Seuss, Stationery, and Summer...Oh My!

Seuss

My sweet baby girl is growing up way too fast! Last week she graduated from Kindergarten! I can't believe it, but it happened! We are Oh So Proud of Her! She's the youngest in her class, so we were not sure how she would do this year....but our Karabella had something to prove. She is writing her full name, adding, subtracting, knows 150+ sight words, and can sit down and READ us a book. She continues to love learning and let me tell you that is a joy to watch for any parent.

With her graduation, I also got a little work in for the Lucky7s Studio with some new stationery designs. Her class' graduation theme was Dr. Seuss' "Oh The Place You'll Go." I was asked and given the great privilege to design the kindergarten graduation invitations for the three classes in her grade. It was so much fun to play around with this theme and I loved every minute of it. The gift tags were used on cupcakes that each child was given after the ceremony to go with their newly earned diploma =)

Out of courtesy (because this blog can be viewed by anyone) to other parent's with kids in her class, I have changed the school name on the Lucky7s Studio for the stationery picture.

Stationery

With the end of the year, also came teacher gifts and Teacher appreciation week. And although I do love to do Pinterest crafts, or make something homemade to show love and appreciation to others, gift cards are way easier for me (and probably more welcomed!) 

If I design a cute tag and packaging for it on my computer does that count as homemade? ;) 

You can download the free printable Thanks a Latte here:

DOWNLOAD HERE: FREE PRINTABLE, THANKS A LATTE GIFT TAGS (4)

Summer

And now that this school year is over, we have official started the Rowell Summer 2016! Last summer we had so many things crammed into such a short two and half months and it seems that this year will be no different. Of course, having both girls at home now makes things a little more interesting, especially since I have started working part time again as an at home assistant for a friend. I want to make summers fun for the girls, continue to keep Kara actively learning on her summer break, fulfill my job duties to the best of my abilities, and keep my SANITY throughout it all.

I began to get a little overwhelmed at the thought process of it all back in May. Being a full time SAHM (which includes the hats of mom, wife, teacher, maid, cook, chauffeur, referee, nurse, etc.), part time assistant, and maintaining my own hobbies & past times....just seemed so....overwhelming. 

So often we moms do experience that feeling of being overwhelmed. Overwhelmed when we work full time to switch gears at 5 o'clock from being the business woman to Homemaker. There is a guilt that we feel that neither work or home is getting enough of our attention. 

Or overwhelmed when are jobs have the same four walls from sunrise to sunset with no time card to maintain how many hours we've put in for the day. When our main conversations are with children, our professional work clothes are activewear and yoga pants, and taking a shower or bathroom break BY YOURSELF feels like your just won at a scratch off lottery ticket!

Believe me when I say, I have worked in both and both are just as hard as the other, just with different levels of difficulties. This new position I have found my self is is both exciting and daunting, as now I am somewhat merging the two together, "Working SAHM."

So in spite of the abundance of worry and fear that my home life was about to implode from pressure this summer, I took a moment of pause, then a deep breath, and finally decided to just do what I do best: Pray to God for guidance and then I made my list. I got my "mom" duties in order with a weekly schedule and summer calendar for the girls. I got our crafts, and recipes, projects, play times, learning times, camps, and VBS's all lined up. I made Kara a chore list and a learning list for her to earn a weekly allowance to go towards Dollar store trips or ice cream specials at the water park. I probably went a little OCD over it, but I got it done and I felt like a weight was lifted.

Our family's summer now has plan, a focus, a vision. It's organized chaos and it's wonderful. Kara is excited about what each new day brings, and with a little something new everyday she doesn't have a constant need to be entertained 24/7. If she gets bored then she can pull something from her boredom buster jar or do learning activities. Everyone is happy. Everyone has something to look forward to. And this Lucky Momma may just be able to keep her sanity until the first day of first grade starts in August ;)

Till Next Time,