DINOS IN THE FALL! 🍁

We were looking for an activity to do together when we remembered an un-opened birthday present that was left at the top of the closet. We pulled out what ended up being a bonding and building experience for all of us. It actually kept the kiddos entertained for a long time as well which is always a plus right?

Another thing is that it comes with an "excavation guide" that is filled with information about each type of dinosaur. Below is the visual story of how our cool panorama came to be! Enjoy 😎. [ You can find Mindware's DIG IT UP! Dinosaur Eggs HERE ]

// Not pictured: we put the eggs in water for 5 minutes, then started chiseling and digging for dinosaurs. 

// Once we "dug up" all of our dinos, we started working on our Panorama or in the words of a 5 year old: "A house for the DINOSAURS!!!" Is this all it took to get them to share and work together?! Let's PERMANENTLY keep the painting supplies out! 

// We decided to add as many natural aspects as possible so we took our expedition outdoors and began collecting grass, leaves, rocks, and bark.

// Then we started decking out our dinosaur home! 

// Yes those are real life plants and succulents planted in there. Had to! #Overachievers! 🌱 😊

// DONE! Pretty cool right?! We think so! Plus we have a few dinosaurs left to dig out! We HIGHLY suggest purchasing this kit! It's a good one!! Great gifts for kids are great ... SO thankful for this one!! ❤️

THE WORK OF YOUR FINGERS, THE MOON AND THE STARS ⭐️

KIEN | AGE: 5 | WASHINGTON

GIFTED WITH BRAINS

When we came up with the "Gifted with Brains" category for All Kids are Gifted, Kien was the first child that popped into our minds. We think that's a huge testament to how intelligent he really is. We've known this little boy since he was born and he has wowed us ever since. He is EXTREMELY smart. In spending time with him he will quickly fill you in on tons of facts about the solar system, the periodic table, chemical elements (and their potency / if they're poisonous, or why onions really make you cry). We seriously learned so much in our short time photographing him and he is SO adorable, which makes it easy to retain all of that information. Maybe he should become a professor or an astronaut one day, the possiblities are endless!

Gifted with brains, style, personality and a sense of humor ... Kien has it going on! We greatly applaud his amazing family who has noticed and embraced his intelligence, continue to nurture and challenge it! 

// Read below to see what answers Kien had for his MINI Q & A. Questions by Kien's Mommy + Answers by Kien.

Q: WHAT IS THE PERIODIC TABLE?
A: It's a group of elements.

Q: WOULD YOU EVER LIKE TO BUY YOUR OWN STAR AND GIVE IT A NAME?
A: You can't really buy a real star (this is what Kien said). I did ask him what his favorite star is and he said "Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion".

Q: WHICH CHARACTER(S) THAT YOU'VE READ ABOUT IN YOUR BOOKS WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET IN REAL LIFE?
A: Bill Nye the Science Guy.

“Ever since Kien was a baby he has been fascinated by books. When he reached the age of two he became obsessed with the solar system and by the age of three he was reading independently. He loves learning about the human anatomy, astronomy, physical science, art, classical music and even the periodic table. You’ll mostly find him at his favorite place, the Museum of Flight on the weekends and having fun performing experiments at home during the weekday. ”

— Kien's Mommy

•       •       •
KIEN'S OUTFIT DETAILS
TEE SHIRT: Shop HERE
CARDIGAN: Similar one HERE
JEANS: Similar ones HERE
SHOES: Similar ones HERE
 

MAMA LOVES MY FINGERS, DADDY LOVES MY TOES

There's something about a childs' tiny little feet and tiny little tiny hands that just draws almost anyone in. Plus we can't forget those tiny little fingers and toes. I don't know about you but we've spent some time and still sneak in the occasional kisses on my little mens hands and feet (even my oldest), I absolutely LOVE them! That's where the idea for this print came from! When my oldest son was born I even made a little song for him all about his tiny little feet, just so I could kiss them even more! I may share that one of these days, we'll see!

---

MESSY LEVEL: 1
When creating the hand + footprints for this printable there will be a little bit of cleaning up to do. 

Download different variations of this printable HERE + Have fun loving on those hands and toes and getting a little messy for some adorable decor! Have SO MUCH fun making these!

SUPPLIES:

• Printable // Download HERE

• Printer friendly card-stock

• Non toxic paint / Stamp ink

// Start by adding paint / stamp ink to your littles hands and/or feet. We used Handmade Modern paint because it has great consistency, it's water based, and it's non-toxic for the kiddos. You can get it HERE . We rinsed this off right after stamping!

// Then: STAMP AWAY onto your card-stock!

// Look at those little feet! 😍

// DONE! Display your work of art!

SHE LEAVES A LITTLE SPARKLE WHEREVER SHE GOES

KAMAILE | AGE: 3

GIFTED WITH MOVES

Have you ever met a triple threat in the making?! Well we had the opportunity to when we met Kamaile. She is an absolutely charming and beautiful three year old little girl who can sing, dance, AND act! Wait did we say triple threat? Well she has the natural gift in modeling as well so make that quadruple! We are SO excited to see what's in store for Kamaile, especially since she has the best cheerleaders who love and support her SO much: her amazing family. Oh and also: her favorite flower color is pink! 🌸  This little darling deserves all the pink flowers ... for her birthday! Have TONS of fun at your birthday party Kamaile!! 🎉   

Read the mini Q & A below to get to know her a little bit more!

• Kamaile's Mommy (Q) + Kamaile (A) •

Q: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
A: A doctor

Q: WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ON TV OR A MOVIE? IF SO WHICH ONES?
A: Movie(s) / Adventures in babysitting / Descendants / Cinderella / Teen Beach Movie

Q: WHATS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT PERFORMING FOR PEOPLE?
A: Being able to wear dresses and high heels and making people happy

“Naturally Talented. When she was 9 months old she was talking and telling stories and even singing the songs from the movie Grease. When she turned 1 year old she could meticulously put together outfits for herself and would model and pose for the camera. She would watch a Disney movie and would act out dance or sing what she watched. It was a natural thing she would do. No one taught her or coached her she just did it. She LOVES entertaining people. She is full of energy and passion to make others happy. Daily she would ask to have her pictures taken or make a video of her acting or teaching something. She would pose for her family members and say its for her modeling and acting career. We love watching her videos from having tea with her daddy and big brother to singing and dancing musicals from Disney movies to making YouTube videos. We know one day that she will be able to showcase her natural talent for the world to enjoy.
”

— Kamaile's Mommy

•       •       •
KAMAILE'S OUTFIT DETAILS
LEATHER JACKET: Shop similar HERE
TEE SHIRT: Shop similar HERE
JEGGINGS: Shop HERE
BOOTS: Shop similar HERE
MICROPHONE: Handmade out of an Honest Co. box + card stock!

INSTAGRAM: kamaile_officialtalentpage

KID COSTUMES: PIRATES • captain Hook + captain jake 🏴‍☠️

Now that Halloween is only 3 weeks away we decided to pull out last year's fun "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" inspired costume photos. They definitely got us in the spirit while we started working on this year's costumes! Plus, we can NEVER get tired of looking at these gems! 

Enjoy the rest of the visual story below!

Aren't they SO adorable?! On the right we have the Captain Jake costume from the Disney store which you can find HERE, and on the left we have our modern version of Captain Hook. We put it all together; handmade the burgundy coat, the collar, and the arm cuffs. We found a cool pirate hat, added a large white feather and tied it all together with striped leggings and of course: Converse! All pirates wear striped leggings right?

The full outfit details can be found at the end of this post! Have fun getting your littles and yourselves ready for Halloween this year loves! What will you and your kiddos dress up as?

•       •       •
// OUTFIT DETAILS 🎃  //

• CAPTAIN JAKE •
JACKET: Part of the Jake costume from the Disney store
PIRATE HAT: Shop similar HERE
BOOTS: Hunter shop similar HERE
SWORD: Shop similar HERE
PUMPKIN PAIL: Target shop HERE

• CAPTAIN HOOK •
LONGSLEEVE ONESIE: H&M shop HERE
COLLAR/ASCOT + ARM CUFFS: Handmade
CAPTAIN COAT: Handmade
CAPTAIN HAT: Shop similar HERE
PIRATE LEGGINGS: Target shop HERE
SHOES: Nordstrom shop low top version HERE 
SWORD: Shop similar HERE  
HOOK: Party City shop HERE
BAT PAIL: Target

A21 #WalkforFreedom ✖️

Did you know that every 30 seconds someone becomes a victim of modern-day slavery? Children are included when we say someone. Child trafficking victims are taken for labor, sex and organ trafficking, ranging in ages 1 - 18 years old. Can you believe it? We couldn't wrap our minds around this terror and even though the numbers and facts seem overwhelming and can make a person feel helpless, we decided to STAND UP! Stand up for all of these men, women and children from all backgrounds and all ages all over the world. If we can help even 1 life, that 1 life matters! 

On October 15, 2016 A21 is hosting their 3rd annual #WalkforFreedom! One step at a time we will fight together globally to bring awareness to the horrors of human trafficking, and continue to raise funds which help the mission of rescuing and restoring lives all over the world. The walk will be hosted in 250 global locations! Sign up to join the walk in a location near you at:

A21.org/campaigns

If you can't join in the walk there are many ways you can be a voice for freedom. You can help by educating people, fundraising for the cause and just donating either one time or by becoming a monthly supporter. You can find links for all of these options at:

A21.org

IMAGE CREDIT:

Image #1  -  A21.org

Image #2 - All Kids are Gifted

BE STRONG, BE BRAVE, BE FEARLESS

ENZO | AGE: 3 | SEATTLE • WASHINGTON

GIFTED WITH STYLE

I haven't had the honor of photographing Enzo (YET! Can't wait to) , so I'd like to give credit for these images to an amazing photographer that works at Zulily. Yes Enzo models for Zulily! How cool is that?! With that said, there hasn't been a time that my boys and I have hung out with Enzo that I don't want to get one of everything he's wearing for my boys or even myself! This little man has so much style and is styled by the most fashion - forward Mommy and Daddy duo! Not only is he stylish, he has the funnest personality, the BEST face expressions and such a huge generous heart in his little body! I can say that spending time around him is always a new adventure where lots of bonding happens and new friendships are made! We love Enzo, and you will too!! Enjoy a mini Q&A between Enzo's Mommy (Q) and Enzo (A) below:

Q: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE THING THAT YOU WORE ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL?
A:  Monster Truck

Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST ABOUT BEING STYLED AND MODELING?
A: They give me goldfish snacks and apple juice

Q: WHAT'S COOLER? SUNGLASSES OR A LEATHER JACKET?
A: Shoes

“Enzo has been given the great opportunity to model at Zulily from his infant age. He is not a professional model but he is confident and joyful and I think that makes him a kid in style! I usually buy his clothes from Zara, Primark, Zulily and Nordstrom Rack. You can always find stylish and affordable kids clothes there.

We believe his confidence and joy overflows out of him because he knows that he is loved by his parents and God. We love how Enzo is expressive and always wants to help (rescue people in his word) others. We know God has a great plan for his life and we are excited to discover them as we direct his steps.”

— Enzo's Mommy + Daddy

•       •       •
ENZO'S OUTFIT DETAILS
TEE SHIRT: Similar tees HERE
LEATHER JACKET: Similar one HERE
LEGGINGS: Similar ones HERE
SHOES: Similar ones HERE
SUNGLASSES: Similar ones HERE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Zulily Photographer