Goodbye to July (& freebie Friday)

I can't believe that it's almost August! It seems like it was yesterday that I was contemplating leaving the security of my job to be a stay at home mom & blogger. And now my little boy, my little eight pound eight ounce little baby, is going to be starting Kindergarten in less than three weeks! Ugh! Ok... let's get ourselves together here!

Today I am going to give you a run down of July, and as a thank you for reading- there's going to be a surprise at the end :)

First up, is a summary of the month in pictures. Sure, I could tell you what wonderful things that my family and I did in July, but it's always so much funner to show you!

1. I finally hit 1k followers on Instagram, and of course, I had to do a photo shoot. I was so ecstatic, and actually spent $10 on a damn #1 balloon... but it was worth it.

2. I have been wanting one of those overgrown swans or flamingos that every blogger has been Instagramming this summer, but I wasn't ready to go spend upwards of $60 on it. I told my mom about my dilemma, and she was like "you have a fish". Yes, it is kid size. Yes, I am a little to big for it. Yes, I rode the fish across my parents pool.

3. Confession: I kill plants. I bought a cactus when I went to Las Vegas in 2009, and I killed it. Yes, I am just that talented. Early in the month, I drug the hubby to Home Depot in search of another cactus or even some succulents, but walked out with "Sideshow Bob", a pony tail palm bonsai tree. He is still green & thriving, and I am happy. *Then I found out that you can actually buy one on Amazon for cheaper...

4. Due to the summer heat, I've been letting my hair air dry more often, and using Bumble and Bumble's don't blow it. I love the way it helps bring out my natural texture & smooths out the frizz.

5. I released 4 new design in my etsy shop- tiny wishes designs & I'm running a sale right now- use code SUNFUN30 for 30% off the entire shop.

6. I enjoy playing around with my makeup, and actually shot a eye shadow tutorial featuring my Naked2 palette (it's only in pictures, but once I figure out where has the best lighting, I want to start doing Youtube videos).

7. We attended the Gary Air Show, and Lil Man took his first ride on a bus. He loved it.

8. Frozen fruit bars are awesome in the summer :)

9. Ellie got a new collar thanks to Target. I have always wanted to put bows in her hair, but since she has very short hair, it's impossible. The flower accessory will do for now.

Next, the lovely things that July has taught me:

July was a little bit of a learning experience for me. It took me about two weeks after I quit my job to get into a schedule with Lil Man, since I wanted to do everything at once. I went back to my previous job- working at a non-profit- and it almost seemed like I was more concerned with replacing the income that I lost when I quit the M-F job, than with the reason that I quit- to teach Lil Man and get him ready for Kindergarten.

After realizing what I was doing, I made some changes. I am finally into a "blogging schedule"- I take a few hours in the morning to write out posts and get them scheduled- along with promote the already existing posts via social media & Facebook groups. After "Mom's blogging time", I practice letters and words with Lil Man. He is so smart, I tell ya. He knows all his numbers up to 30, shapes, colors, and is learning basic Math. Unfortunately, he doesn't quite grasp the concept of the letters & words. The bright side is that he knows 8 for sure, and is starting to get 5 others, which makes a total of 13/26. He is also doing good on his meds, but we are going to the doc on Monday for a recheck.

I am also disappointed in my July goals completion rate, but we'll talk about that later.

My most popular posts in July:
10+ more places for free stock photos
confession: I'm breaking up with my subscription boxes
fifteen tips for growing Instagram
five places to buy clothes when you're on a budget
five lies I was told when I was pregnant

Lastly, I want to thank you all for reading & here's your surprise:

Since it's Summer, I've decided to do a "freebie Friday"! I love the idea of printables, and just found out that I seriously love making them too! Today I am offering you a cute little summer themed printable, and if you like it, I am going to start sending a printable to my vip email list every few weeks, so be sure to sign up!

All you have to do is right click & save, or download it from here.