WW: Our Weekend at Folly Beach

In rare fashion, I've decided to forgo words on today's post (as much as I'd love to share some of the fun stories). I hope you aren't sick of my beachy iphone snaps because there's plenty more ahead.

This is Wordless Wednesday. You can grab my button in the sidebar but it is not required to participate. Just grab any photo and come link up! And if you'd like to connect with other WW participants, click HERE or one of the thumbnails below. It's a fun way to meet some new folks!

WW: Summer Printable & Giveaway

T minus two days... and kidlets will be out for summer (if you count these partial days til 10:30). I think we all have the time-for-school-to-be-done-already-summer fever around these parts. Last night I was quizzing my daughter on Hiduism, the Great Wall of China, Mesopotamia as well as plenty of other unfun historical tidbits. And little man is trying hard to stay on task. It seems cruel to still have projects and looming tests in June. Particularly with these beautiful sunny days in the high eighties teasing us and friend's trip photos plastered around the net. Even with all of the snow make-up days in Iowa, I can't recall ever getting out this late.

Does anyone else remember summer break being Memorial Day to Labor Day? It seems to be shrinking with every passing year.

And summer days don't have that same unstructured bike, swim, run the neighborhood til dark and catch lightening bugs kind of feel. Sometimes I long for those simpler, carefree days before wi-fi and handheld devices.

Although I have always really enjoyed time with the kids, each year seems more challenging as hormones and attitudes become more pronounced. I can't help but reminisce back to days gone by and mourn my babies just a wee bit. Especially when that nasty B word creeps in. And it seems to come in high pitched whines to boot these days. "I'm B-O-R-E-D." The one word no mom wants to hear twelve hours into break. I may have to incorporate my friend's "I'm Bored Jar" filled with all sorts of chores to help them out when they've forgotten how to entertain themselves. Pretty ingenious if I do say so myself.

To further ensure a summer free of boredom and unnecessary drama (which is not limited to toddlers in case you were wondering) I've also lined up pool passes and summer camps and have drafted a condensed bucket list that hopefully even my 11 and 13 year old can get excited about because I'd love to savor every last minute with them, even if I'm not as cool as I once was. This may not make for the spontaneous kind of adventures I long for, but it certainly is a great tool to give kids some direction and purpose during the summer months.

So, for all of my North American friends heading into those warm, sun filled lazy days (a girl can dream)- here's an 8 1/2 x 11 printable for you. Hang it on the fridge or bulletin board. Or get fancy and throw it in a frame. You could even use a dry erase marker on the glass. If you missed my 2012 "50 Things to Do Before Summer Kicks the Bucket" List, you can grab that one here. If you want a more simple version, this one may hit the spot.

2013 Summer Bucket List

If you have Photoshop or Elements you can customize the words or colors to your liking. Perhaps you have family traditions or unique spots in your area that you'd like to add. Or you'd like to tweak the colors to match your kitchen or family room. Have at it. If you don't have these editing programs, I'd be happy to tweak it for a $6 fee. There's also a JPG available- just download, print and start checking.

And I have a fun giveaway going on through Tuesday, June 11th at Midnight. Kristy of Life-n-Reflection has a Photo Pizazz Club Membership now available and she's giving away a year's worth of fun and goodies plus a Science of Textures Class right here at Project Alicia. Make sure to enter to win this awesome giveaway! Sounds like some easy, rainy day activities with the kids.

You can find more freebies here. Happy Summer!

In case you're new here, this is Wordless Wednesday. But as you can see, I have a hard time keeping it wordless, so Wordful or Not So Wordless posts are always welcome here. You can grab my button in the sidebar but it is not required to participate. Just grab any photo and come link up! And if you'd like to connect with other WW participants, click HERE or one of the thumbnails below. It's a fun way to meet some new folks!

Photo Club Membership + Texture Class Giveaway

 

You may be familiar with Life n Reflection's adorable boutique. What you may not know is that she is now offering a Photo Pizazz Club Membership. 

So how does the Photo Pizazz Club Work?

Each month, Life-n-Reflection combines the latest photo enhancement tools (textures, overlays, edges...) with a variety of Photoshop design templates. You'll find Photo Pizzazz Club Kits filled with photo textures, frames, overlays, storyboards, and more. Each club kit is coordinated for ease-of-use by both the advanced and novice photo crafty artist. Kits are compatible with all Photoshop, Elements, and Gimp Software.


Sounds like some perfect rainy day activities to me. So, enter below and get your craft on! 

One Year Photo Club Membership, Valued at $97

Plus Free Online Science of Textures Class (valued at $25).

The June Kit includes the NEW Primrose Overlay Set and Wonderland Polaroid Set. Read the terms & conditions below and follow the directions to be entered to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Kristy of Life-n-Reflection for sponsoring this giveaway. It will run through June 11th at midnight and a winner will be selected through Rafflecopter (powered by random.org).

This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the owner of this Facebook page and not to Facebook. This promotion is powered by Rafflecopter. Metric Feat LLC (“Rafflecopter”) does not sponsor, administer, or endorse this promotion.

WW: Pine Island

One of the perks of my husband's job is membership to this beautiful place known as Pine Island.



Lake Murray is approximately 50,000 acres and the island is situated on a beautiful chunk. There's plenty of critters and treasures to keep the kids happy. I'll spare ya the nasty ones ;)



Plus it's a cheap date and a lovely way to escape the world. There's very few places I'd rather be.



This past weekend we spent several evenings there unwinding from our house hunting adventures. Ever try to finish a puzzle without all the pieces? Or a rubik's cube with half the stickers? That's a little how my life feels at the moment. We're limited by a budget, proximity to hub's work, kid's schools, and neighborhoods with amenities (specifically a pool since public ones don't exist) as well as an entire list of other things that are proving to make this an insurmountable task. And although we understand that there is no perfect home, we'd love to find something that feels right. And after more than a year and a half of renting, we're beyond ready to get settled. So, the search continues...



My blog and personal life have been neglected. The house search is beginning to be all consuming, leaving me sleep deprived and in a habitual state of exhaustion. For those long time Project Alicia followers, you know that we've not had the best of luck with homes and that this is no small decision. If you're a praying individual we could use a few more on our behalf.



So, we escape to Pine Island to partake in the breathtaking beauty and peace that abounds there.



I hope you enjoy this glimpse of the island via untouched iphone snaps. You may have seen a few of these on instagram.

If you don't already follow me, I'm at projectalicia. It's the one place I still frequent when life gets hairy- so let's connect.


And rest assured, this is definitely not the end of Pine Island. You'll be seeing plenty more in the coming months. My kids would live there if I let them. And when we can't make it to the ocean (which is 2-3 hrs away) this sure hits the spot.

We still have a couple weeks of school left here but are looking forward to the summer fun ahead!
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This is Wordless Wednesday. Or in my case, Not so Wordless. You can grab my button in the sidebar but it is not required to participate. Just grab any photo and come link up! And if you'd like to connect with other WW participants, click HERE or one of the thumbnails below. It's a fun way to meet some new folks!