Pumpkin Festival 2012

Another year, another pumpkin festival! One of the things I really love about our town is the constant stream of things to do with little ones, especially during the holidays. Every year we have a Halloween Festival downtown, the weekend before Halloween. There's trick-or-treating, games, a costume contest, and tons of activities for kids. Last year we kept talking about how excited we were for the next year, when Henry was sure to enjoy it a lot more. And he definitely did! His favorite part were probably either the bounce houses or the pumpkin patch. He was also really excited to meet Darth Vader and practiced saying "Hi, Vaaader!" a million times...but then got scared when it was his turn. It was a wonderful afternoon though and I'm so happy my parents and Lauren could come up for the day. Henry dressed up like a shark, although his actual Halloween costume is something totally different.

Do you have any fun traditions in your town? Where we live now is super similar to the town I grew up in on the East Coast so it's fun that we're able to keep some of my childhood traditions going here, even though we're across the country! I'm looking forward to making this Festival a yearly event for us.

Pink Your Sink!

the best photo of my Mom ever taken! 

I'll never forget what it felt like when my Mom pulled me into her bedroom that winter afternoon and in her typical, no-big-deal fashion, told me they had found a lump in her breast. The next few months were a whirlwind as I tried to process the fact that my mother had cancer, be there for her as her diagnosis turned into treatment turned into a double mastectomy, and plan my wedding that was happening that spring.  I think back on that time and it feels hazy in my mind- the sequence of events out of order, forgetting details from here or there. But like it always does time went by, and luckily by that next year she was cancer-free (YAY!).

So when October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month rolls around I think a lot about my Mom. I think about family and love, and I think about how lucky we are to live in a place where she was able to detect the cancer early enough, thanks to the broad awareness we now have for it. 

I wouldn't usually share this story in conjunction with any type of sponsored post, but Method is a company I really believe in, and when they shared their "Pink Your Sink" campaign with me, I felt it was appropriate to share more about my own experience with breast cancer, early detection, and awareness. Being the daughter of a survivor it obviously hits very close to home, and I also love that Method is doing their part to help spread awareness and fund research to find a cure. I think that's something we can all get behind.

Pink Your Sink is exactly what it sounds like- adding some pink (in the form of Method products) to your sink! But even better, this month Method is doing an awesome contest where you get to cast your vote for your favorite breast cancer affiliated non-profits to win a great prize. The top ten entries will win a Pink Your Sink gift pack, and Method will also pick four charities to win a $2,500 donation. So awesome. You have two weeks to vote, so be sure to head over and check it out.

In the meantime, you can pick up Method's Pink Your Sink items at your local retailer like Target, or check here to find them online or in stores near you. You can also friend them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.
 
sponsored by method but all opinions expressed are my own. I still haven't met a method product I haven't loved!  

That Gorgeous Little Lovable Chipped Tooth Smile

And then suddenly your little boy is a big boy, more and more of his baby self slowly starting to fade away as he grows and grows, every morning waking up just a bit bigger than the day before. And there he is, running and playing and kicking a soccer ball. Jumping up and climbing down, and going non-stop with that familiar sparkle in his eye that's one part mischievous, one part pure joy. You ask, where did the time go? You wonder, how did this happen? You look at baby photos with tears in your eyes, thinking back to those hazy days of him always being in your arms, but in that same moment you look up and see that little face, that gorgeous little lovable chipped tooth smile saying "play with me mama, c'mon mama!" and you know the best is really yet to come.