Friday Favorites

Some of my favorite things lately...

1. Have you seen these little colored EOS lip balm eggs everywhere? I've been a Burt's Bees girl for years, so I didn't buy one to try right away. But, my mom brought me one as my "Easter egg" this year and I'm loving it!

2. My latest library read: The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

3. This book is really challenging and encouraging me as a parent! I'm trying to take my time, but don't want to stop reading it. I'm praying that these biblical concepts would continue to transform our family into one that loves and respects each other well.

Love and Respect in the Family : The Respect Parents Desire; The Love Children Need by Emerson Eggerichs

4. I have the best memories from my childhood of my brother and I playing card games with my Nagymama and Nagypapa after dinner. We would go through seasons. For months, we'd be on Rummy 500 kicks. Other times, we were playing round after round of Uno. Or as my Papa would call it, "You-no". We would laugh and have fun for hours.Another game, we loved was Skip Bo. I think all games, from cards to board games, are a ton of fun, but I also associate sweet family times with those focused hours of playtime. Those are treasured memories for me today. This week, I happened to be walking down the game aisle at Wal-mart and saw this:

I was so so excited that I told Abby we were skipping rest time after lunch and playing cards together. Even though the game says ages 5 and up, Abby caught on right away and thinks it's so much fun! It takes enough skill that it is fun for adults, but is basic enough for a young kid to stay engaged in. Perfect! As much as I love Candy Land...it's not often that I'm up for three more rounds. I was the one who wanted to keep playing Skip Bo. We have played many times since. It's a new family favorite. Here's to more treasured card game memories...

5. Now, this is a big deal! I have been resisting this moment for at least two years. I officially made the switch this week from my paper planner to my Google calender. Joe has been asking me to do it for a while now. I knew it was time. It really has made life so much easier and helps Joe and I communicate about our busy schedules. If I need to make an appointment, I just have to open the calender on my phone and not only do I see mine, but Joe's schedule overlapping right onto mine. Ohhh how this is already helping with miscommunication and over scheduling! I can even make it really colorfully coordinated.

6. I just shared a list of my current kid's book favorites on our family blog. They make good additions to a library visit or to give as a gift to a special kid in your life.  

7. Have you heard about the new movie that's coming out in theaters on May 9th? Mom's Night Out is "an endearing true-to-life comedy that celebrates the beautiful mess called parenting." Everything I've learned about the movie indicates it's a fun, laugh out loud comedy with a powerful message that will help mom's gently connect with God's truth and perspective about motherhood. They share about the heart behind the movie here. It sounds like a great movie to go to with friends, but also a completely family friendly movie that everyone can relate to! It's not just for women. I'm only bummed I won't be able to see it opening weekend. Not sure how long it will be in theaters for, but I'm hoping I have a friend or two who might want to see it the following week? (hint hint friends)

8. Need an idea for dinner tonight? Pasta Milano is a favorite I discovered a couple of years ago. It's what I'm making for dinner tonight. This Macaroni Grill Copycat recipe also makes a great freezer meal. I like to double it and freeze one for later. It's a restaurant quality pasta dish. A great meal to share.

9. Then, I found this. The glitter band. Could there be a more perfect accessory to remind me to embrace grace and glitter? My good friend, Ashley, and I made them our BFF bracelets excited they would remind us to embrace Jesus and His work in our lives daily. Embracing grace and glitter! I love it!

etsy shop: kaitlinkendalldesign

10. Running is not my favorite thing, but the idea of getting over it and accomplishing something like a 5k has been a goal of mine for a while. I'm not looking to become a marathon runner, because I've learned to EMBRACE the fact that I just don't love to run. In college, my friend, Julie, would get so excited when she decided it was a perfect day for a run. I would watch her in amazement (and confusion) as she would return from a six mile run through the rain (no big deal) totally energized and feeling good. For a while, I thought I just needed to train myself to love running that much. While training would definitely help to some degree, I've learned that the look on Julie's face after a really good run is the same look on my face after a really good (insert intense aerobic dance class here). Zumba, please! So, I've become ok and learned to embrace the fact that I don't love running as much as other forms of exercise. BUT, there is something to be said about getting over my mental barriers and running for longer than three minutes. I might not be interested in running for recreational purposes, but to overcome my own personal roadblocks....yes!

I've always said if you want me to sign up for a 5k, your best chance is a color run because let's face it...the run has to have some fun incentives (like making me all colorful) for me to be excited about it! Long story short, my dear friend Heather, eliminated any chance I had of making any more excuses by surprising me with early birthday gift. She signed me up to run the Color Me Rad race with her in October.  The website says...Color Me Rad: Your excuse to let loose. So, here goes...no excuses...I'm preparing to let loose! And so excited to get geared up with friends and RUN a 5k together. Thankful for sweet friends who know me well!