Goodwill Shopping Haul

Hey Y'all...

It has been a little while since I have had a fun shopping day at Goodwill to share with ya.

The weather here in the Central Valley has been a little bipolar...hot, cold, and rainy.

Reaching mid 90s one day and we about died.

Uh hello, we were not prepared for the drastic heat increase.

My poor chitlins were wearing last years shorts...wait...shorty shorts.

I was time to hit Goodwill...with a quickness!

So little Bambino and I went on a morning date to Goodwill.

This is our trip...we gave our self ONE hour to do some damage...

Speed shopping!

Full Tilt Top  $2.95

Classic Duck Face...Dress NWT $2.00

I think it is from a boutique because I didn't recognize the name.

Up close image of dress

Pant Suit. $2.00. I LOVED this but...it was too short.

 Sadly I had to hang it back up for some other lucky girl.

Really reminded me of something my favorite fashion icon (Kim K) would wear.

NY & Co Dress $2.00

Another disappointment. Love me some polka, but the fit wasn't right.

BUMMER!

My haul...

Full Tilt Tank $2.95

Mossimo Racer back tank $2.95

F21 silk top $2.95

Dress $2.00

Denim Top $5.90

Full Tilt Flowy top $2.95

Tops for my boys

Tommy Hilfiger button up $2.25

Quicksilver button up $2.25

6 pairs of shorts @ $2.95 each. Practically new. Some even still felt starchy.

Brands including...

Osh Gosh

Carters

High Sierra

Tops for my girl $2.95 each

I would say this was a successful trip.

Have a blessed day!

Whats on Kittehs phone...

I think it is pretty fun to see what is peoples cell phones.

Come on, haven't you ever found a phone and thought...

hmmm what kinda photos or music do they have?

OK, so maybe my husband and I are the only ones.

I thought it would be fun to share some things that I have on my phone...occasionally.

My kids use my phone more then I do. Most of the time taking photos of themselves and random objects. It is fun for me to look at them and see their silliness.

 Sharing my heart (kids) with you is so special to me.

I hope you enjoy the randomness of these posts.

Our house plant...yes I say "plant" because she just sits around to look pretty.

The best sight ever.

Being silly face, he received a letter from a little girl in class to come over to her house. He has been crushing on this little girl since the first day of school.

These GUNS...home run baby. First softball game of the season.

People of Walmart

Movie date with my girl. At the same time we were there

"Showboys" was premiering so we snuck a quick Red Carpet photo...pillow pet included.

Also my sweet friend Teryn @ Vintage Romance made jewelry for the movie AND she was an extra! TOOT TOOT! Way to go girlie!

More about her jewelry line in another post!

Father Daughter Dance...Rodeo theme.

I hope you enjoyed the complete randomness of this post.

Have a Blessed Day!

WIW...I am slightly obsessed with stripes

Outfit:

Army Trench, Goodwill ($2.95), H&M Stripe Tee, Plato's Closet ($5), Scarf, Dollar Store, ($1), Capri's, Goodwill ($4), Shoes, Target ($16)

I have been inspired by all the Nautical/Military looks that I have been seeing on Pinterest.

So I paired up my Military looking Jacket with some stripes and added a scarf that totally didn't match. But it pulled together nicely. I actually received some compliments at softball practice. I was told I looked "effortless"...aw shucks...in all reality it took my a few trys to get it right. *DOH*

I felt good on this day.

I squeezed into my smallest pair of pants, yay for single digits! (WHOOP)

The sun was shinning and I had my coffee.

Contentment! 20 ounces of pure heaven!

Then...I was ambushed...

WHOMP WHOMP WHOMP

So...What do you think of my new header?

HAWT right?!? I love it!

Thank you to Mrs. Teryn @ Vintage Romance for all your help.

Bullying...it needs to stop!

I have been sitting at this computer screen for 30 minutes trying to find the words to say about my own experience with Bullying. See I too was a victim of bullies. At one time in our life, we will all have encountered a Bully. My story is not something that I like to talk about because that was a very hard time in my life. My home life was unstable and the people who I grew up with and considered my friends turned on me. I consider this "My Old Life" and I do not want to go back there. For the sake of other teens and my daughter, I will share.

My Story: I guess you could say I have always been made fun of. I was born with a lazy eye. Something I can not help, but God chose me to have this defect. My parents took me to eye doctors, specialist and I even went through eye surgery at 7 years old. The results of the surgery were loss of movement to my right eye. So you can guess all the names I was called. Even some of my Teachers would make comments. You can guess how my self esteem as a child was...minimal. I dealt with this all through grade school, junior high and high school.Even today I still get "looks" when I turn my head a certain way, one eye will follow in the direction I am looking and the other will no move. My freshman year of high school, for some reason unknown to me, my "girlfriends" started talking about me. Other girls I didn't even know started threatening me. I had people throwing paper at me in class. Calling me foul names, spreading rumors about things I "supposedly" did with boys, cornering me in the hallway, following me home from school. It was a pretty scary time for me. Then summer break came, my parents decided to get back involved into a Pentecostal church. It was a total lifestyle change on my sisters and I. So when I went back to school come fall, my sophomore year, I looked totally different. Which lead to more name calling, my friends now were no longer talking to me. My family began to fall apart and I was alone. My parents couldn't even see what was going on with me because they were dealing with their own problems. My GPA dropped, I was no longer interested in school. I dealt with this for the rest of my high school years. Come my senior year, I had a handful of girls that were my friends, I started ditching, repetitively. Lord only knows how I graduated. After high school was over, my life changed. Once I got out of that toxic environment, shed that horrific past and names that others had given me...I was finally able to be the woman I was supposed to be.

How being Bullied affected my life as a Teen: I felt alone. Scared. Betrayed. Next to no self esteem. (Which is a hard demon to get passed even into adulthood.)

How it shaped me as an Adult: I am definately more aware of how people behave. It is easy to get caught up in the moment of hurt or anger and say something that could potentially hurt someones self respect or feelings. I instill in my own children the effects of being a bad friend vs. a good friend. Teaching them to stand up for what is right and help the helpless. If I sit and dwell on how horrible my high school years were, I would be a bitter person. Yet my God has brought me through even the toughest of trials, by his Grace I am stronger and able to forgive those who wronged me. Today I am even able to have friendships with some.

Everyone is subject to being a victim in Bullying. It is everywhere! Many people believe it is a rite of passage, that we need to be bullied to grow and learn to stick up for ourselves. I believe that is absolutely ridiculous. Nobody should have to endure any such abuse from their peers.

Social Media has become a playground for bullies to haunt and taunt other people. (Adults included) This bullying occurs through email, text messaging, posts to blogs, Twitter...FACEBOOK! Yes I went there. Facebook is out of control.

Last year I watched "Cyberbully" on ABC with my daughter.

Plot: The film follows Taylor Hillridge, a teenage girl who receives a computer for her birthday from her mom. At first, Taylor is excited by the independence of going online without her mother always watching her. Taylor soon finds herself the victim of cyberbullying when she becomes a member of a social website. Things begin to go wrong when Taylor's brother hacks into her account and posts a defamatory message about his sister. Students at school write horrid comments about her and she becomes afraid to face her friends including her best friend Samantha. The abuse that Taylor receives from the hands of her schoolmates pushes her to a breaking point. Taylor almost commits suicide by overdosing with pills, but cannot get the cap off, and is sent to a hospital. Taylor's mom learns from the incident and takes on the school system and state legislation to prevent others from going through the same problem as her daughter.~source

I encourage you, if you have a daughter, watch it.

What can we do as parents?

Talk to your children! Ask them how things are going at school. If you notice anything odd about your child's behavior, follow up. We need to pay attention to our kids body language. Address the situation. If bullying is happening at school with another student. Address the school. Parent on Parent contact may only lead to more conflict. Please also remember, Teachers can also bully our children. Be involved in your child's education and class.
*I know first hand about this, recently dealing with my daughters Teacher.*

If the harassment continues and the principal or parents of the Bully are unwilling to take appropriate action, give them notice that the issue will be taken to a higher level.
IE: School Administration, Attorney, or other Law Enforcement. 

Do whatever it takes (within the bounds of the law) to protect your child's safety and self-respect!

Bullying is never the victims fault. Nor should they be made to feel that way.

SUPPORT SUPPORT SUPPORT!

Pray hedges of protection over our children before they leave for the day.

Prayer is a strong thing my friends!

This has been strong on my heart for a little bit now.

Even more so now after dealing with a situation with my own daughter.

BULLYING NEEDS TO STOP!

I believe we all need to start the day off telling
someone something nice...and mean it.

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

May you and your families be blessed.

Smores Pie

SMORE'S PIE!

You think I am kidding.

NOPE!

You will need:

Hershey Kisses/or Hersey Candy Bars...I didn't use a specified amount, the more the better

3/4 Cup sugar

1 Cup Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 Cup Butter

1 Egg

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

1 7oz. Container of Marshmallow Creme

wax paper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

First I started by smashing Graham crackers in a zip lock bag, using a rolling pin.

Next, Beat butter and sugar together until combined. Add the egg and vanilla to the mixture. On low speed gradually add flour, graham cracker crumbs and baking powder. Mix all ingredients together. Once mixture is fulling mixed, divide your dough in half. Use one half of the dough in a pie dish coated with cooking spray. Press the dough into the bottom of the dish and up the sides.

Evenly spread the Marshmallow Creme over the bottom crust. This will be sticky, try to resist licking your fingers, otherwise you will eat all the creme. (its hard trust me)

Now add your Hersey Kisses/or broken Hersey Bars. I placed my kisses upside down so they would not be pointy on the top of the pie.

Take your remaining half portion of dough and form it into a ball on top of wax paper. Top the ball with another sheet of wax paper and flatten with a rolling pin into about a 9" circle

or the size of your pie dish.

Carefully remove the top layer of wax paper and flip the crust onto of your pie.

Carefully remove the last layer of wax paper and pinch your pie crusts together.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool on a wire rack and slice when ready to serve.

Sadly I didn't a get a photo of the inside of the pie.

 We are beasts over hear and dove face first into this mellowy goodness.

ENJOY!

(recipe adapted from Hersey's)

WIW...Preteen edition

SO...my daughter is 9, almost 10. She has her own taste in clothing already.

She is one of those Disney Bop style lovers. She adores the way Zendya (Rocky) from SHAKE IT UP dresses. I have to agree, it is totally Boppy and 80's.

WIN WIN!

For a short while I saw a Rocky & CeCe line at Target.

Boo, I haven't seen it recently.

Here are a few styles she picked out online that she would like to duplicate.

 So off to the thrift stores I go to find similar items.

 Ya, twist my arm, make me go thrifting...mhm...

(source)

Let me be honest...I would totally wear this...minus the hot pink leggings.

Here is an outfit I picked up for her last week.

 On my thrifting event with Allison.

Sunday Church Outfit:

F21 Dress, Platos Closet ($8), Justice Bolero, Goodwill ($2.95), Pink Cami, Gifted from her friend, Ankle Boots, Ross ($15), Belt, mine.

I can not believe this dress.

It is a juniors size small and it practically fits her perfect.

So, what is your daughters style?

Thanks for stopping in today. Be blessed!