Friday Things #332

1. These three are quickly turning into the three amigos. Now that Isabelle is walking, she’s EVERYWHERE her brothers are, and doing whatever they are doing (usually playing with cars). It’s so fun to hear them all screech and giggle and play together. There are arguments and toy stealing and all the usual stuff you would expect, but they just adore playing together and I love hearing how happy they make each other.

2. Isabelle is starting swim lessons today! In true third child fashion, she is beginning way later than her brothers, but I’m excited to get in the pool with her and see how she takes to the water. I think she’s going to love it!

3. My 25-year-old self would have never dreamed that nearly 15 years later I would have 4.5-year-old and almost 3-year-old kids proclaiming a song by The Jonas Brothers, of all bands, as their favorite. They also like the Billy Ray Cyrus song (I can’t for the life of me remember the name – Old Town Road?) I feel like we’re in a time warp. They also moan and ask me to change the channel when a U2 or John Mellencamp song comes on, so apparently, I have reached “old mom” status who likes “bad boring” music. I thought this wasn’t supposed to happen for many, many years?!

4. How amazing is this?! A woman had her grandma’s most beloved noodle recipe (in her grandma’s handwriting) made into the backsplash for her pantry area. Absolutely beautiful.

5. This is an absolutely fantastic read, with great tips, and such a wonderful reminder that we don’t have to say yes to everything or otherwise come up with random excuses >> The Art of Saying No to Invites When You Really Don’t Want to Do Something. (h/t to Jessica who shared the link in her Tuesday Things this week)

6. We are heading to the beach next month and will have a 10-11 hour drive to get there. I would LOVE to hear your travel tips for toddlers and preschoolers. Any must-take things, tips for keeping them from getting too bored or restless? We have a DVD system in our van, but we’re planning on holding that back until things reach desperation level, lol! We’ve actually never used it; we generally don’t drive any further than an hour or so around here and never saw a need for it on trips that length. So it should be a good novelty to break out on the trip.

7. I think you know by now I’m a huge fan of decluttering and purging (I feel like I can breathe so much easier when there isn’t stuff everywhere) and these are some great tips >> The First 15 Things You Need to Do to Declutter Your Entire Life

8. Have you bought anything from the Nordstrom sale? I picked up just a few items, but my favorite, by far, is this cozy twist front pullover. It is, quite possibly, the softest shirt I have ever put on – it feels like butter! A lot of the colors/sizes are sold out, but if you can snag one, do it! (It seems to run big, so I would recommend sizing down one size unless you like your tops quite loose.) I also grabbed these Zella high waist pocket 7/8 leggings and they are extremely comfortable and flattering, plus I love that they have sleek pockets on the sides.

9. I saw the Mr. Rogers movie trailer this week and cannot WAIT to see it. Being from Pittsburgh, Mr. Rogers is especially near and dear to my heart, and the trailer gave me all the feels. You can see it here or watch below: