same time. There is a lump in my throat. There are tears. Are they happy tears? I can't tell. 

My feelings are complicated but the takeaway for me is clear. This is a worthwhile and meaningful piece of art worth sharing with my child. A piece of my soul, in many ways. 

We talked about her dance recital. I wanted to make sure that this activity is something that she truly wants in her life, and that I am not putting my "baggage" on her. Her reply: "Mommy, I just love being on STAGE!" 

Heaven help us all. 

And in the midst of this week, my dance emotions, and the onset of summer and my babes growing much too quickly ... Ozzy is all of us Mamas.  Just drinking some water from this kids' toy to survive. 

Keep your head up pup. 

Have a great weekend everyone!