When we first started homeschooling, our activity levels were no where near where they were. The kids had gym class 2 times a week plus daily recess at public school and Italy would spend two hours a day with me at the gym playing with other little kids. I was always in the gym and making sure the kids knew I was being active too.


When we started homeschooling, we just moved to a city where the kids had no roots or friends. I wasn't the happiest person in the world because my life got up rooted and I let that interfere with our active lifestyles.
Once I seen just how inactive we had become, I made it a goal to make sure that the kids and I still maintained an active life. I'm not going to lie, there were times where I would not do anything "active" for days and it really started to take a toll on all of us.

SO now.. how did we do it? How can you do it? It's simple really!

1. Get out- Even if it is just walking around the block, walking around your neighborhood or at a track, getting out is the first stepping stone to encouraging your kids to be active.


2. Visit the park.. OFTEN- I know there is a split between the mom world about parks. Strangers roam near by, mean kids tend to bully others and let's be honest.... it can be kinda creepy  when someone is lurking by that looks kind of suspect. I get it! I am constantly shouting their name if I can't spot them in 2 seconds, literally. But parks do have their advantages. There is tons of equipment and these days, most parks have been upgraded for the safety of children. I love the fact that they can climb, jump, race and play on things that may require them to use their muscles more.





3. Competition/Games- Playing games and making obstacle courses are one way that I really get my kids moving. Sometimes, they are nothing but a ball of energy and it can be difficult for them to focus on school work, make them crabby or just flat out mean. At our loft, we have several sets of stairs outside, a ramp and a huge walkway by the entrance. When they need a little extra "workout" we go outside and they run an obstacle course race or see who can go up and down the stairs the most. My kids are very competitive so they love doing this.







4. Be an example- By being an example, your kids will imitate you. When I am sneaking my chocolate because I had a stressful day( terrible habit I know) they automatically want candy too. When I make a salad, they all come up with ways we can eat healthy together. I know it may seem like an obvious thing, but kids really pay attention.. TO EVERY THING!



5.Push them- Pushing your kids to try harder or be better has been twisted into this "stage mom" perception and quite frankly, I think it hurts our kids more than helps them. I do my best to teach my kids that not everyone will win and if you loose, try harder next time. When a kid really wants something, they will work for it! When Thai broke her arm, she was so afraid to get back on the playground, do anything high up or anything that required her to use her hands like the monkey bars. After talking with her about why she has to keep trying and why she shouldn't give up... she tried again. and she did great!

Hey y'all!
So it is officially "the end of the year" in my books! These last two months of the year I usually spend most of my time cleaning, re organizing and planning for the upcoming year! Between Spring Holy Days that always tend to sneak up on me, birthdays coming up ( yes, I will be 30 next year) I always want to enter the new year as organized and focused as possible!

One thing I like to do before I start mass organizing is spending time with my friends as much as I can. You know... be an adult lol. All my friends celebrate the winter holidays so they are typically with their family a lot during that time. So this year, I decided to host a little shindig before we all get so busy and it honestly gets to cold to do ANYTHING that requires getting out in the freezing weather.
So I decided to host a Brunch Party! I mean I really do look for any reason to Brunch anyways lol so why not!

I wanted to share with y'all some tips and insight on how you can host a fabulous brunch party on a budget!




Invitations:
The invitation sets the tone, and thanks to  Paperless Post, you can find a wide variety of invitations, note cards and more for any occasion. Not only can you choose from designer invitations, you can save time and money by emailing them to all those on your guest list. You can also keep track of declines, rsvp's  and even send out reminders. It really makes planning easy and quick! Head over to Paperless Post today to see all their beautiful invitations, cards and save the dates!
Here is my design choice for my Brunch Party and my guests loved it! Also, their invitations and cards are totally customizable! How perfect is that!

Food:
The food you serve can really drive your brunch up in costs, especially when you are feeding a crowd. Focus on carbs and proteins to ensure your guests are full. I opted to make pumpkin french toast ( since pumpkin is life), chicken and waffle sliders, eggs w/ veggies and sausage. I also had a few select pastries laying out as well. I filled in the menu with fresh fruit and granola. When planning your fruit dishes, I suggest buying from the farmers market during the week, it tends to be cheaper. Also, skip the pre-cut fruits! They may look gorgeous, but you are spending way more than you need to.

those are NOT dirty clothes in the back, they are blankets lol

 I am NOT a food photographer lol so please don't judge lol
Drinks:
We all know no brunch is complete without a mimosa! But to cut your costs, you can have your guests bring a bottle of champagne or sub out champagne for cheap wine and mix it with some juice. Two bottles of champagne worked well between me and two guests. But, if you must have some bubbles in your juice, grab a bottle ginger ale or sparkling juice. Coffee and tea are also great ways to cut costs when it comes to the drinks department.

champagne arrived after I took pictures lol

Decor:
Decor can really take your brunch from hanging in the front room to an Instagram worthy post in a heartbeat! But it can also drive up the costs. Now, I am all for shopping and grabbing new decor but I believe in being able to reuse something too. So unless you see something so cute and reusable, check your house and thrift store for decor items. Grabbing items you already have around the house like vases, candles and flowers can easily up your table decor. I save all my wine corks so I used them to fill a vase along with some flowers from the thrift store. Even though it saves time, plastic utensils and plates can throw off your table setting. Using real plates and silverware keep your table dressed up.

some of my wine corks!

I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope you were inspired by some of my tips! What did you think about my brunch table? What are some of your tips to host a fabulous Brunch Party?! Let me know in the comments below!

This is a sponsored post, I received free product for my review. All opinions are honest and my own. 

Hey y'all! I am back in KC and I am missing the Ozarks so much right now! The weather was perfect for Fall, I seriously enjoyed it way too much!
Let me tell you one of the best feelings in the world... k?
You wake up to silence... you look outside and it is a tad cloudy but there are beautiful orange, red and brown leaves all over the place. Then you take your perfect steaming cup of coffee outside to revel in the cool brisk air that requires a thick comfy sweater! Are you catching my drift yet?! Well that's how it was. FANTASTIC!
I enjoyed spending a few quite mornings on the patio with my hot coffee and really just getting to relax. No kids yelling at each other, no crying for something else, no one asking for a million things... just me and the soothing sounds of nature!
Ahh I need to go back!

Of course, I was expecting the weather to be all Fall- fantabulous so I made sure I packed a long some of my favorite things!

One color I am always a fan of using is olive, especially during the Fall! I feel like growing up as a kid I was seriously misguided at how beautiful olive is. It has slowly over the years become one of my favorite colors. You can keep it simple with other solids or you can go with some floral patterns to pull it all together.



 My flats are from Target as well and they were only $16.99! They are so cute and versatile, even my daughter Thai loves wearing them lol.

Hey y'all!