70 years of marriage, a 6-hour car ride, 25 million bees, and a garden robbery. And that was just over the weekend!
Braun and I took the kids up to Idaho to celebrate his grandparents 70th wedding anniversary and it was such a magical weekend. The kids got to play with cousins, Grandma and I robbed the garden, and Braun and I stood in the middle of 25 million bees and didn’t even flinch! Well…mostly 🙂
BRAUN’S SUNGLASSES | POLO | SHORTS | MY SUNGLASSES | SKIRT | SANDALS | ROSE GOLD APPLE WATCH
Braun’s family has been farming in Idaho for a few generations and they bring huge semi trucks full of bees into pollenate their fields. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about bees before this weekend but I definitely feel like a pro now! They swarmed around us as we stood watching their chaos and it’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.
OUR TRAVEL ROAD-TRIP ESSENTIALS
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After that, Braun’s grandma grabbed my hand and said we should go rob the garden. I knew exactly what she meant because we rob our own home garden all the time! Very few things make it from the garden to our table because we’re out there daily playing and picking fruits and veggies off the vine. Our own garden has been one of my favorite things about the summer. If you’re on the fence about planting a garden, I definitely suggest you do it! It’s a great way to bring your family together and literally see the fruits of your labor!
It was a sobering drive back to Utah. Dash’s friend Nixon passed away after a 2-year battle with bone cancer. He was such an example of strength and I feel incredibly lucky and grateful that our family was able to know him.
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His reach was so big and he touched so many individual’s lives. He was happy when things were anything but. He smiled when some thought there wasn’t anything to smile about. And he fought hard. He fought for kids like him, for himself, and for his family.
I was reminded of so much as I put together a video for his viewing. I was reminded of the can-do attitude, the non-stop smile, and a family that worked to move the needle forward in cancer research despite facing the toughest road ahead. I’m so grateful for the lessons we learned from Nixon and so heartbroken that he was called home so soon.
We’ll miss you Nixon!
SHOES
Tuesday was ROUGH! But I powered through. I’m almost a year into my personal fitness journey and I look forward to these mornings! And it doesn’t suck to come home to stuff like this:
Every morning this week has looked like this. I love that these kids love each other. They constantly play with one another and have no problem piling into this room and laying on this couch as a whole. It’s one of the best purchases we’ve made! Pull-out couches have a history of being uncomfortable and ugly but this one from West Elm is a dream. It costs a bit more than your average pull-out but if it’s going to be in heavy use, it’s worth every penny!
The 4th of July for us this year was so incredibly fun! I have spent the last 5 or 6 years celebrating the 4th at different locations around the country as Braun has worked and it was so nice to have everyone together! We love this holiday and of course, it gives Braun a chance to bust out all of his flag-inspired patriotic gear!
I swear his collection grows every year! From patriotic Chucks to his flag-print Apple watch band, this guy represents! I wasn’t able to find a link for his flag-pocket polo but it’s Travis Matthew. This is the ultimate hip-dad brand and Braun rocks it all the time! If you want to check it out, Nordstrom Rack has an awesome selection and even more awesome prices!
SHOP TRAVIS MATHEW
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And if you want to take a trip down memory lane, here are a few picks from 4th of Julys past where we’ve been together, apart, and everything in between! And can I just say, I am so glad baby Braun and Tara have grown up a bit! But I’d still give anything for these tiny babies!
Little Emery is about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! Proof that this girl has always been all smiles. We love this holiday because it brings us together to celebrate our freedoms and enjoy each other’s company. And it’s truly 1 holiday where a lot of people turn everything off. There isn’t a lot of pressure to be elsewhere doing work or things that detract from the day.
And then there are these two! Man, I’ve started letting Pennie sleep in our bed and it’s actually been pretty good so far except when she has to pee (which is still in the middle of the night) and she comes and just licks my face until I wake up. Haha oh man, nothing like dog slobber. But, it’s waaaaay better than dog vomit. Which I had on me two days ago when one of the dogs (have no idea which one) decided to upchuck their breakfast on me! So gross!
I’ve had a lot of questions lately on doggie items and wanted to let you know that I put everything in a blog post a while back and you can shop the slider below!
DOGGY MUST-HAVES
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The good news is, Pennie seems to be settling in. Everything’s not perfect, but it’s good and we’re happy (even Braun) that she’s a part of the family. Now if I could just get her to sleep through the night!
We spent the rest of the 4th and 5th swimming and hanging out with our neighbors. One of them recently got a bearded dragon and all of us (including me) had the chance to play with it. As far as pets go, it’s pretty low maintenance. But imagining a lizard loose in my house is definitely enough to deter me. With my luck, that thing would be loose in a day and I’d find it dry and crispy a week later behind a bed or something!
To top this week off, Annie threw herself a party and scheduled it FOR 8 HOURS! Holy cow, I deserve a medal…or at least a huge Sodalicious and some Nerds Jelly Beans! Haha But we had a blast and made the most of this weekend. I was able to snag a rental from Inflatapalooza. We went with an inflatable double slide that we could put water on AND they came to our house, set it up, and then come take it all down – it’s a mother’s dream!
The slip and slide we had a few weeks ago seriously burned the crap out of my grass and now we have a recovering yellow patch so I’m hoping this doesn’t do the same. I’ll keep you posted!
Other than a super busy week, we’ve just been plugging along in the Thueson household. Summer has been so much fun and I always feel like it goes too fast.
I’ve put up some super fun stuff recently that I wanted to link here in case you missed it when I first posted! I put together all of my summer shoe picks:
SUMMER POOL SLIDES
SANDALS
WORKOUT SHOES
RECENT BLOG POSTS
I also put together some awesome blog posts and wanted to make sure you didn’t miss out! I added to my Influencer series and put out my guide to reaching out to collaborate with brands. If you’re interested in being an influencer, growing your following, and partnering with awesome brands – this is the blog post for you! I’ve got some email templates in there, I’m showing you word-for-word what I send out, and my thoughts on media kits! Here are a few other gems that hit the blog recently:
CORN CRACK DIP
This is my friends dip that my family and I seriously can’t get enough of!!!
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TECH TUESDAY: LIVE PHOTOS
Every time one of my kids blinks or pulls a funky face I am so glad I shoot in Live Photo mode on my phone. I put together a quick guide for you to be able to do this as well and how to utilize it to capture the perfect photo every time. Goodbye mid-photo sneezes, blurry hands, and all kid-related snafoos!
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FAUX GLOW
And you don’t need a machine to do this one! I tested out a ton of self-tanners and found the holy grail of brown mousse! This stuff goes on so easy, dries in 60 minutes, stays for 7 days, and I even used it on my face! I’m giving you all of my tips for a smooth application! This stuff is the stuff of dreams and totally worth every penny (it’s like $11!)
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It’s not even Monday and I already feel like I need a nap for this coming week. I’m not the only one, right?
This week has been super awesome and I’m so glad I got to spend some extra one-on-one time with my little family. They’re seriously my favorite humans – even when they throw open bottles of red Gatorade at each other when they’re mad (Jett was the culprit this week).
We’re still working on the basement and making decisions on finishes, carpet, appliances, and so much more. I’m excited to show you guys a little bit more of that process over the next few weeks and months!
And of course, if I missed anything that you need a few details on, let me know below! I have some fun stuff coming up this week and can’t wait to show you!
Have an awesome week!
Xx Tara
