Cute and Inexpensive Kid's Swimsuits - I 💗 Target!

Last month we took our first cruise with the girls.  I realized a week before we left that my girls had outgrown most of their swimsuits.  I shopped online and found these adorable and affordable suits from my favorite store, Target!

They were both under $20 (one was only $14.99) and they worked out perfectly.  I thought I'd share them with you in case you have some warm weather travel plans this winter, or if you just want to plan ahead.  Or.....if you live in AZ and are already having your kids suit up in our 80 degree weather (don't hate us but it's coming back by the end of this week).

First up is the Girl's Breaking Waves Polka-dot swimsuit. with rainbow ties.  It is my favorite and got so so many comments when she wore it.  It also photographed pretty well.  
It ran true to size, my 5 year old wore a size 5.  It costs only $14.99.

Next up was my big girl's Chevron one piece with rash guard.  The rash guard is white with pink sleeves and a chevron heart.  It wasn't particularly hot on our cruise so she didn't wear it as much, but I'm sure we'll get plenty of use out of it this summer!
The front of the suit was rainbow chevron print and the back a bright pink.  It made her easy to find on the beach. :)

They have so so many cute and affordable suits at Target for kids, check them out before they're gone!

Instant Pot Popcorn Recipe

My little one helped me make popcorn in our Instant Pot one evening recently and it was a hit.  We used a recipe that had coconut oil and butter which we thought was fabulous but tasted "too coconut-y" to the other members of my family.  So if you're coconut oil shy then just use more butter instead.

It is such a simple recipe, and my Ikea multipurpose glass lid made it easy to see how the popcorn was coming along.  Although the actual popping made my daughter a little nervous, you can see above she chose to close her ears while watching. :)

If you don't have a glass lid for your Instant Pot look for the STABIL lid at Ikea, only $8.99!  Or if Amazon is your jam here is a universal cover option which you can use on your IP as well as other frying pans.  Or get the official IP glass lid if you only need it for your IP.

The popcorn comes out with a slightly brown color because of the coconut oil.  My daughter wasn't sure what to make of this at first, but after she tasted it she was all smiles!  

Instant Pot Popcorn

3 Tablespoons of coconut oil 
2 Tablespoons of butter 
1/2 cup popcorn kernels 

Instructions

1. Turn on SAUTE and press Adjust to raise temp to MORE. 
2. When display reads HOT, add coconut oil and butter. 
3. Wait about 1 minute then pour in corn kernels. Stir and make sure the oil is covering all the kernels. If not add more oil. 
4. Cover and in 2 minutes or so the corn will start popping. When about 2/3 of the corn has popped, turn IP off and let sit to finish popping. Add salt and any seasonings of choice.

Recordable Book - Treasured Memories

This weekend my girls and I pulled out this very special book for the first time since my dad died.  It was super sweet to hear his familiar voice reading along with the pages in the book (and my moms too).

The book was recorded a few years ago when dad was able to read and understand.  At the time I bought it because my parents lived far away and I thought the girls would enjoy hearing their grandparent's voices.

Both girls said it was "so cool" to be able to hear grandpa's voice whenever they wanted.

I agree.

I highly recommend these recordable books.  If you have a parent with dementia or even a grandparent/parent living far away they're a fun treat for your kids.  And if you're in my shoes they're an irreplaceable treasure once your parent is no longer here.

They're a little pricey but worth every penny!

Get your own books here:

Hot Air Balloons

This time of year is prime hot air balloon season in my area.  I see big beautiful balloons flying over or near my house most mornings and evenings.  

I can get up close to them when they are taking off or landing to take photos more easily.

Lately I've felt like these balloons are sweet colorful little messages of joy to brighten my day.  Little gifts from above to cheer me on.

These photos were all taken in the last 2 weeks.

Goodbye Dad

The day after we returned from our cruise vacation I received word that my dad had contracted influenza and was deteriorating quickly.  Less than 2 days later he passed away.  I was able to fly out the next day to meet up with my mother and sister and we were all together as he took his last breaths. 

It's a lot to take, even though my dad has been slowly passing for years due to his Alzheimer's disease this ending was much quicker than we had expected.

Fortunately my girls and I had been out to see him only 3 weeks before and had a lovely visit to remember him by.

It is hard to know how to get back to normal; driving carpool, running errands, making dinner while also processing loss and planning for his memorial.  There isn't a handbook for how to do this, and I'm just stumbling along.

So if I take a break from blogging you'll know why.  Or if I decide that blogging about popcorn recipes, vintage toys, vacation tips or how to talk to kids about dying you'll know that that is helping me move forward.  Either way, know that I'm thinking about my dad every day.

This is the last photo taken of me with my dad in early January.

And this is the first photo I have with my dad.  I was a 70s baby as you can see.  My dad was older in this photo than I am now.  

For more on Alzheimers:

Visiting Memory Care/Nursing Homes with Kids
Gift Ideas for Loved Ones with Dementia