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Birthday's, Lifestyle

A Very Sparkle Birthday Celebration

5.20.2015

Happy Birthday Surprise // Birthday Balloon SurpriseSparkle’s thirty first birthday celebration has officially commenced, and I’m feeling a little deflated. Do I really have to wait another three hundred and sixty days until I get another one? It just seems so far away. How will I ever make it? I think I will start celebrating half birthdays. November 15th, here I come.

I think my sparkle has rubbed off on a lot of people in my life, because this birthday was full of everything amazing. I started with a house filled with thirty-one pink balloons, thirty-one love notes, and a pile of cards and gifts from friends and family. I got some of the most amazing things, and I was able to connect with most of my loved ones. Does it get any better? Of course it does….take a look:

Rae of Sparkles // Birthday Morning CuddlesI woke up on Friday morning with cuddles from my favorite cat. Could she be any cuter?! Tip: If you say yes, you might as well just stop reading now. We are not friends.

I had to get my free Starbucks birthday latte (even if they spell my name wrong. Free is free).

Then, in what I refuse to believe is a coincidence, Pitch Perfect 2 was released. We had to go. It was a no-brainer. A sign from God.

Rae of Sparkles // Free Birthday StarbucksRae of Sparkles // Birthday Movie! // Pitch Perfect 2After all my smack-talk last week, I have to introduce you to my favorite part of the day. I mean, I clearly loved all my new gifts, cards, and well-wishes. But does any of that compare to this:

Rae of Sparkles // Birthday CheeseburgerI didn’t think so. The Birthday Cheeseburger with Avocado wins every time. With a side of fries. And a nice cold beverage to wash it down with. I could eat one of these every day.

Rae of Sparkles // Birthday Celebration11

We met up with some friends for a night out on the town, enjoying what is arguably the nicest area of San Jose: Santana Row. We had dinner, drinks, more drinks, some food, and more drinks. I could not have asked for a better birthday.

Rae of Sparkles  Birthday CelebrationRae of Sparkles // Birthday Celebration Cake       Since my mom flew out for the weekend (and because I made her eat a birthday cheeseburger with me), I thought I’d take her hiking in the hills by my house. We almost did not make it out alive, it was a little more intense than we anticipated. We didn’t realize we were climbing the clone of Mt. Everest. Don’t let these peaceful photos fool you. It was a monster. It absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that we may have drank too much the night before.

Hiking in San Jose, CaliforniaRae of Sparkles // San Jose, California Rae of Sparkles // San Jose, California Rae of Sparkles // San Jose, California

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Comments

  1. Blog Stalker says

    5.20.2015 at 11:26 am

    Happy Birthday!!!

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.20.2015 at 3:09 pm

      Thanks BS!

  2. Laura says

    5.20.2015 at 11:27 am

    Cute! So is the cat (from a fellow Cat Lady) and OMG that hamburger looked yummy!
    Happy birthday again – late or not, it’s still officially a celebration.

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.20.2015 at 3:09 pm

      Thank you!!! And the burger was amazing! 🙂

  3. Donna Parker says

    5.20.2015 at 11:58 am

    Happy birthday!!!
    Looks like it was fun!
    Best wishes today and everyday! 🙂

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.20.2015 at 3:08 pm

      Thank you so much!!!! 🙂

  4. Jamie says

    5.20.2015 at 4:18 pm

    What a fab birthday!

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.21.2015 at 10:22 am

      Thanks!! It was pretty fabulous! 🙂 hehe…

  5. Britta says

    5.21.2015 at 9:44 am

    So glad you had a nice birthday! We told our friend Michelle we were going up there this weekend and she recommended Santana Row! I didn’t even know that was a thing haha. It looks nice though!

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.21.2015 at 10:21 am

      It’s super nice! We will definitely go! 🙂

  6. Kristine says

    5.21.2015 at 11:33 am

    I am so happy that you had a great birthday weekend! Pitch Perfect 2 was accaawesomeeeee and by the looks of it, so was your cheeseburger!

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.26.2015 at 3:00 pm

      Oh my gosh I really liked the movie! Brendan thought it was just “okay” – he said it was much more “chick-flick-y” if that’s even a thing! And I mean, nothing can top that cheeseburger! 🙂

  7. Kevin says

    5.21.2015 at 3:10 pm

    Looks like a perfect birthday for a perfect daughter in law!

    Love

    Kathy and Kevin

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.26.2015 at 10:28 am

      Awww thanks!!! Wish you guys were here!

  8. Krystle says

    5.24.2015 at 11:23 am

    Happy Happy Birthday! Looks like a fantastic day! 🙂

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.26.2015 at 10:28 am

      Thank you so much, it was really great! 🙂

  9. Nad says

    5.24.2015 at 4:43 pm

    Hope you had an AMAZING day!!! Miss you girl <3

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.26.2015 at 10:27 am

      I did! Thank you so much!!! Hope you had a great weekend!

  10. Adele says

    5.26.2015 at 3:16 pm

    Happy belated birthday! This looks like a fabulous way to spend the day, I enjoyed catching the highlights! I also love your evening dress and photography 🙂

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.26.2015 at 4:14 pm

      Thank you so much!!! It was such a fun weekend!

  11. Robyn says

    5.27.2015 at 9:19 am

    You have fantastic style and your authenticity shines through your photos! So happy I found your blog.

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.27.2015 at 9:30 am

      Thank you so much!!! I love your blog too! 🙂

      • Robyn says

        5.27.2015 at 9:32 am

        Thanks so much!!

  12. Jess says

    5.28.2015 at 8:13 am

    omg happy belated birthday!!!! that dress….where did you get it from???

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.28.2015 at 8:37 am

      Oh.My.God. I died when I found it. It was “expensive” for me, ($50) – but I JUST bought it from Marshall’s, so maybe they would still have it? Do you guys have Marshall’s up there? I am IN LOVE with it! 🙂

About Me

About Me

Hi Mamas! My name is Shauna, a 30-something (big emphasis on the 'something') new mama and wife living in Southern California. I've become a Stay At Home Mom to Sawyer, and I would do it forever if I could! I'm originally from Wisconsin and am a total Cheesehead! I'm here to share DIY's, travel tips, and baby stuff I'm sure!

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When you stop to think about the fact that one day When you stop to think about the fact that one day all of her toys will be someone else’s toys, she’ll be heading off to college, and all I’ll be left with are these videos…
This is NOT a post to bash moms that are happy the This is NOT a post to bash moms that are happy their kids are going back to school. My neighbors and I commiserate all summer long about how long the days are, how frustrating the kids can be, how much they’re fighting, etc. 

But my days are always like that, and even though it’s exhausting and overwhelming at times, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Even if I only have ONE moment like this a day, it’s one moment a day I could miss out on if they were in a traditional school. 

So here’s to whatever choice you are making in regards to your kids education. What’s best for YOU is most important. And what’s best for us is this.
I honestly never thought I’d be the mom saying yes I honestly never thought I’d be the mom saying yes
 to slime... but here we are.

The difference? This isn’t just a container of slime
 to squish around. The Slime Prank Lab by @CrunchLabs
turns it into an activity. We spent the afternoon mixing the slime, experimenting with different textures, and (of course) testing out the ridiculously funny booger and fart pranks. 🤣

My girls were completely entertained, and I loved watching them create, experiment, and laugh together. It feels like pure fun for the kids, but there’s actually some pretty cool science and engineering behind it all, plus Mark Rober walks you through even more with the QR code inside the kit.

Who in your family would be the first prank target? 
#sponsored #crunchlabs @moosetoys_
I’m about as outdoorsy as an overwater bungalow in I’m about as outdoorsy as an overwater bungalow in Tahiti can be.

#tahiti
A core memory I didn’t know I’d be making… This w A core memory I didn’t know I’d be making…

This weekend at church, my daughter got to light the candles for the first time. At the end of the service, when she went up on her own to extinguish them, proud tears dropped from my eyes. And as I looked around at others, I noticed I wasn’t the only one. 

If you had asked me in my early to mid twenties, I wouldn’t have imagined how much this community, this faith, and these little traditions would come to mean to our family. There was a season of my life, long before I became a mom, where I drifted away from actively going to church. Now, getting to watch my girls grow up surrounded by faith, love, and a church family who knows them and celebrates them feels like such a gift.
Hot take: We’ve convinced ourselves kids need bigg Hot take: We’ve convinced ourselves kids need bigger backyards, when what they really need is neighborhood kids.

I used to think about more square footage, more land, more privacy. Now? I’d rather my girls have friends they can run to than an acre they have to play on alone.

A bigger house isn’t always a better childhood. For us, built-in community has been worth more than an extra bedroom ever could be.

I know this won’t be everyone’s opinion, but I think for elementary-aged kids, having friends next door is more valuable than having a huge yard. Anyone else change their mind about what “dream home” actually means?
It’s all fun and games until you marry the comedia It’s all fun and games until you marry the comedian of the family…

#funnyhusband #husbandgoals #shsfloats #poolfloats
I’ll die on this hill: kids birthday parties SHOUL I’ll die on this hill: kids birthday parties SHOULD feel magical.

Before anyone comes at me, I’m not talking about spending thousands of dollars. I’m talking about picking a theme, hanging the decorations, baking the cake (or buying it and decorating at home), planning the games, and making your kid feel like the most important person in the world for one day.

That’s the stuff they’ll remember.

You don’t need a huge budget to make childhood feel special. Agree or disagree?
Even with the bathroom trips. 🤣 Listen. Social me Even with the bathroom trips. 🤣

Listen. Social media tends to make traveling with children look glamorous, and the truth is, it usually isn’t. Are some kids professional travelers? Of course. But reality is that there’s always pitfalls and unexpected turbulence that you just have to mentally prepare for before you travel. And in the end? I promise you, it’s worth all the hassle. 

#summertravel #travellingwithkids
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