One day you're raising two little boys... pushing the stroller to the playground in the evenings, sneaking out of their room after they fall asleep at night, touching their cheeks and whispering, "Never grow up." And the next thing you know - you're mothering teens. And teenagers, you know, they come with their own set of challenges. Challenges that slap you in the face with their stark contrast to those of mothering little boys - arguing over what time to put the phones down at night, checking their location and saying, "Make good choices," more times than you can count, guiding them as they create values unique to their own path in this life. And I'm not going to lie - it hurts. It hurts letting go of control. It hurts just as much as you knew it would when you packed away the newborn onesies and said, "It's going so fast," for the very first time. The pain of wanting to hold on only gets deeper as they grow.
Mother of Teens
Finn's Custom Pet Portrait
Holiday Gift Guide for Teen Boys!
Shopping for teens is definitely challenging. Since I have a few years of experience shopping for my pre-teen & teen sons now, I wanted to share the wins to help you out this holiday season! If you're asking yourself, "What do I buy for a teenage boy?" - this post is for you.
Be sure to check out my Holiday Gift Guide for Pre-Teens post as well!
*This post contains affiliate links. I truly appreciate when you use my links to shop!
Holiday Gift Guide for Pre-Teen Boys!
The pre-teen/teen years are in full force at my house as Roman + Asher are 11 and 14 now. (Can you even believe it?) It was definitely a shift holiday-shopping wise, and I still a struggle to find gifts that my boys aren't going to roll their eyes at on Christmas morning! Now that I've found a groove with shopping for my teenie-boppers, I thought I'd share some of my best finds that have been a hit over the past few years! (Plus a few additional ideas.)
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Be sure to check out my Holiday Gift Guide for Teen Boys post as well!
*This post contains affiliate links. I truly appreciate when you use my links to shop!
Denver Staycation: Hilton Garden Inn Denver Union Station
This blog post is in partnership with Hilton Garden Inn Denver Union Station. All opinions expressed are my own.
Winter this year has felt long and my family has been in desperate need of a getaway. Since the boys are between basketball seasons right now, we planned a little Denver staycation weekend which was exactly what we all needed!
We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver Union Station, nestled right in downtown Denver between Union Station, Coors Field, and the Museum of Contemporary Art! This was such a perfect spot for a combination of relaxing at the hotel during the day and venturing into downtown in the evening.
Roman and I love exploring a new hotel and we had fun finding all the cozy lounge spots, with the real prize being the 54 foot heated indoor pool featuring an incredible view of the city! The highlight of the weekend for the boys was definitely the pool - we went 3 times!
5 Best Money Making Apps
1. Acorns
I am thrilled I found Acorns which is an investment/savings app rolled into one. I've earned money & saved more as well since opening my account! You can withdrawal money to your linked checking account at any time. This one does cost a few dollars a month to use but it's worth it compared to what you will quickly earn/save!
Experts do the investing for you in stocks such as Nike, Walmart, Grubhub etc. No prior knowledge is needed which is perfect because I had no idea where to start with investing!
Acorns gives the option to round up your spare change on purchases made with your debit card directly into your Acorns account, creating savings for you + investing your change at the same time! I've made over $100 in investments so far and saved a big chunk of money by simply automatically setting aside my spare change!
There are other ways to use Acorns as well such as depositing an extra $5 or $10 a week into your account. My Acorns account has been a game changer in stepping up my savings strategy. This app is literally awesome.
Start off with $5 in your account by setting one up today!
2. Ibotta
Ibotta is the most lucrative coupon app in my eyes. I love using Ibotta to earn cash back simply by scanning receipts! Once you earn $20, you can cash out to your bank account or PayPal. I've cashed out many times on Ibotta & you really rack up $$$ quickly!
The easiest way to earn money on Ibotta is from grocery purchases. Each week there are a selection of grocery items from different stores featured on Ibotta. Some of the items are brand specific (such as Eggo Waffles) but there are also generic options like "bread" or "cereal". You go through the list selecting each item that appears on your grocery receipt, scan each item's barcode and then scan the receipt using your phone.
Download the Ibotta app to easily earn cash back from receipts!
Fetch is fairly new to me but I finally downloaded this app after reading great reviews and it's proving to live up to the hype! With Fetch, you easily add up points for every receipt you scan. Points can then be redeemed for gift cards or other prizes! On Fetch, you earn for specific items similar to Ibotta but also just in general for each receipt. There is no scanning items so you quickly and easily receive points in seconds!
Use my code: U7MHM or click here to get $2 automatically in your account when you sign up!
I like this app because it's super simple + fast. All that's required to earn points is scanning any receipt! For every 4 receipts, you earn 100 points, easy peasy. Points can be redeemed for Amazon gift cards and we all love Amazon, am I right?!
Download Receipt Pal + start earning gift cards!
I hope you found a new app or two to download today. You may as well earn a little money by simply rounding up spare change or scanning receipts before tossing them! I love using what I earn from my apps for Christmas presents + my Acorns account has truly stepped up my savings game for the future! Leave a comment and let us know if you have a favorite way of making extra money that needs to be added to the list!
"Take Two."
Life is lived in circles. Circling the sun, through seasons... and for the 7 years we’ve lived in this neighborhood, we’ve been circling around these paths & trails as well. I have countless pictures of my boys through the years in the same spots. Tiny with big trees, playing in front of mountains, standing by the creek soaked in sunflare. So many walks during some of the darkest times for me. Years ago, in therapy, I shared that the only time I felt peace was on my daily walk and my therapist suggested, “take two.”
These trails hold many ghosts for me, good and bad. Walking to forget & distract but also to be with nature & with my sweet growing boys. I see them through the years, picking flowers, riding scooters, running, laughing, pushing our cat in the stroller... So many memories swirling and circling, sometimes my brain can’t catch up to how we got to today. But we’re here, feet planted as the world still moves.
In July, we bought a house right next to this creek & green path. I’ve been here hundreds of times, so many pictures and memories made. And in the background of those photos, now- I see my future. My fence, our house waiting.
One foot in front of the other, the loops don’t stop. I’m still prone to using distraction to cope. Quiet is always unsettling for me. As the memories spin, I try to sort through these collected snapshots flipping through my mind. I want to learn that I don’t need to constantly be on the chase. But when the stillness gets hard, I’ll keep walking. Circling the past, present & future- trying to make sense of it all.