• Family,  Parenting

    A Reader in Bloom

    SuperSnap has come such a long way in her reading. I have a hard time relating because I LOVED to read and tested out of HIGH SCHOOL in reading when I was a first grader. 😳 (no one knows how I even learned, it was a TOTAL mystery) 🤷‍♀️ So, when my brilliant and beautiful daughter proclaimed that she didn’t enjoy reading, I scraped and scrapped every possible avenue to help her enjoy reading. I tried everything. Reading reward charts, incentives, silly stories, reading to dogs…The only thing I couldn’t properly manufacture at home was REAL peer competition, an obvious struggle for a rural homeschooling family. This kid thrives on…

  • Uncategorized

    “Is she too old to trick-or-treat?”

    I’ve been wondering to myself lately, at what age does the childhood wonder taper off so dramatically that your child becomes a teenager, or even worse…adult? My oldest daughter, SuperSnap, is 10 years old this year. I’m already wondering, at what point will she tell me she’s too old to trick-or-treat? The sadness of this looming moment is overwhelming to my mommy heart. Our family takes great joy in holidays and in getting completely wrapped up in the festivities, fun and excitement. For Halloween we always have an elaborate family costume theme, we have done so since before the kids were born, in fact. Somewhere in my mind I realize…

  • Family,  Parenting,  Travel/Vacation

    Flatwoods Park and Wetlands

    This Labor Day we took the chance to spend some family time together having a small picnic and nature walk at Flatwoods Park and Wetlands in Ellettsville IN. There is a nice playground, covered picnic shelters, restroom and guided/paved hiking trail. This was easy to take a stroller along with sleeping baby. The paths are dotted with informational signs explaining the wetlands. Not that my kids cared, they were more into the benches and resting spots. Haha. We found some nice leaves 🍁 Hard to believe they are already starting to turn colors and fall. It’s nice to take the kids away from the screens and noise to spend some…

  • Military,  Travel/Vacation

    Review of Hickam Harbor Beach

    On my recent trip to Hawaii, I discovered a hidden treasure. Hickam Harbor Beach! This beach is a BEAUTIFUL turquoise and PERFECT for beginner watersports because the water is not as choppy and the waves are very small and tame. There is a break in the surf, waaaay back off the beach. It reminded me of “Moana” when they weren’t allowed to go beyond the reef. Far off in the distance you can see the big ol’ blue and the larger ships, but Hickam Harbor just moves at a slower pace. You can rent watersport equipment here at Hickam Beach for CHEAP! These prices are fractions of the cost of…

  • Family,  Parenting,  Travel/Vacation

    Baby Snap is ONE!

    My LAST baby has turned one. I will never again have an infant of my very own, and surprisingly, i’m OK with this. BabySnap was a MAJOR blindside, but she has been a great addition to our family. She is so precious and good natured. I mean, she is always being the picturesque, cute baby. We will often find her sitting quietly, sweetly holding a baby doll or teddy bear. She is so sweet that it’s ridiculous. haha! We had a big family party for her (and her big sis) this past weekend, but today we decided to celebrate her on her physical birthday by taking a trip to the…

  • Family,  Parenting

    Build-A-Bear and CHILL

    So, Build-A-Bear is like, this magical DIY toy store that children of today are blessed with. We didn’t have BAB when I was a kid, not that I would’ve ever been allowed to step foot into their store because we were poor as beans and I was a total spazz who would’ve undoubtedly knocked over a display of teddy bear roller skates while practicing my cartwheels in the store trying to get “discovered” by a talent scout…anywho. Some kids get to go, and that’s a total blast for them. (Hip-Hip-Hooray!) Today, this magical toy store decided to offer a super cool special. They called it “Pay Your Age Day.” This…

  • Travel/Vacation,  Uncategorized

    Big Woods Pizza and Brewing Co.

    My family visited a neat restaurant today. Big Woods Brewery and Pizza Co in Nashville Indiana. We came from a neighboring city to pick up a toddler bed we were buying off Facebook Marketplace. The kids were hungry, we were far from home and this restaurant came up highly recommended, so we gave it a try. The had a great selection of specialty pizzas and craft beers. My husband, DaddySnap, ordered a flight to try a few Left to right: Busted Knuckle, Common Necessity, Hoosier Red and Six Foot Blonde. I’m not much of a beer person, but he is. His favorite from the flight was Busted Knuckle, with Common…

  • Recipes

    MommaSnaps Shrimp Stacks

    Alrighty, You’re so LUCKY! You just stumbled upon you new favorite summer recipe! Ok, This is super easy to make, almost NO actual cooking involved. If you have a rice cooker, cutting board and knife, you’re all set! (Thumbs UP) First things first, get your brown rice a cookin’ because it will take the longest. K, then get your choppin’ hand ready. You need to dice 2 lbs of cold, pre-cooked shrimp. Please remove tails first. As always, I HATE finding shrimp tails and remnants in my food. (YUCK!) Also, you need to dice 1 whole cucumber. I use the English/Hothouse cucumbers because the seeds aren’t as tough. Mash the…

  • Family,  Health and Wellness

    First Time Using Dry Shampoo

    I have been hearing people singing the praises of dry shampoo for a couple years now. Its all “OH MY GOSH BECKY, You’ve never used DRY SHAMPOO?” and “Are you, like, living under a ROCK or something???” I know, I know. I don’t keep up with the trends all that well. But, in my defense, I have a legit note from my dermatologist that I should not wash my hair more than 1-2 times per week. I generally land a fresh washed head of hair about 5 days in. My hair almost never looks dirty, unless I have exercised and worked up an amazing, fat burning, SWEAT! 🙂 Soooo…I’m on…