Fall Bucket List 2016

As a mom of three I am always looking for ways to have fun, to spend time as a family and NOT spend a small fortune in doing so. 

With our girls growing up faster than I like I thought this fall season I would try something a little different to accomplish those three factors. 

As you all may know I am sorta in love with two things... Fall and Pinterest. 

While wasting time browsing on pinterest recently I have seen TONS of seasonal bucket lists and I got to thinking...

So this morning I decided fuck it and threw together our first ever Fall Bucket list!

I kept the list to about 20 activities and tried to make sure theta they were all something everyone would enjoy and if not everyone the majority of us with as little bitching and complaining as possible... which in this house with teens is a task...

So with out further ado here is our 2016 Fall Bucket List! 

I will be sure to document and keep you all posted about this :) I am kinda hoping it goes over well and we can do one for each season. 

Are you a bucket list kinda person? 

 

National Donut Day!

I know it has been forever since I have been on here but I have SOOOOO much to tell you guys and catch you all up on our lives but I can't even think of where to begin! 

Well what better way then to celebrate National Donut Day! 

Yes my friends it is FOR REAL!

Now I am not usually the type to celebrate all these cornet little holidays but today was a little different for several reasons...

#1 my girls are headed out for summer vaca to my moms tomorrow and due to all of our rain we havent had much of a chance to celebrate summer being here so why not celebrate with donuts! 

#2 Dunkin Donuts is giving away a free donut with a purchase of a drink and since there is one right down the street from work it was a convient stop on my way home 

#3 did I mention FREE donuts?!

Whats your favorite donut?

Our Valentines Weekend Recap PLUS Life Lately

It has been WAY TOOOOO LONG!

First I have to say that I am SO very sorry that I have been majorly MIA here...

I guess that I am NOT doing so hot with my blogging goals so far... does it at least count even a little bit that I DO think about blogging daily...even JUST a little?

Anyways...

As you can see life has been CRAY CRAY on my end... SO much has happened since I last left you with my hair-tastic post....

But lets start with a recap of our Valentines weekend recap shall we?

Friday night the elementary girls came through the door right after school all hyped up... of course because they had their bellies full of valentines candy and goodies from their annual valentines parties but also because this particular Friday meant Valentines Dance AND a the beginning of their three day weekend thanks to today being President's Day...

Friday afternoon I managed to cook dinner and get 4 VERY EXCITED and HYPED up girls ready for their BIG night of dancing...

Wonderful #epicfailrealization came later when it dawned on me I only got ONE out of FOUR of the girls' pictures after they were decked out...

WAY TO GO MOM!

Saturday was pretty laid back around here, we ran errands and went grocery shopping because we all  know how fun that can be...

Saturday night we lined up our kitchen table with Valentine goodies for our loves and on Sunday morning you would have thought it was Christmas in our house!

For our LOVES

From MY LOVE! 

 The rest of the day was filled with our wild child's drama and movies in between. 

So it was a typical day after the spoiling of gifts :)

Today all the kiddies are home and since it is wet and rainy out I plan on overhauling some rooms that are in desperate need of some deep cleaning with hopes the rain will let up long enough to get a photo sesh in for my sister and her babies...

As for where we have been?

Here is a quick recap... 

Prepare for pic over load!

Aaliyah had to have a tooth taken out on the fly... no more crowns for this princess! :)

We have been bargain shopping like mad over here :) 

We squeezed in a girls day!

 I am working on a new home decor project... which usually takes a day... has been a WEEK and counting :/

The hubby tried his FIRST ever cinnabon!

Of course I updated my chalkboard for Cupid's holiday!

 A friend of ours was murdered at the age of 20. He had just recently graduated from High School and had his WHOLE life in front of him... I have known Trevon since he was about 12 or 13 years old and he was like a son to me. My heart and mind has been very numb over the whole ordeal...

Trevon you will be missed dearly and never forgotten!

My prayers and thoughts are with his family and friends. 

I still HEART ipsy!

We are party prepping for Dakota's birthday next month!

A dear friend of Alora's is in the hospital. Today marks day 11...Prayers are with Aiden and his family

With a mild winter we have been able to get out and do some yard work as we work towards making our house our home!

There has BEEN SO much more happen here but I of course can't blog it all! 

What have you all been up too?

Ringing in 2016!

Well 2015 ended and 2016 began with a bang! 

Our New Years Eve "party" turned into a straight out PARTY that I am sure our kids will not forget for a few years to come...

 Only problem is  now I am unsure how to top this one...

hmmmm...

 There's no better way to end a year and start a new one than with family and our babies... we held a straight out party! We partied hard... had 3 pass out early, one throw up, 3 party crashers that hung out for a while, a fight, drama, drinks spilled, danced in the new year and laughed the night away... 

Earlier in the week I sat down and threw together activities for the kids and placed them in paper bags with times on them. 

Each kid got to draw one activity and they varied from dressing up to doing a craft. 

This years craft was making memory jars!

Each kid got to make a jar to keep their favorite memories of 2016 in and they loved this idea!

We also did make overs, wrote down our favorite memories of 2015 and of course shared our resolutions for 2016...

This is one of my favorite activities for several reasons...

1. Some are REALLY funny "resolutions" 

2. It is SO cute to listen to the kids from the different ages come up with their ideas... 

They are as follows:

Dakota 13:

Try New Foods, Wear more dresses, Dye her hair and try a new hair style 

Ashton 12: 

No pictures taken for the year, to dye his hair, and be a vegetarian for 6 months... at first he said vegan but his tone changed quickly when we said no cheese :)  

Summer 9:

Go mud riding, play soccer, and own a horse

Riley 12:

Not to be "fat"... not sure WHY this is an issue at this age! UGH!

Write more music

Get good grades

Alora 12: 

Play softball at her best ability

Raelyn 11:

Work on anger

Work on softball skills

Aaliyah 8:

Hang out with Ashton more

Eat meat only... smh...

Kara 7:

Pet a goat...

Lanie 9:

Get better grades

Crystal 33:

Get her GED

Start culinary art school

Get a place and ride

Anthony 31:

Well the hubby is STILL anti-resolution.... 

maybe ONE year this will change... 

Sandra 31: 

If you missed mine on Friday you can find them here

Our Party Crowd!

The youngest party animal :)

Of course the day and night was filled with food galore that my sister and I threw together for the kids to snack on through out the party.

 and once we hit the dance party stage of the evening it was on! 

I threw together a play list on Spotify and used Alora's bluetooth light up speaker to set the mood. We gave the kids the living room area, turned off the lights and let them dance the night away while the adults hung out in the kitchen chatting and enjoying some wine. 

At midnight the kids enjoyed their "wine" aka sparking cider and their midnight "kisses"

Of course we got a few "awww that's gross" remarks when I did get an actual midnight kiss from the hubby... got to love kids...

After they toasted and "kissed" away I sent them out the door with noise makers and for a running lap around the house...

They took A lap into like 20 but whatever :) 

Three of the kids didn't make it to the count down and we found them either like this...

Or in a random bed in the house. 

We had one get sick and throw up...

We had 3 kids show up we didn't know...

and I had red solo cups and paper plates scattered through out the house...

We ended the kids party with a sleep over and a movie and us adults stayed up drinking, having music wars and chatting... The party stopped when my sister's 2 year old told her it was time for bed at 5 am...

Dang party pooper! 

My 2016 Goals...

Every New Year I set goals not only for myself personally but for my business and my blog...

This is is of course no exception but I can honestly say that my track record SUCKS ass and I hope that 2016 will be the year I can get my shit all lined up and have a good report at the end of the year :)

Here are my personal goals for 2016:

NOTE:

These are not in an special order so please don't think that

 MORE TIME WITH THE HUBBY:

 Since our home is so chaotic and filled with kids, I really want to be able to not just spend time with him but spend more quality one on one time with him. 

We have not really had a chance to do this since we moved to Arkansas but since my sister in now in the area it might be easier to sneak away and enjoy a few hours together more often than not. 

ORGANIZE MYSELF

 Back in the day I was on point with this... now days not so much. I would like to blame the busy life we have but if I was to be honest it is really because I have been too lazy to stick with it. 

SPENDING QUALITY TIME WITH MY GIRLS:

 I have come to the realization that my oldest will be 14 in March and my "baby" 9 in April! The time I have with them at home shrinks by the minute and though they drive me absolutely insane with their drama, school, boys and clothes I have to say I know I will miss these things when they are off to college.

Since Dakota is just 4 years shy of this milestone I have freaking out on the inside because I have seen HOW VERY FAST 4 years can fly! 

UGH! 

WORKOUT 

 I know... I know...

I say this EVERY year...

But this year I added a YAY YOU DID IT prize for myself and that is a new tat or 6 for my ribs....

I know I don't weigh a lot and people would be like you need to EAT not workout but here is the deal...

I have 3 babies...

I have stretchmarks....

 (thanks D)

and since I was 16 when I decided to start the motherhood journey I am well stretched out... 

Hints the working out... 

So...

LET GO and SAY NO

 This is a HUGE one for me. 

I have noticed recently that I may or may not be a bit of a control freak.

I also think that I am Superwoman and take on the world...

This leaving me stressed, overwhelmed, rushed which in terms leaves me well bitchy if you are looking for honesty.

NO MORE I SAY! 

I will have to say no to more things than I used to and I will have to learn to just let somethings go. 

Prayers are appreciated because this will be the hardest for me I am sure....

As for

 Inked & Sassy...

KEEP IT GOING:

 I LOVE to write and I hope that you all enjoy reading about my thoughts, our beautiful chaos and my opinions. 

Writing is almost therapeutic for me and though the LOVE for it is REAL I can say that some days it is HARD to sit down and write a blog when things are at the peak of CIRCUS status here. 

I have been known to disappear (as you all have recently seen) and I HATE THAT.

When I first starting blogging I wished to make it my full time job so many years ago... though I would LOVE to produce some sort of income from this it is no longer my goal as much as having a place to share my lack of writing skills and a place to voice some thoughts and stories.  You never know if one will help someone else or if someone know JUST what you MEAN when it comes to somethings life throws our way. 

For my biz...

What the Photography Studio and Boutique 

BUILD IT UP

 I know you all have heard me mention it before that I am working on starting my own biz. I have been on this for a while now but to tell you I have had the chance to sink in ALL of my time, money and heart in it would not be true. Right now I still can not throw my life into this because my family comes first but I can say that I hope 2016 will bring me more time and more clients here. 

I have spent the last few months of 2015 into revamping our "baby" and I am VERY VERY excited to share it with everyone. 

I hope that with this revamp life will be breathed into What the Photography and we will officially be off the ground. 

Here is to hoping! 

Today we are party prepping and getting ready to bring in 2016 as a family...

Here is a sneak peak of what we have going on right now! 

More on the outcome soon! 

 What are your 2016 goals this year?

We would LOVE to hear. 

Bringing in 2016!

Tomorrow is one of the BIGGEST partying days of the year where the ENTIRE WORLD celebrates together and brings in the new year... Talk about partying at it's finest...

This New Years Eve we are having a "party" kid style of course...

The sparkling ciders are bought...

Food is planned...

Decor is ready to be hung...

and the activities are ready!  

Last year I saw a great idea on pinterest about coming up with activities for every hour or so to keep the kids busy and mainly quiet (for sanity purposes). 

This year I am starting off the party at 2pm...

Yes I know it SEEMS early but since I have the girls friends here a lot of the time anyways there isn't really a reason not too. 

We always share our resolutions and our favorite memories and we always have a huge spread of food.... drinks.... and more! 

Of course our "party is consisting of 4 adults and 11 kids ranging from the ages of 13 to 3 months so we are partying hard as you can tell! 

I will be sharing all of the fun festivities,  activities, resolutions and more Friday! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Planning Our Christmas Cards

 

Since the girls were little I have always used Christmas as a reason to force myself to send our friends and family updated pictures of them. 

Last years attempt was an EPIC fail and after February rolled around I gave up and trashed it all.

SO in hopes to get my shit together in 2015 I wrote in my brain aka planner to start this Christmas Card journey in October...

Well here we are the middle of November and I have done NOTHING...

Do I hear a repeat of last year?!

Let's hope not!

Here are my major dilemma's though:

 

Weather

Mother nature has not been so kind as of lately, the days that are perfect are already jam packed with stuff and the days I can get us 5 together are rainy, wet or way to freaking cold!

Location

Location, location, location!

We are having the WORST time at this. I can't decide if I want an urban, city look or a country look....

The hubby says lets do both but then I want to smack him and say I can;t get it together for one let alone two.... 

MEN!

Photo Cards vs. Photos IN Cards

I LOVE the simplicity of photo cards BUT I have also sent cards with the photo's in the for many years thinking what if they want to display these pictures year round? 

So that drives me nuts!

Clothes

 When you have three girls that are different from each other as day is to night and your really wanting a more natural personable look you really want a scheme that is NOT matchy matchy but you do want it to coordinate...

I have come up with a color that will work for all of us... I think... well hope... okay PRAYING! 

 

ANXIETY!!!

We have not had pictures done in FOREVER! 

We did manage to get one decent one at my brother in laws wedding this last August but we have not actually had family pictures done since Aaliyah was an INFANT! I mind you she will be 9 in April... We are WAY over due to say the least and I can't help but stress and I do mean STRESS about these! Plus since I am a photographer I would rather be behind the lens than in front of it so now we are in a whole new ball field! 

But what about you?

Are you an annual card/pic sender?

Do you forgo the whole idea?

I'd love to hear!

Our Weekly Forecast

Since we had a snooze-fest of a weekend this last weekend aka it was one of those weekends that are boring as shit nothing blog worthy happened, I figured it would be kind of fun to give you all a outlook on what my week has "planned" and I say planned loosely since they are more like things I NEED to REALLY do but if life allows it kind of way. 

I am not just a blogger but a mom, wife, in the process of starting revamping my own business along with the many other hats that mom's wear. 

This last week was tough on blogging since I had my youngest home sick the majority of the week and we all know when they are 8 they still WANT mommy. I LOVED being able to cuddle up and watch movies with her and just have that one on one time with her. I know all to well once they hit Middle School it is ALLLLL OOOOVVVVEEERRR!

Hints: My middle schooler is home today...

ugh!

This is the worst possible timing too, this weekend we are headed up to Omaha, Arkansas where my biological dad lives to celebrate an early Thanksgiving. So this week is cleaning house, tying up loose ends for What the Photography (my biz) and packing!

Plus due to a certain text message this weekend I will be rearranging MY ENTIRE house for something HUGE! More on this to come, and with this HUGE change it will mean more stories and my beautiful chaos will be more chaotic...BECAUSE everyone knows that is just want you NEED right before the holidays, but in all seriousness though my brain and stress has hit a WHOLE new level I am actually kind of excited for it. I am just not sure the hubby feels the same excitement. 

SO on to 

THE LIST

Today I had to go put my car in the shop and lets just say I HATE not having a car...

Then it was off to get the sick Alora, who of course thought she was dying... girls...

This afternoon I am running the neighbor kid across the street to an appointment he has for his mom and in between it is cleaning, blogging, dinner prepping and of course house rearrangement 101!

Dakota has a dr appointment in the morning  and those are my ONLY set things for now...

BUT

I NEED to...

Pack three kids and us for the weekend trip

Grab Christmas gifts for the weekend trip since we are merging them together

Plan our Christmas card photo shoot and maybe JUST maybe do it

Rearrange the house  

Get together my Christmas Card List

Pick out Christmas Cards

Square away our fur-babies sitter for the weekend

Clean House

Prep for Thanksgiving Break  next week 

and

Continue on my Website building for WtP!

That I am sure is ONLY the START! 

Our weather right now is cold wet and makes you want to lye in bed all day and sleep so that is just so VERY helpful... 

Anyways I am off to the kitchen so I can get something accomplished today... 

See you all tomorrow! 

{Hugs}

Sandra

While We Were Away: A Weekend Recap

This weekend was a wet and rainy one for us, the weather was SCREAMING fall which meant for us a laid back, indoors kind of weekend...

We were looking forward to our cities annual Spook City, but thanks to the rain it was delayed until tonight. Unfortunately, the weather is not looking like it will play in our favor again to continue the tradition and I will have to say I will be so very disappointed along with the kids if mother nature doesn't play nice this year. 

We have gone to Spook City every year since we have moved here and we all always look forward to it.

Since we were stuck indoors most of the weekend the hubby and I found it to be a great opportunity to finish cleaning out the house. 

I have been working my ass off going through every room cleaning it out, going through things and reorganizing from top to bottom. 

The rainy wet weather gave us the chance to tie up the loose ends and call it a wrap! Now to have my yard sale SOON! 

Since the weather rained us out on Saturday night's plans of Spook City we decided we would make it a fun night for the girls and do a Halloween themed movie night with Hocus Pocus (which they had never seen before) and Addams Family Values with junk food and candy!

Over the weekend though we did also throw in Captain America: The Winter Solider, Jurassic World, a few Transformer movies and Gremlins.
After trying to do a weekend of JUST Halloween based movies I have come to find out that our selection for the holiday is sad... which is REALLY sad seeing that we own close to 1000 movies... UGH!

This week we are celebrating Red Ribbon Week at school and all of the girls have a list of ways to dress up to be involved with the Awareness week.
Dakota (Junior High) and Aaliyah (elementary school) have their list at home and have prepped all weekend for the BIG week. Alora (the Middle School) announce it daily so thier is no list.. bummer...
Here is what we have to look forward too...

Elementary

Junior High

I will be sharing how it all went and what they came up with next week so stay tuned!


Also over the weekend through our social media I asked you our readers for help...
Check it out :

I hope you all have an amazing Monday!

While We Were Away: A Weekend Recap

When I left you all Friday I figured we would have one of our typical weekends where we really didn't do much but relax and get ready for another week ahead. 

BOY WAS I WRONG!

FRIDAY:

Friday evening was actually not so bad, we spent the evening watching movies as a family and enjoyed some good ol Taco Bell together before Alora was off to her friends house to spend the night. 

SATURDAY:

Saturday morning was pretty relaxed as we hung out at the house and did a little cleaning up here and there. The three girls had a birthday-costume-slumber party to go to that evening so our main focus was putting the last minute touches on costumes, getting them packed up and ready to go and gift shopping...

 Needless to say I STILL FORGOT the gift at home when I dropped the kids off... smh..

This weekend was the grand opening for our highly anticipated Outlet Mall!

It is located off the I-30 right next to the Bass Pro Shop

 

As a California girl... I AM IN HEAVEN!

Since the hubby and I were kid free and we knew that it would be a MAD house we took the opportunity to check it out kid free PLUS my hubby has NEVER been to one  (GASP!) and I  thought he would enjoy it better without trying to keep up with the kids too. 

We took a few laps around the outlet featuring 75+ stores and since the lines for most of the stores were out the doors and wrapped around we didn't grab any deals but decided to go grab dinner in Little Rock since we were close by.

(I will share more about the Outlets soon!)  

The hubby is a HUGE Chinese food fan, as for me... I like it but I burn it off so fast I am hungry again WAY SOONER then it is worth. 

Since we don't go out often we decided to go to his favorite, Panda Garden.

Panda Garden is located in Shakleford Crossings off Shakelford.

It is a buffet style establishment and the family loves it!

I am more of the seafood buffet options that are on the weekend (which then of course adds to the price) 

Me and the hubby got the seafood buffet and 2 sweet teas for right at $30. 

After dinner we headed home for a movie and crashed like all old folks do. 

Yeah we are some REALLY HAPPEN' FOLKS

SUNDAY:

 Sunday morning me and the hubby decided  we would go ahead and do our weekly grocery shopping since the kids did not have to be picked up til after 12. If you are a mom like me you know how much FUN grocery shopping can be with kids...

After we got done I ran and picked up the girls from their party and I even remembered to take the poor birthday girl her gift!

That afternoon was Aaliyah's Fall Festival  at the school and of course that meant for more dressing up! 

I took the three girls for a while to the school function where they played games to win candy, meet and pet some horses (Aaliyah was in heaven) and say hi to their friends!

Even Dakota ran into her boyfriend who was working the haunted house!

While us girls got into the Halloween spirit the hubby was over at our landlords helping her change out her locks on her house and avoiding the fall festival :)

We rounded off the evening with our normal routines and getting things ready for this week where we celebrate our move-a-versary, get ready for Spook City and still on the path of cleaning out the house... 

Did you do any pre-Halloween festivities?