This post is sponsored by Happy Family Yogurt but the content and opinions expressed are my own.

Edith has never been the happiest baby in the world, despite her appearance in pictures. She's very... particular. She likes to be held all the time. But only facing outward. She likes to read books. But SHE has to be the one to turn pages, throwing the book to the floor when she's done (and screaming for you to pick it up again). The list could go on and on.

A couple of months ago, though, she turned even grumpier. I didn't think it was possible.

No teeth on the horizon, her sleep was about the same as usual (meaning, still bad), and she wasn't on the verge of any new milestones (unless you count the walking she refuses to even attempt, despite being capable).

Ah, though, every time she needed to go #2?

TRAGEDY.

7 Ideas for Summer Fun

Elizabeth (age 4) came running inside the other day to tell me, "MOM! There's a whole FIELD of hawkweed! Come see!!!" 

Hawkweed is a wildflower that looks a lot like a dandelion, only with a longer, sturdier stem.

She grabbed me by the hand and dragged me out to an area of the yard that hadn't been mowed in a while, and she was right! The scraggly section of yard full of weeds had turned overnight into a treasure trove of wildflowers.

It's one of our very favorite things to do together during the spring and summer - take walks and identify the new wildflowers around us, making bouquets out of our favorites (only at home - we never pick flowers when we're at a park). And because I'm always looking for more ideas to add a little excitement and adventure to our lazy summer days, I'll give you a list of our favorites.

4 Mouth-Watering Recipes for Taco Tuesday (plus a shortcut you'll adore!)

With 8 people eating dinner at our place every night, it's not often that I can find a meal that pleases every single person. But tacos? Crowd-pleaser, every time. I've got a whole bunch of recipes at the bottom of this post if you're looking for a little inspiration for Taco Tuesday or Cinco de Mayo, but tacos are good any day of the week, so give these a try soon!

A couple friends recommended these taco boats and they were so adorable I had to make little sails for them, obviously! They were so, so much easier to fill than the regular tortillas I usually use, so I was able to have them assembled for the kids so that they could add any extra toppings they wanted. Such a simple shortcut, but definitely one we'll be coming back to.

My Sunday Best, Vol. 37: Pattern Mixing and a Game Day Recipe

This post is sponsored by Lindsay Olives, my absolute favorite olive brand! All opinions are my own :)

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! 

I hear there's a big game coming up in the next few weeks, but I couldn't tell you who's playing... I've fallen off the wagon when it comes to following any professional sports. I *do* notice that Sunday Mass tends to be a little less crowded when that biggest of big games rolls around. In that vein of things, I thought I'd share one of our favorite recipes, in the hopes that it inspires you for a tasty game day menu!

But first, here's what we wore...

Pattern mixing win? Fail? What do you think?

Also Mary Claire with the embroidery hoop hat/halo is obviously super-styling! She had already been to Mass earlier with my mom...

Sweetening the Literacy Pot

Out of my five children, I've got three avid readers and all are avid listeners! We're fortunate enough to be able to surround them with excellent books, and with Grandma living in a house in our back yard, there's always someone available to read to them.

It's not uncommon to find them snuggled up with each other sharing a book, either (or, ahem, fighting over a book... but I don't take pictures when that happens)! I pride myself on being able to supply them with high-quality books to satisfy their voracious appetites, but recognize what a huge privilege it is that we can do so. Did you know that most children in low-income households in the US don't have access to any age-appropriate books at home? 

Enter First Book, a charity that provides high-quality books to low-income schools and families!