Conference Season!

So, if you're a blogger then you probably  know that conference season is in full swing. I'm super excited about conferences this year - I"m slated to attend three! In less than a week I'm off to Austin for BlogHer Food and I cannot wait! This will be my first major conference and I'm giddy with excitement. 

I'm hoping to attend two more conferences this year; Blog Elevated  in Houston this September and then Bloggy Boot Camp in Dallas this November. I have big ideas and dreams for this little blog and I have no doubt in my mind that attending these conferences will be game changers for me. 

However, I need a little help. Yes, I'm shamelessly calling out for sponsors. The money I make with this blog isn't much, but what I do make goes right back into this space. Starting now, all money made from sponsorships will be used to get myself to the above mentioned conferences.

I work hard for my sponsors and I'd love to have you on my sidebar. If you're interested in working with me, please see my sponsor page for more information. If you have questions, or don't see anything that works for you - let me know. Maybe we can work something out! 

For the month of June, I'm offering 25% off all ad spots (sale starts today). My rates are very reasonable and with the added discount you are getting a steal of a deal! Check it out for yourself. Use promo code SPONSORLOVE at checkout to get the discount! 

Thanks for taking the time to read this & I look forward to working with you! Maybe I'll even see you at a conference this year! (I would love that too!)  
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FREE Scentsy Anyone?

Hey y'all! A few months ago my darling cousin started selling Scentsy. I'm sure by now you've all heard of it because it's pretty much everywhere and everyone seems to LLLOOOOVVVEEE it. 

Well I have a secret. Until recently, I'd never smelled a Scentsy bar in my life. Yes, I use wax warmers but I used to buy my wax at Walmart (sometimes still do!) and I even know how to make them myself. A few weeks ago I was at my cousins' place and she let me dive into the box containing her scent samples. Y'all. I liked 99.99% of them. Seriously.

Anyway, I'm not trying to sell y'all on Scentsy - what I'm trying to say is I'm having an online Scentsy party and y'all are all invited! Woo hoo - partay! 

All you have to do is RSVP to the Facebook event. From there you can shop "Lacey's Online Party" from the comfort of your PJ pants. 

Here's the thing - you've GOT to join the facebook event because I'm giving away a FREE Scentsy bar!! Anyone who makes a purchase from my party is automatically entered to win a bar of their choice - all of the details are on the event page. It's easy peasy! 

Let's party! 

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Make A Splash!

Y'all remember the other day when I told y'all how my family is totally obsessed with water? Well I've got something to share today that is going to help YOU make a splash! 

I've teamed up with Alison at The Rosy Snail, as well as some other fabulous bloggers, to bring you an amazing giveaway! As in, one of you is going to win an awesome inflatable water slide! SCORE!

The awesome folks over at Blast Zone hooked Alison up with this water slide to review; then they took it one step further and offered to give one away as well. Good people over at Blast Zone, I"m tellin' ya! 

I don't know what the summer weather is like where you live, but  here in South Texas it gets H.O.T. As much as I"m looking forward to summer and all of the activities it will bring, there is undoubtedly going to come a time where all I want to do is hibernate indoors until the heat wave passes. In December. 

Keep cool this summer by winning this fun slide from Blast Zone! All you have to do is enter via the rafflecopter below. 

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Remembering

Today is the 6th anniversary of the passing of someone I love very deeply. Casey and I were high school sweethearts. I adored his blue eyes and his gorgeous smile. Plus he was on the football & wrestling team - that didn't hurt either. ;) We were the "it" couple, at least it seemed that way to us! We dated off and on during our sophomore year through senior year. We graduated in 2003 and went our separate ways but we reunited again during the summer of 2005. The timing was all wrong and we split again, and just a year and half or so later...he was gone. Just like that. Completely gone from my life. Forever.

Casey & I - Sophomore Homecoming

Casey was one of those people who could walk into a room and light the whole place up. He had a contagious smile and a hearty laugh. He went full steam ahead with everything he was involved in. He was persistent, strong willed, smart, and had the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known. He always had "pep" in his step. 

Casey never sat back and just let life happen. He went after whatever it was that he wanted and usually, eventually, he got it. Casey also had a soft heart; he wasn't intimidated by his emotions and he was able to express them freely, at least with me. Everyone, and I mean everyone loved Casey. Whether you knew him well, or barely knew him, you adored him. He was "that" guy. 

Casey with his Grandma & Mom on his 21st Birthday

Casey has an amazing family; his mother and I are still close to this day. (Love you Shannon, XO)  Casey was a Momma's boy, but that was okay with me - his mom is amazing and she loves him more than anything. He adored her and would do anything for her. I loved his grandparents and especially his great grandparents.  I couldn't begin to say enough about the amazing people he had in his life. I felt blessed to a part of their family; I always felt like I belonged with them. Casey was a part of my family too. My mom and brother adored him. We were always together and always with our families; we did everything together. 

Casey & MaMaw

After Casey and I split up the last time, we lost contact with one another, for a few reasons. Then, on May 31, 2007 I got a message on facebook from a mutual friend. He wanted to know if I'd heard about Casey. 

My stomach dropped immediately. Never in a million years would I have anticipated what I was about to be told. I was told that Casey had committed suicide the night before. I couldn't believe it. Hell, to be honest, some days I still don't believe it. Just call me "in denial." It's okay, I won't hold it against you. 

I was frozen solid in place - I couldn't do anything. I didn't want to believe it but I was terrified that it could be true. The only way for me to know for sure was to call Shannon but I didn't want to bother her if it was true. I finally got ahold of myself and made the call. Casey's stepdad answered the phone and confirmed that what I'd heard was true. I was completely and utterly devastated. 

When Casey passed I was in the first trimester of my pregnancy with Addison. When it came time for Casey's funeral, I couldn't go. The morning of, I got up and showered. I laid out my clothes. I was going to go. Except I couldn't. I couldn't stop shaking long enough to get dressed, let alone drive. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think straight. I felt so lost. To this day, I've never visited Casey's grave site. I have so much guilt over it, but I just can't bring myself to do it. It's almost like if I don't go, then it's not true. Maybe he is out there living a happy life somewhere. I know that isn't so, but sometimes it's easier to just wish it were. 

While some of the puzzle pieces surrounding Casey's death have been put together, we will never have real answers. The only person who can answer our biggest question, WHY?, is gone. 

I have a purpose to this post - other than sharing my loss with y'all. 

Suicide is right there, in our faces. Anyone can be affected by suicide, anyone. Did you know that it can be prevented? It's true. You can prevent suicide by talking about it, by being aware, and by paying attention to warning signs. 

Suicide has affected my life in many ways, directly and indirectly. I have personally known 5 people who have committed suicide. Five lives that didn't have to end. 

For more information on suicide prevention please visit http://www.afsp.org.

Love you and miss you Casey. Every single day. I pray for you, pray that you've found peace. I pray that you are watching over your Mama and your niece and your nephew. I pray that Mamaw is there with you and that you are dying her hair blue. I pray that you are listening to ridiculous amounts of Rodney Carrington and dancing and singing, and acting like a fool. I pray that you've got it turned up real loud too. I pray that you hear me when I talk to you. You know I'm talking to you right? All the time. I pray that someday it won't hurt so bad that you are gone. That someday I'll get to see your smile again, and hear you laugh. I pray that someday we'll be able to celebrate your birthday together again over pounds and pounds and pounds of really hot crawfish. I pray on every single holiday that you are looking down on me and your family and remembering all the fun we had together. Santa's Wonderland at Christmas time - a bag full of Payday candy bars on Halloween - and Valentine's Day - you always spoiled me. I pray that you know how much you mean to me and to everyone who loves you. We all miss you, so much.
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Look Twice

I'm a little late talking to y'all about this being that it is almost June, but it's an important topic to me so I felt like I should share anyway. 

Motorcycle safety is especially important to me because my husband not only enjoys riding as a hobby,  but he rides his bike daily to and from work. 
In fact, a lot of people use their motorcycles for commuting.
I really can't explain to y'all the feeling I get when I"m driving down the road alongside my husband while he is on his bike. It literally makes me an anxious, nervous wreck. I've had to learn to trust in his abilities; he is a safe and aware driver. Unfortunately, it's really not him that I"m worried about. I've seen the way other drivers completely disregard his presence on the road.

Some of the motorcycle statistics I've found are amazing. In 2007, 7.1 million motorcycles were registered in the United States. Motorcycles are on our roadways folks, and we need to pay attention to them. Also? A 2009 report found that more than half of motorcycle deaths involved at least one other vehicle. This is my worst nightmare, y'all. 

So I'm asking you, all of you, please be aware of your surroundings. Put down your phone, stop trying to multi-task, and just drive. Slow down. Look twice. Pay attention to what is going on around you and help keep our roads safer. Help keep my husband safe. And my father in law, my uncles, my friends, my neighbors, and probably, yours too. 

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Water Obsessed {+Water Park Coupons!}

Oh, hey y'all! I feel like I haven't written anything in forever! 

Oh, yea...right. 

I was deathly ill (you know when Mom gets sick, it's serious) all last week and then y'all know how it is after a long holiday weekend. You just can't get into the groove of things. Anyhow, lucky for everyone I survived. 

Memorial Day Weekend was fabulous. We spent some time on the lake and on a boat - hello Heaven! 

It only took about 10 minutes on the boat to convince my husband that we needed one of our own (hello, how long have I been saying that?) so the very next day we headed to Bass Pro Shops to take a looksee. 

We always have such a fun time at Bass Pro. There is so much for the kids to see and explore and the folks there don't mind if the kids get a little "hands on" with some of the stuff! The boats are all the way in the very back of the store and it took me forever to make it back there with little man. He is easily distracted by things like this:

Once we made it to the boat department, James crowned himself Captain of the party barge and Addison instructed me to relax wile we made our way to "Who-aii." Ha! Sounded good to me so I made myself comfortable! 

You're probably wondering if we bought ourselves a boat. I hate to inform you that we did not. We're not 'ballers' like that y'all. However, it's on our to do list and we're hoping next summer we'll be spending a lot of time on the lake if you know what I mean! 

My family is kind of  obsessed with the water. During the summer you can usually find us at the beach, the water park, floating the river, or if we're out of options, in the front yard running through the sprinkler! 

So, to celebrate our love for water I wanted to share some coupons for Texas water parks with y'all! I hope all of my Texas friends will be able to put them to good use and if you're not in Texas - come down for a visit! 

HOUSTON

Moody Gardens - Save up to $12

AUSTIN

Shore Club @ Volente Beach - Save $3

DALLAS

Hawaiian Falls - Save $7
NRH2O - Save $5
Water Works - Save $3
Bahama Beach Water Park - Save $2
Adventure Landing - Buy One Get One Free

SAN ANTONIO

Granite Beach Waterpark - Save $2
Splashtown - Save $7
Six Flags Fiesta Texas - Save $15

Enjoy my friends! 
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#WhiteCloudSleepPants - A Bed Wetting Solution for Kids

 

You might remember that a few weeks back I talked to y'all about the value of White Cloud Diapers. Well, since then I have jumped feet first into toilet training my little boy! I was always told that toilet training boys was more difficult than with girls but I am happy to report that he caught on very quickly! When he was good and ready. While he found great success staying dry during the day, I was still worried about putting him to bed wearing his underroos, so I needed something reliable for our transition period. Enter White Cloud Sleep Pants. I was thrilled when I was asked to give them a try, and while this is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own. 

White Cloud Sleep Pants are a great addition to your bed wetting solutions tool box. Available exclusively at Walmart, the sleep pants retail for almost $2 less than other national brands. At only $7.75 p/package, S/M (15 ct.) or L/XL (12 ct.), you can see how the savings would add up quickly.

White Cloud Sleep Pants look and feel a lot like real underwear.  They are cut similar to regular underwear, are very thin, and are exceptionally soft (I was surprised by this!). My little man had an immediate aversion to putting these things on – he is a big boy now ya know! He thought they were diapers and that he didn’t need them. However, once I convinced him to give them a go, he was happy! He was very comfortable in the sleep pants and he still felt like a big kid! A win win for mom – happy kid + no bed wetting accidents!

I know it's blurry - he thinks he's a ninja ;)

Overall I feel like the White Cloud Sleep Pants are a great value and from a name I know I can trust. 

Did you know that over 5 million kids a year experience bedwetting and it is one of the most common experiences during childhood development?

White Cloud Sleep Pants have been developed to provide exceptional comfort and leakage protection while looking like underwear. White Cloud Sleep Pants offer thin, discrete absorbent protection for your child. They have soft, stretchy sides that fit like real underwear, plus leak guards to help protect against leaks. The soft inner liner is hypoallergenic and treated with vitamin E and aloe for skin protection.

Each bag contains two unisex graphic designs and at $7.75, White Cloud offers exceptional value.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of White Cloud Sleep Pants.

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My Husband Broke Into Our Home

Are you scratching your head saying, umm, WTF?? Yea, join the club. If you follow me on instagram you may have seen this when I posted it late last Saturday night:

Here's the back story:

Saturday evening the whole family loaded up and went to the car dealership. We'd had our Ford Fusion for just over a year but after our car accident last year it was never the same. Hubby & I both wanted to trade it in so we decided to go look around and see what we could come up with. 

We were there for FIVE HOURS. With both kids. We were all exhausted, irritated and hungry. When it was finally time to leave at around 9:30 we were eager to get going, to say the least. We hadn't finalized all of the paperwork on my new car yet but the dealership wanted to let us take it home over the weekend. Hubby cleaned all of our belongings out of the Fusion and moved them over to the new car. I asked him at least twice if he'd gotten everything and he assured me that he did. 

Awesome. Off we go. We pulled through and grabbed something quick to eat and then headed home. As I am pulling into our driveway, I look over at him and say, "Hey, did you remember the garage door opener?" 

Guess what? He didn't remember the garage door opener. Also, my house keys were sitting on our dining room table. Want to know what is funny about this? He did the same thing when we bought the Fusion! 

Anyhow, long story short - he had to break into our house. It was locked down tight too. I"m not gonna tell y'all how he did it, for obvious reasons, but I will say that I'm super glad that we have dependable neighbors we can count on. It's nice to know that we can ask our own neighbors to help us break into our home without having to worry about them coming back later and breaking in for their own reasons. It took him awhile and I was sweating it. I didn't want to sleep in my brand new car over night! 

I was super irritated over the entire situation at the time, hence the instagram post, but now it just makes me laugh. I'm pleased to announce that not only do I have a brand new SUV but I also have my garage door opener as well! Score!

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Surprise, Fashion + A New Car {Five Question Friday Link Up}

It's been quite some time since I've participated in Five Question Friday and today felt like a good time to jump back in. Why don't you join me? Answer these questions on your blog and then head on over and link up.




1. Do you have a doppelgänger?

I really don't think I do! When I was younger everyone used to tell me I looked like Tiffany Amber-Thiessen. I think it's the whole heart shaped face thing maybe? However, my face is more round than heart shaped these days and I'd give my right arm to look like that pretty lady! Kidding, I wouldn't give up my right arm for anything. Maybe the left.

2. Do you keep your car cleaned up?

Actually, yes, I do! My husband is the one who trashes it - seriously! He's also the one who has the duty of cleaning it though. It drives me crazy when I get in the car and he's left trash all over the place. DRIVES.ME.CRAZY.

This might be a good time to mention that I got a new car last Saturday! It was kind of my Mother's Day present! So new car = super clean. At least for now!

3. What is a current fashion that drives you crazy.

I'm really not on the up and up with fashion. If I see something that I like then I wear it whether it is fashionable or not.

4. How often do you go grocery shopping?

Usually just once a week. It used to be every two weeks but the kids are getting older and we run out of certain things more often than before. Luckily my hubby is usually willing to stop on his way home from work if I just need a thing or two. Bless that man!

5. What has been the best surprise of your life?

I've had some serious surprises in my life but the absolute best has been in my husband. I talk a lot about this in the second part of our love story, but if you would have told me when I first met him that we'd end up married someday I would have laughed in your face for days. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that we'd end up together. He surprised me though. He is more than I could have ever imagined. The best part is that he has shown me what true unconditional love is and I really don't know how I got so lucky! Okay, enough of that sappy stuff.

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Disney's PLANES {Free Printable Activity Sheets}

Have you guys heard of the new Disney film PLANES? 

"From above the world of “Cars” comes “Disney’s Planes,” an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar. “Disney’s Planes” takes off in theaters on Aug. 9, 2013. For more information, check out Disney.com/Planes, like us on Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyPlanes and follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/DisneyPictures."

Oh, excuse me, did you say Dane Cook? Yes please! The kiddos and mommy will be happy! But seriously, how cute does this movie sound?  Check out this trailer! 

I'm getting pumped to see it when it comes to theaters on August 9th! Let your kiddos watch the video with you and then click on the graphic above to print out a few activity sheets to skyrocket their excitement too! 

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A Burlap Wreath Tutorial

There are two things that I have been obsessed with lately: wreaths & burlap. It doesn't help that there are a ton of D.I.Y. wreath ideas on Pinterest. If you were paying attention, you might've already seen this beauty when I revealed the exterior paint job we did on our home. This is the first wreath I'd ever made and I was really pleased with the way it turned out. I also made it easy to change it up a bit so that it will continue to work for each season. Read on for a tutorial on how to make this easy D.I.Y. {Spring} wreath.

Items Needed:

• Foam Wreath Form
• Burlap 
• Artificial Flowers
• Glue Gun/Glue Sticks
• Wooden Letter
• Paint

So the first thing I did was paint! My wreath form was white and I felt like it would be noticeable under the burlap so I painted it the same color as the letter {which I also painted} you see in the pictures above and below. I chose this color because it is the same color as my home and it also matched the print on the burlap. 

Once the paint was dry, I wrapped the wreath form in burlap and used a hot glue gun to secure it into place. I also hot glued the letter onto the wreath form. I was a bit concerned in the beginning if the letter would hold up to the elements, but I'm happy to say that several months later, it is still firmly in place. 

Next, I stripped the rubber coating from my artificial flowers with a pair of pliers so that their wires were exposed. I was able to simply poke the wires through the foam form and adjust them to the right heights. When thinking up ideas for this wreath I knew that I wanted to be able to easily change it from a spring wreath to a summer wreath and so on. It was important to me that I be able to use it over and over again. The artificial flowers are easily removable leaving me the ability to add something different for the next season.

When I was finished I had just a little left over burlap and since I didn't want it to go to waste, I tied it in a knot and glued it to the top of the wreath to serve as a bow. 

I'm loving this burlap wreath and I'm looking forward to creating something new with it for the summer months!

Have you ever made a wreath? Share a picture of your wreath with me on my facebook fan page, I'd love to see it! 

• Three Grubby Doors
• {DIY} Chalkboard Jars
• Make Your Own: Infused Olive Oil

  {This month's advertisement}

#PamperMePretty Swap Link Up!

Howdy! I'm so excited for today! Melissa @ Dreams and Colour and I have been planning this swap for what seems like forever and finally the day to share all of our goodies has arrived! We had a lot of fun doing this together and I hope that y'all had a great time also! 

So when I opened up my package, this is what I saw:

Look at all of those beautifully wrapped up purple packages! I was so excited and it was so much fun opening up each and every one of them! I think I emailed Melissa like three times before I even unwrapped anything! 

She really spoiled me with all of these goodies. There are foot & body scrubs and face masks galore, lotions, body wash, candles, bath salts, a nail file...but my very favorite (so far) is a bottle of Papaya body wash. The arrow is pointing to it in the picture; I'd never heard of/used it before and it is amazing! 

Melissa - I had so much fun hosting this swap with you and Thank You for pampering me with all of these goodies. You are too good to me!

Y'all go on over to her blog and see what I sent Melissa! 





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Weekend Recap {Mother's Day Edition}

Howdy friends! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! It was rather busy 'round these parts, but it was a good one none the less!

We spent the majority of our Saturday at the car dealership; I'll have more to say about this later along with a not-so-funny-at-the-time but pretty-funny-now story from Saturday night. However, I couldn't wait to show you this adorable picture of my boy. He wanted to "test drive" all the cars on the show room floor and I just couldn't say no. He was most impressed with the "race car."

My Mother's Day was really awesome and I feel so lucky to have been blessed with an amazing husband and kiddos. The morning started off slow since we had been out late the night before. The weather was absolutely amazing for mid May in Texas. We soon found ourselves wishing it was warm enough to go for a swim.

It's still too cold for me, but I have a feeling that given the chance, the kids would have jumped in. Sunday afternoon I asked the hubby to take us down to Galveston. I've always wanted to rent one of those pedal bike things (do y'all know what a pedal bike thing is? Hold on, I'll show you.) and it seemed like the perfect day for it.

Aforementioned Bike Pedal Thing ;)

Someone was nice enough to take a photo of all of us.

Live Music on the Seawall.

After about an hour of bike riding we call it quits and enjoyed a nice dinner. This Mother's Day was seriously one of the bests I've ever had. I truly felt special the entire day. The best part was that we all had a great as a family; everyone enjoyed themselves, there was no arguing or fighting between the kids. It was almost too good to be true!

What did you do this weekend?

Linking Up:

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