School is Back!

We are officially full-swing into the 2017-18 school year.

We went from having nothing on the calendar to being triple-booked three times a week. And I'm not even exaggerating!

How does that happen? How do we go from having literally nothing to do to having 10 things to do in the span of a week?! Zero to eighty in five seconds.

I am not complaining though! I live for routine. My kids maybe don't live for it, but man, do they function better when they are in one.

Thanks to routine life and staying busy, Tess is FINALLY sleeping better! The girl is getting a fantastic nap in the afternoon and then going to bed at 7 pm and hasn't been waking up until six. And even if she does wake up a little before six, she sits and chats in her bed, rather than wailing like a lunatic!

It. Is. The. Best!

So an update on school...

If you don't follow my InstaStories on Instagram, you didn't see last week's story on the madness of drop off and pickup at the kids school. I'm coming to terms with it... the madness... and that maybe this is the best way to do things in the city. A parent of a new girl in Sloane's class was talking to me one morning at drop-off and they moved to the neighborhood just to attend this school - they moved like 10 blocks south. I asked if this 'arrangement' was normal since they came from a setting very similar. His answer? Yep.

So basically I'm the out-of-towner who needs to shut her pie hole and adjust.

But for the record, I still think there has to be a better way to perform these tasks... ;)

Reece has really seemed to enjoy school. On the second morning of school, he did ask if he could just go to school the next week. But since, he hasn't fought having to go! After the first day, I asked if he had gotten in trouble (because I had seen him sitting in timeout at recess that afternoon -- FYI: our apartment is directly across from the school so I can see everything!) and he said yes, because was talking too much. So... besides sitting in timeout for not following rules on the playground (which I later found out was really not that big of a deal, but at the moment, I was kind of freaking out), he was asked to remember the class rules and take turns talking.

Who does that kid belong to?! :)

His assistant teacher is named Mrs. Michelle. And that is also the name of the former principal at his preschool he attended in Bentonville. And at In His Image, he saw quite a lot of Ms. Michele. So much that he named her Ms. Michele Office. So he made sure to tell me that Mrs. Michelle is not who you see if you are bad like Ms. Michele Office.

Annnnd I laughed for awhile!

Sloane is doing well... so I think. She doesn't say much... and trying to get her to tell you two things she did that day besides swing at the playground and eat lunch is like pulling teeth! There are a few things that she finally has mentioned to me that have happened at school that I had to get straightened out (nothing major), but in the end, it sucks being the new kid. Especially when you are the new kid and not Reece - carefree and doesn't know that he's the new kid.

I feel for her and say prayers that she will start to remember kids names in her class ("Mom, that girl is in my class!" "Cool! What's her name?" "Ummm.... I don't know!"), and make a few buddies so she can relax a little. WhenI drop her off in the morning, she waits in a line with her other class mates and she's always at the end... slowly walking in and always looking for me. I give a big wave with a big smile on my face, she sees me, waves and smiles and goes in.

Can I just say that my kids are better than me in so many ways? There is no way I could have been "the new kid". There was a point in my life when we almost moved from Sedan for my dad to take a new job and in the end, my parents kept us where we were. And praise the Lord because there is a really good chance that I would have become a hermit!

But on to week two we go with a lot of new activities starting this week including Catechism tomorrow (both Sloane and Reece will go - this should be interesting...) and Sloane starts a dance class on Thursday that includes ballet, jazz and tap - I'm fairly certain I will ask to participate as well!

We are full-throttle into the school year... and that's the way I like it!

XXOO,
Allyson

Life Lately...

Hello out there!

It is I, keeper of the blog. Absent for four months because well... life.

I'd like to start off by saying that by no means did I want to go four months without blogging. I truly love it! I'd also like to say that the last four months may have been the most chaotic of my life! So blogging/Two Dots/LipSense was pushed to the back-burners because... life.

Most of you that read this follow me on social media so you know the gist of what has been going on in the Clark household since March. But to recap:

• Matt took a new position with Coleman in January and started traveling back and forth from Bentonville to Chicago during the week. 
• Sold our house in White Oak Trails in Bentonville.
• Moved into a two-bedroom apartment in Rogers, drove the kids back and forth for school. 
• House-hunted for MONTHS with zero luck!
• Grew accustomed to 2 AM wake-up calls from Tess, who basically wouldn't go back to sleep. She eventually got back to her sleeping routine right when it was time to move again! 
• Sloane graduated from Kindergarten, we said our goodbyes and moved in with my parents in Manhattan while we crossed fingers we would find a place to live! 
• Found a place to live IN THE CITY, where I had zero intentions of living with my family. Life is funny.
• Found out Reece would have to start kindergarten because he turned five before August 1. It's a joke of a rule and absolutely NOT in the best interest of the student, but... ya can't fight city hall (or the Chicago Public School system in this case). 
• Moved June 26 and couldn't fit most of our big furniture in. Fun!
• Packed as much fun into a month as we could in Chicago because I think Matt forgot we weren't just visiting, but actually lived here... 
• Busted pipes in our basement while Matt and I had went away for a weekend. 
• Followed that up with me spending four days in the hospital to end up having my gallbladder removed.
• Followed by Tess back to her old tricks of sleeping SUPER poorly. 
• Followed by more busted pipes in our basement...

And in to September we have rolled... 

Our summer vacation lasted approximately three months and nine days. Our complete life flip lasted five months and five days. There is no better way for me to say this but to say that these last five months have been nothing short of a shit show. And I mean that in the most endearing way possible! 

It's almost laughable (now) at all of the things that we have done/dealt with/participated in/fallen for. I will also say to you that I thank the heavenly stars that my kids are so adaptable and for the most part, go-with-the-flow! They did NOT get that from their mama so I will go ahead and give Matt the props for that. The number of times that I have wanted to plop down and cry or run outside and scream have been plenty. But somehow... here we are. All in one piece and looking back at March like it was 10 years ago (because believe me, it feels like it)! 

Why did I choose today to return to blogging? 

No. 1 reason is that two of my kids are back in school! ALLELUIA! 

Today was the first day of school for the Chicago Public Schools (which is so bizarre since everyone else started school way back in August). We walked Sloane and Reece over to school this morning, which is conveniently located directly across the street from us, and after a few hugs and reminders that I would be there to get them after school, in they walked. Since Sloane was going in to first grade, they asked us not to walk them in, but since Reece was going into Kindergarten, we got to walk him in. He has a locker, which he immediately put his backpack in, and then barely told us goodbye as he walked in to his classroom. 

This is not a surprise from this kid because he has done this every time we have taken him to school. I have to beg for a hug! 

For those of you that know Reece, you will laugh at this. But every time we get on the train, he sits down, and starts chatting with the person next to him. We walked through the DePaul campus the other day and a girl was sitting at a picnic table and he stops ands says, "Hi! I'm Reece! How are you?" "This is my mom, my dad, my girlfriend Sloane, Tess, my friend uncle George (otherwise known as my brother, Jordan), Alex and Anderson." 

The kid strikes a conversation with ANYONE and EVERYONE. Stranger danger? He knows no stranger. And as scary as that may be, I keep telling myself that maybe one day he will strike up a conversation with someone who hasn't made good choices and maybe not very friendly... but Reece will spark something in them to make them flip their life around. 

Or maybe they will tell him to stop talking! 

I don't know! 

I am excited to pick them up and see how their day went. I'm excited to report back to you all about what I find out (like why Reece was already sitting in timeout at recess when I drove by this morning)!

So thank you all for following along on our crazy journey the last three... err... almost six months. It's been a wild ride thus far. I can only pray that life slows down, we get back into a routine and it's smooth sailing! 

.... OK, I can't even type that without laughing! 

Until next time, friends!

XXOO,

Allyson

PS. My LipSense Labor Day sale wraps up today! If there is a fall color you've been hunting for, now is the time to buy! Everything in five percent off plus free shipping through tonight! Check out my Facebook page to see what I have in stock. I also have Lexie Beary, Dark Pink, Caramel Latte and Luv It coming in this week - all fantastic fall colors! :) 

But First... A Party!

We are about to wrap up our two-month stay at Chateau Stone Manor, which also means we are about to wrap up our two and a half year stay in Arkansas.

Can I just say...

Where the hell did the last two and a half years go?

It's certainly scary to think how fast time flies when I remember when we were living in a hotel for three weeks before we moved into our house here! I guess we are leaving the way we came in -- temporary housing!

But before we left, we were feted by our White Oak Trails neighborhood pals last Friday night.

There was amazing food, great beer (hello cold Bud Light Limes!) and wonderful, and as always, entertaining conversation. It's funny how the crowd always separates into boys and girls, just like we are back at the seventh grade dance! But... the only way one can talk about having more babies when husbands don't want more babies is with a separated crowd. :)

Sidenote: I was not one asking for more babies!

About 15 minutes in to the party, our hosts told us the new owners of our house were gone for the weekend so we were sneaking over to take pictures in front of it!

This is my neighbor Josh. It took us 45 seconds to take one picture at the correct angle. He also wanted to make the blog!

So our big crew walks over and yet again, I shed tears. It seems that any time I go back to the neighborhood, I cry. They are usually tears of sadness, of missing the house. Tears on this night were definitely of missing the house, but also of being terrified of never having great neighbors like this again.

I know I've talked a lot about our neighborhood and how lucky we were to end up there. And I promise I won't talk about this for the next 15 years. But I just need to say again... I will miss these people. I will miss the conversations. I will miss the kindness and the laughter.

Very rarely have I met another Allyson. I guess I had to move to Arkansas to THIS neighorhood.
Because that girl to my right is Allyson as well. 

And it wouldn't have been right if Rachel didn't become the Vudu Queen and literally test out each gal's fertility with a strand of hair and wedding rings...

Lis was loving this!

I can't lie, my reading scared the CRAP out of me as it said I had two girls and a boy and we had one more boy to come. I feel like that was when I had went from only wanting two beers for the evening, to immediately running back out to the beer fridge. I definitely needed another beer after that news. 

It was such a fun night and though it still makes me sad to be leaving, I had to remind myself how lucky we were that we picked this neighborhood to live in and had 2.5 years of memories with these people and their families. 

No one will ever be forgotten.

And thank God for Facebook! 

XXOO,

Allyson

Apartment Life: Week 3

We are entering week three of apartment life and I would say that we are adjusting.

And as soon as we are fully adjusted, it will be time to move again!

Sloane and Reece are sharing a queen bed and we put them to bed at the same time we always put them to bed, but they stay up an extra 30 minutes playing, fighting, playing, singing, fighting... Most of the time I leave it alone, but I do step in if it's 8:30 and they are still up! If I don't, it makes for a rough morning.

Our morning commute begins at least 15-20 minutes earlier than it used to. I had wanted to continue to do carpool and pick up the sweet kiddos in our neighborhood, but last week decided it was best to not. We were having to leave the house by 7 AM sometimes and the kids were a wreck. Sloane was crying one morning because she was so tired and we had to leave. It made me so sad to stop doing carpool, but for the sanity of myself and the kids, we had to. Now when I see our carpool kids, like at a birthday party this weekend, I feel like I haven't seen them in months so I'm bugging them, asking how life is. They're like, "Back off lady, we saw you three days ago!"

Hanging with our White Oak Trails neighborhood crew at a birthday party! 

I also decided to make Sloane a car-rider at the end of the day, which she wasn't thrilled with. She usually was picked up in a golf cart and driven back to our old house. But... I pick Reece up from school and have 50 minutes to wait until Sloane is done. So now we pick Reece up, run an errand, grab a drink, and get in the carpool line.

I read. Reece watches Wildcat Train (his new obsession -- its the video they play before K-State football games on the Jumbotron). Tess watches Curious George. And then we get Sloane. I will admit, I do enjoy dropping my kids off and picking them up from school. It's always a happy moment... until Sloane realizes Reece got an apple juice from McDonald's and she didn't and the world crumbles!

I miss our old house SO very much... much more than I thought I would. I miss the ease of being in our neighborhood and the things that came with it, like little people for my little people to play with and adults for me to talk to.

But this time will go quickly (so I pray). Tess is finally sleeping better after two weeks of getting maybe five hours of sleep a night. The weekends are full through the rest of April. It has to fly by.

Now I just need a home for us to fly into once we are out of the apartment in t-minus one month and 17 days. :) Third time (on making an offer on a house) is a charm right?!

Here's hoping!


XXOO,
Allyson

Final Farewell

Well, the beginning to the end (of our run in Arkansas) has commenced.

On Friday, we signed over our house to the new owners.

I was running back and forth between our apartment and the house since last Monday and it's been crazy! And sad. And confusing.

Poor Reece just bawled walking through the house after they had packed it all up and loaded it. Room to room he went and his sobs just got louder. Trying to explain to him that he would see his bikes and bed again were not helping.

I can tell you all this. I never thought in a million years that I would live in Arkansas.

Arkansas is the state I made fun of (because doesn't everyone make fun of the state of Arkansas, even if you haven't been there?), but never thought I would inhabit it! But somehow, we got here. And though there are a few things I won't miss (land of Wal-Mart, not being able to turn left -ever-, and living amongst SEC folks), there are plenty of things that I will miss (neighborhood, people, Slim Chickens to name a few).

Before we moved in! 

I can tell you that I never thought I would get to experience living in the same town as my childhood/adult best friend because who gets to do that? That's not real life.

But I did! Once a week, I got to spend an evening with my best friend and her brood, eating dinner and chatting and laughing and yelling at kids and cleaning up and ... just got to be. I will never, ever, ever forget being able to come and meet baby Anna in the hospital. Or Max always asking where Matt was when we'd show up to his house without him. Or Josh telling me to be a soccer coach (HA!). Or Jenna showing up with a large McDonald's coke.

Baby Anna, a baby no more! 

The chances of us living in the same town again are slim. But God, am I blessed to have had these two years.

I can tell you that I did not expect to have three children all born in states other than Kansas! But alas, sweet Tess made her debut into our family in Arkansas. I have zero Kansas-born babies. The plus side to this is that they will never have to be called a Jayhawker (because that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard).

I can tell you that you can never be certain on where life will lead you. Or how you will meet the people you meet. Or the footprints that they will leave on your path.

Thought we still have two months left in Arkansas (or one month and 23 days -- and yes I am counting down the days until we leave this apartment!), I'm starting my goodbyes now.

Thank you 202 NW Highland Road for being our Arkansas home. You were large, your floors killed me (and I picked them out), the weather got us a few times, but you stood tall. Thanks for being our "big house" as the kids called it -- our Minnesota house was our "little house" -- and thank you for keeping us safe for two years! You will be greatly missed!


XXOO,
Allyson

Current Life State

Soooo.... yeah. 

For those of you that do not know me well, let me fill you in.

I'm a clean freak. And not just a kinda sorta clean freak when people are coming over to visit.

I'm a clean freak 120 percent of the time.

I don't clean up at the end of the day. I clean up after the mess is made. And we don't usually make messes in my house. To most, they would be described as a "few things out". To me, it's a mess.

I'm not sure at what point in my life I became obsessed with things being in their place, the carpet being vacuumed constantly, crumbs not being stepped on, handprints on the counters not being visible.

But I will tell you it is not normal. And there are not many of us out there in this world. Ironically, out of the 236 of us in the United States, my neighbor Lis is one of them. We share this bond.

But when you are moving from a house that you have kept clean since day eight of living there, its current state is hard to handle.

This past week, we were in the midst of packing up what we would need to survive for two months while we moved to our short-term housing apartment since our house sold and new owners move in the first of April.

I must preface this by saying that we are BEYOND lucky that Matt's company pays to move us. This includes packing our entire house up, loading our entire house up (in a truck), driving our stuff to a new location, unloading our stuff and unpacking our stuff.

I don't know what will happen when the day comes that I have to pack my own stuff up and move it myself.

I might just say screw it, we are getting new stuff!

But for now, this is how the process goes for us.

And when you see the pictures below, I'm telling you, it took ALOT (alotalotalotalotalotalot) for me to just deal with the look of it. I wanted to vacuum/wipe/mop/steam everything. But I knew there was no point when packers were coming.

Friends, these pictures fully represent my house at the moment, as well as my brain. A complete jumbled, crazy, needs to be lysoled mess!

And this will pass. In a few days, our house will be packed up. Cleaners will come make sure it's clean (something I'd love to do, but don't have time for it) and a new family will move in and unload their stuff.

I might leave them a note telling them there is a good chance an Amazon package might show up, our exterminator is the greatest (and cheapest), our neighbors are above-and-beyond.

And this house is the least germiest house you will ever live in.

We just won't show them these last few pictures!


XXOO,
Allyson

The Art of Moving: Part III

Moving.

OHHH.... moving.

This will be our third move with Matt's company and luckily, we know the process. We know what to expect and we know that we will be settled.

At some point.

In 2017 (I pray).

But even though we "know it all", it does not make it any easier! And usually, there is always a hitch to us moving.

When we left Minnesota for Arkansas, the hitch was that our house wouldn't be ready to be moved in to until mid-January. And we left Minnesota in November.

So the kids and I stayed at Matt's brother's house for a month and a half until school started in January. And then we lived in a hotel for three weeks until our house was finished.

Making school lunches in a hotel room for three weeks - you try it and let me know how it goes! :)

This time, our hitch is that we have to be out of our house by March 31. And school isn't out until May 26. And we have no house to send our stuff to in Chicago.

For those that know me, you know that I'm a planner. It gives me peace of mind, it's my zen. Love me or hate me, at least I'm prepared.

Besides not having a house to move into and our stuff going into storage until it does have a place to go, I'm having major moments on not getting Reece enrolled in preschool. As you have read in my previous posts, Reece has to take speech therapy, recently finished up occupational therapy and just needs a little extra help. So finding a good preschool for him is very important to me.

And as a stay-at-home mom, it's just part of my gig. It's one of those things on my list of things to get done. It is not on Matt's list - Matt's focus is his job and the in-and-outs of dealing with our relocation company.

And that's OK!

But here we are -- mid-March. Almost houseless. Not sure where we are going to be living. And no preschool for Reece. It's taking my stress-level to a maximum point.

I finally verbalized to Matt, through tears, that this is just not how I function. I've tried so hard to be as go-with-the-flow as I can be with this situation, but I'm starting to reach a breaking point. He understands that about me, I know he does. Surely after 16 years together, he does! He gave me a hug, told me we would find something for Reece and make it all OK and that he's been doing so well that I don't need to be worrying as much as I do. But it would be OK!

And then today he calls me and says the buyers want to push the closing date back four days so we should move the packers and not move into our short term housing until then. "I'm just trying to make it easier for you."

I love this man.

But changing up the one thing I had a firm grasp on does not help me! I had a plan as to when I would get things ready to be moved to the apartment, when I would move things over, when Matt could move things over. I had already cancelled internet, for Gods sake! ;)

But that God. He heard me. He's feeling my anxiety. And five minutes ago, we got an email from our realtor saying nevermind, the buyers want to keep the March 31 closing date.

And even though I'm not ready to leave my house, I said "ALLELUIA!"

It's a baby step in the right direction, friends!

Moving. Third time around and I'm still brutal at it!


XXOO,
Allyson

Etsy Finds of the Week

Happy Thursday friends! We are counting down the days until the weekend at the Clark household so we can FINALLY go meet our sweet nephew/cousin Anderson in Kansas City! We were suppose to go last weekend, but then the ice storm of the century was to happen in Kansas City so we cancelled (and then the ice storm of the century was a semi-bust because OF COURSE it would be). But we are ready for the weekend for sure!

 

Bentonville Print

By: Paper Finch Design

$12 

One day, far far away, when we are in our forever home, I have a goal to get framed prints up on an office wall of all the places we have lived. 

I have a great picture that I took of the Keeper of the Plains in Wichita. I have an awesome print of all the neighborhoods in Minneapolis. Now, I just need this. 

This store has good style and you can get all sorts of things from pillows to prints to coffee mugs... 

Check it out! 

Planner Inserts
By: To Insanity and Back
$3

We all know my love for a good planner! Last year, I had the Happy Planner and LOVED it -- it's only $20 for gloriousness! This year I am testing out the Erin Condren. We are 19 days in and I kind of miss my Happy Planner (how RIDICULOUS does that sound)!

Anywho, my mom bought the Happy Planner this year and bought some inserts from an Etsy seller specifically for her planner. She had a meal planning insert, a budget insert, etc. So cool! So did some searching and found a few for my planner which is what I'm showing you. An insert for meal planning is SO great!!

This particular seller has so many options of inserts for your planner -- things you didn't even realize you needed! :) 

Toddler Fox Ear Warmer
By: The Endless Stitch

$20

Welp. You got me at fox. 

Sloane had a hat VERY similar to this and it was THE cutest thing ever. It was also funny because she got it when that ridiculous "What's A Fox Say?" YouTube video came out. 

So my Tess has to have this! 

There are some other cute things in the store, but this is my favorite! 

See you tomorrow for some great Friday Favorites! 

XXOO,
Allyson

What Have I Done?!

And today is the day I've lost my mind.

I'm certain I've said that many times before, but I'm pretty sure today is THE actual day.

Because...

I've decided to start doing direct sales. 😳

WHAT, you say? DIRECT SALES, you say? Those are not real and I can't believe someone convinced you to do it!

I KNOW! I KNOW!

Believe me when I say I talked myself out of this a few times. Or talked myself into waiting just a little while before jumping in.

And then my husband said "Have you signed up yet?"

So I jumped.

Well what am I selling, you ask?

I am selling lipstick. LipSense lipstick to be precise.

Listen to me when I tell you that I was the last person to jump on the LipSense bandwagon. I hem-hawed around it. I kept hearing about how legit it was and that I needed to try it. But I'm one of those that just likes to wait until the last second to try something (most of the time) OR I'm the last one to find out about it (almost ALL of the time).

The sweet gal that did our makeup for my friend Abby's wedding mentioned how great LipSense was and I said "Oh, yeah, I've heard of that!" And that was it.

And then a month later, my best friend and I stood in the back of a store at the launch party for the Northwest Arkansas Moms Blog group I write for, browsing lip color choices and what she should get. I was totally into it.

But I still didn't budge.

And then one night, I was on Facebook and saw that one of my distant cousins (who may or may not be one of the cutest people you will ever see -- besides my cute cousin Megan) had posted pictures in her LipSense and how she had decided to take the plunge and sell it and how she NEVER thought she'd do direct sales, but she had truly loved this stuff for awhile so why not?

See, what did I tell you?!

So then I had to try it. I messaged her, I browsed the really great examples of colors (they show you six different "normal" people in one LipSense color to give you a good representation of what it might look like on you) and bit the bullet. 

And now here I am. A few weeks later. I feel EXACTLY as Melissa did, but this stuff is the real deal.

Let me explain my number one reason as to why it's great and why I'm happy to sell it to everyone: it doesn't come off.

I repeat, the lipstick does not come off!

You can put it on in the morning, put on the gloss you purchase with it, and maybe carry the gloss with you if you want, but the lipstick will last up to 18 hours! I put it on, eat 10 meals, go check the mirror two hours later and it is still there!

I think back to Abby's wedding and how one person carried around one tube of the gorgeous Vitality lipstick and we all had to share it AT LEAST 60 times that day. If we would have had one tube of LipSense, we wouldn't have had to share it more than ONCE! And I LOVE the color of Vitality lipstick we used -- I went and spent $25 on it at Ulta!  ....  And I could have just spent $25 on the same LipSense color!

Also...

I started a separate Facebook page for this new adventure for a few reasons:

1. I wanted a separate space to show you all of the color options.
2. I wanted a space to show you what I have in stock.
3. And that is all. 

I am not going to bug you to join my team (but the one plug I will give is that you get a good discount on this stuff if you DO join my team -- THAT'S IT, I'M DONE!). I'm not going to share every single post on my personal Facebook page. I just wanted a separate space to show you the colors and how to buy it.

Because you all need some of it in your life, I can promise you that! And if you do have any questions, you know how to find me - comment below,  e-mail me at allyson.hills@gmail.com or hop on any of my five million Facebook pages. :)

Now for the next question you have...

No, this does not mean Two Dots will go away! Lauren and I (oh yes, Lauren is selling LipSense as well) are obviously trying to corner the clothing and makeup market. 😂

Two Dots is still kicking! We actually have a show in Kansas City in just over a week and a half at the Holy Trinity Early Education Center in Olathe for those that want to come browse! There will be a Ladies Night on Friday, January 27 from 6-9 pm. Tickets are $15 for advanced purchase or $20 at the door, which includes a raffle ticket, wine and snacks and a possibly swag bag with coupons and such to use that night!

And blogging will not be going anywhere either! You might just hear about new LipSense colors a little more, especially on Friday Favorites. But Tess and Elm is staying put.

As for the rest of my crazy life, it is literally all over the place with realtors, house hunting in Chicago, and the realization that we continue to accumulate SO MUCH STUFF that I thank God for relocation packages! 

And that's that, folks! To check out the LipSense colors and what I have in stock at the moment (it's selling so quickly that so many colors I want to have in my inventory are not available until February), go to my Facebook page and go to the 'Photos' tab.

Happy Hump Day to all!

XXOO,
Allyson

PS. IF you like what you see on my Facebook page, go ahead and 'like' it and share it with your friends -- just for fun so you can be informed on colors that arrive and new items!

Etsy Finds of the Week

Good morning friends and welcome to the first Etsy Finds of the Week of 2017!

If you haven't read a few of my last posts, let me catch you up to speed:

• My husband is starting a new job.

• It's in Chicago.

• Therefore we are moving to Chicago.

• Hopefully not until school is out.

That's the gist!

So now when I'm on Etsy, I will have a little more purpose as I'll be hunting for new decor items for the next house we are in. Even though I don't know where that will be or what the house will look like. But you always need some new stuff to put in your 'new' house, right?!

Magnolia Wreath
By: Charming Pine
$55 +

Ever since Chip and JoAnna Gaines came into my life, I have been needing a magnolia wreath in my life. And really, I had never seen a magnolia tree until we moved to Bentonville. They are SO incredibly pretty and I wish that I could have one in all of my future yards! 

Chip and Jo sell these wreaths in their store, but I did a little searching and found this one that I really like. I'd love to have a real one, and I found a  few sites that sell them on Etsy, but I don't especially love them when the leaves have dried up, which would inevitably happen in my house. I kill all plants.

This one is the most real-like with faux leaves. And this is probably the best price you will find for a faux Magnolia wreath! Would love it on a front door or as a decor piece inside. 

Good reveiws and some really cute items in this shop if you're a Fixer Upper fan! Check it out! 

House Shaped Shelf

By: Purple Pollen
$60

I'm not sure how many of you moms out there have daughters who are obsessed with Shopkins.

But I am one of those moms. 

These tiny little... things... have taken over my life. I don't even know what they are! But I know they are small and everywhere! 

Sloane got a Shopkin case for Christmas and I truly thought that would help. But it hasn't, they are still everywhere!

So when I saw this adorable house, I thought BOOM! Kill two birds with one stone. Sloane needs stuff for her walls and a place to put her Shopkins and this will be perfect! 

They can be painted any color you'd like and this seller has really good reviews! 

 Rustic EAT Sign
 By: Pine Ridge Designs

$36

Well crap. I'm definitely going to have to get this. It's adorable and perfect for a kitchen or dining area!

Color options are endless but I'd stay simple and do white probably. And all letters are distressed and sanded for this same look.

Seller has really good reviews and can ship in 6-8 days! Fun gift idea for someone. Or yourself.

In my case, for myself. :) 

Happy Thursday everyone!

XXOO,
Allyson

Welcome to a New Year

Hello friends and family!

And welcome to my first post of 2017. I'm thrilled that I haven't had to sign a check because God knows I will write 2016 on it until May (speaking of, I need to write a check for Reece's preschool tuition - here we go)!

First off, I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and happy New year. As you know, we spent eight days of our Christmas break traveling from Bentonville to southeast Kansas to Wichita to Kansas City and two stops in Illinois before heading back to Arkansas.

To say it was a lot isn't saying enough. Because it was A LOT of traveling. Besides getting to see family in Illinois, our goal was to drive around some neighborhoods in the western suburbs of Chicago to get a feel for what we liked and where we'd like to be when we move this summer.

Well after being in the car for seven hours, then stopping, then back in the car for another hour and a half, the idea of driving around doesn't seem like so much fun.

But we did it. For about an hour and a half total. Definitely not enough time to get a "feel" for anything, but we found some nice areas and are excited to go back and venture around some more and spend a little longer time. This time we will travel via plane so the driving around part won't be so bad!

We did have a wonderful break and were able to see all sides of our families, which is a must for me during Christmas. We have traveled every year on Christmas since we have been married and I will tell you this. We have already made a note that when we make our final move (hopefully to Kansas City in a few years, crossing fingers), we will be having Christmas morning in our own home. Everyone can come to our house and that will be fantastic, but we aren't leaving it!

During our eight-hour trek back to Arkansas on December 30, Matt and I discussed what our New Years Resolutions would be. I didn't hem-haw around what mine was. It's pretty straight-forward.

I'm going to work on being a better person.

I feel like I spent much of 2016 as an unhappy person - not on the exterior. But I feel like I had so many mean thoughts scrolling through my head and sometimes I would be so mad, I felt like my blood pressure was going soar through the roof.

I have to be able to find some peace in parts of my life that became totally discombobulated in 2016. It's going to be really hard, but it has to happen. I need to be able to woo-sah and let some things go or I'll spend 2017 totally wound up.

And I don't have time for it!

I don't have time to not be focusing on the things that are really important in my life and right in front of my eyes.

My kids and my husband need a mom and wife that isn't stressed and taking that stress out on them. I can have stresses in my life, but I just need to find a way to deal with them better than I did this past year.

So... it's going to be a tough one. I feel like I'm three days in and doing great! Talk to me in two months and I hope I can say the same thing!

What are YOUR New Years resolutions?!

HAPPY 2017!

XXOO,
Allyson

PS. I survived two weeks of Christmas break with my kids and we are all still surviving! YES!

Wrapping up 2016

Hello friends and welcome to what will probably be my last post of 2016!

And can I just tell you... I will gladly kick 2016 in the rear when it parts us!

I don't recall in my 34 years of living a year quite like this one. It started off great with my dad's 60th birthday celebrations, then three days later, came to a quick, whiplashing halt. I will spare you all the details, but what I will say is this. If you are ever in or near the Havana, Kan., area, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT drink the water. It's spread crazy across the entire county.

Now the one place I really had treasured visiting because it was my place of calm and peace is now the last place I want to visit.

Which sucks.

But I will tell you my bright spots from 2016 and what I'm looking forward to in 2017!

This sweet baby is the No. 1 thing to come out of 2016! I couldn't wait for her to get here so I could get my attention off of what started the year off so horribly. And man, did she deliver! Our sweet Tess was born on February 24 after a long day of induced-labor. The girl would have stayed put another two weeks if I had let her. But I was done being pregnant!

The first few months were tricky with her because we could not figure out why she was crying so much. I had prayed for a healthy and happy baby because my Reece had severe acid reflux as a baby and was anything but happy! So I was definitely frustrated until we found out the poor girl wasn't pissed off, she had a milk allergy and her belly was hurting!

Once we figured that out, all was well! She has been so much fun to watch grow, though that has gone rather quickly. She is now crawling and all over the room, while Sloane is saying "Mom, can you hold her so she doesn't get in my stuff!" Ohhh, she has no idea what she's in for! :)

We all adore her, as does anyone that meets her. And man, am I glad that she was the bright spot in our 2016!

Sloane started kindergarten and turned six this year. I feel like both are these super momentous moments in her life AND ours. How did we get from zero to six so quickly?

She was SO excited to start school and really has loved it! Just now are we beginning to see some unlove for school, but it's perfect timing for a two-week break. A time to get re-energized and just enough time to drive mom crazy!

 

Reece started and finished occupational therapy at Children's Therapy Team. It's been quite the last two years with this kid, but we are thrilled with the progress he has made. As we left school yesterday and were saying goodbye to Ms. Heather who won't be returning after Christmas break, she told me that she will miss him the most.

It's funny because I'm always the most scared to send him off to something new. NOT because he won't enjoy it, but because I fear the teachers just won't get him. By the time it's time to move on to the next school year or teacher, I've gotten the same response from his teachers. It literally makes my heart burst with joy because if anything, my kids are good kids and people like to be around them. And sometimes, in the end, that is what is most important!

This summer, we found out that my brother and his wife were expecting their first baby! I cried MANY tears of joy because my brother is the absolute greatest guy I know (I feel like I'm allowed to say this and it not hurt my husband's feelings since it's my brother) and I am SO excited for him to be a dad and watch him and Alex parent together!

He LOVES kids. Probably because he'd like to be one his entire life, but his patience and kindness and love for babies is amazing and watching him with his own will be a true joy in my life!

Baby Hills will be here in January and - as I told his wife, Alex, just last night - I'm SO ready for a new teeny baby to be here to snuggle and hold! I don't need the baby to be my own, but blood-relation will do just fine!!

And last, but not least...

Our family has news to share. For the last half of this year, we've been teetering through the unknown with Matt's job. His company got bought so he was in limbo as to what he might be doing for a job or where he would be.

At one point, we thought we'd be moving back to Minneapolis. At another point, we thought we might be staying in Bentonville. We were hoping he could find a job in Kansas City. And then, he was offered a new job.

In Chicago.

What's funny is that we had always said we wanted to live in Chicago.

Pre-children.

But here we are. Three kids later. And about to move to the third largest city in the country.

Sounds nuts, but I kind of think we are nuts, so when you think about it in those terms, it's not nuts. It's more traveling (again) back to Kansas, it's learning my way around a new area (again), but we are close to a lot of Matt's aunts and uncles and cousins, which we are thrilled about!

When deciding on taking this job, Matt pointed out how much we loved getting to know my uncle Blish's family better when we lived in Minneapolis and feel that we are close with them and how neat it would be to have the same experience with his family.

And it was hard to fight that one!

We are excited! The kids (or Sloane) are excited! Our families are .... ehh ... coming around to it.

My mom and dad are thrilled to have a fun place to visit, but not thrilled it's farther away (though Manhattan is five hours for us and Chicago will only be seven). My brother is already planning trips.

And my sister? Well. We don't talk to her much about it because Matt is afraid she will harm him in his sleep. She was desperately wanting us to move to Kansas City (as were we) and we are very hopeful that will happen!

We just have a stop in between!


So... that's it for the Clark's in 2016. It started off really rough and had many moments of rough in between, but when I look at what we have accomplished, I am proud.

I have a very hard-working husband who loves his family with everything he has and wants nothing but the best for us. I have three healthy and happy and good kids. And I have a roof over my head.

That roof is about to get much more expensive, but it's a roof, nonetheless.

2017 -- you've got your work cut out for you, but I feel fairly certain you can handle it!

Merriest of Christmases to you all and have a wonderful and safe New Year! Thank you for following along these past few months - this has been a newfound love for me and I appreciate each and every one of that read this.

XXOO,
Allyson