Insta.Life // August Antics

Three vacations in the four weeks of August {The U.P. // Cottage Week // Denver}, meant the Terps were hopping this month. Most of my Instagrams from the past few weeks were vacation focused, but here's a quick summary of some of our more "ordinary" days.

 Dilly Man rocks the bike race!

  A late night Olympics watching session with my 'nastics loving girl.

 Ever have one of those grocery shopping trips?

In a fit of crazy mom genius, I ordered the big two to write me apology notes.

 Rain, snow, sleet, or shine, we get 'er done.

Workout Challenge, Week 88. Still going strong.

 D & E's first concert experience: Needtobreathe!

 My friends rounded up quite the selection of highly hilarious birthday cards
in honor of Year 33.

 A perk of taking swim lessons at a local hotel pool vs. the high school...

Two words: Hot. Tub.

 Dylan parts with $9.99 of his own money and comes back from a trip to downtown Holland with an afternoon project.

A brilliant plan: wine & cheese + authentic community + building awareness = 

a night to remember.

They dance a little when the sun shines. Anyone else feel the same way?

Our noodle horse cowboys enjoy one last summer hurrah.

Capping off a great "last day" of summer with a trip to our favorite candy store!

After an action-packed August, we're ready for cooler days, cozy nights, and a new fall routine. Show us what you've got, September!

#DenverHo

Matt and I (+ our pals Steve & Theresa) just returned from a whirlwind tour of the Mile High City. We bought tickets for the Mumford & Sons concert at Red Rocks earlier this summer and then decided to make a real go of it and tack on some extra days for vacationing, sightseeing, and honest to goodness living.

We left on a Saturday and came back on Wednesday, battered, bruised (see mountain biking adventure below), exhausted, and still laughing. We packed hundreds of memories, small moments, and new adventures into our three full days in Denver.

Denver has a great community bike sharing program. We paid $8 per bike per day and then B-cycled our way around downtown.

The only wildlife we spotted (besides a few deer) was this giant bear peaking into the Denver Convention Center.

The final stage of the USA Pro Challenge ended up downtown on Sunday and we had a blast (Matt especially) watching the riders whiz by. More cowbell, anyone?

Taking in the cycling sights: the giant expo area, the teams' RV's camped out along the road, and a photo finish.

There is no shortage of great restaurants in Denver. We started out our tour with a visit to The Delectable Egg.

Our very favorite dinner was at Root Down (lamb sliders!) which came highly recommended by everyone we talked to.

We *might* have resorted to hopping on board a rickshaw piloted by a man named Benny to get there before the kitchen closed. It was 100% worth it. The icing on the cake? Rhubarb Raspberry Crisp and Banana "Creme Brulee" Pie.

Two thumbs up both for food and service: the Village Coffee Shop in Boulder. We lost our village virginity and enjoyed chatting with the community-loving owner (who also happened to be our waitress).

We spent the trip alternating between looking sporty and feeling fancy. T & I prove that we do in fact clean up well.

Enjoying an evening stroll through the twinkling streets of Larimer Square.

Pausing for a quick pick-me-up after an eclectic meal at Euclid Hall and a celebrity encounter with Mumford & Son's banjo player, "Country" Winston Marshall.

How we spent the majority of our time together in Denver: laughing.

Monday brought with it our first meeting with the mountains. Our jaws dropped with each new vista.

T was not thrilled to find herself inches from the edge of Loveland Pass. #WhiteKnucklingIt

Let me introduce to you: Mountain Man. We were treated to frequent sightings.

We made it to the top of the mountain in one piece and were rewarded with a spectacular view.

Our attempt to bike Breckenridge was thwarted by thunder clouds, so we settled for a hike through Red Rocks instead.

There are no words for this kind of beauty.

Posing with my sweetie in the shadow of some mighty rocks.

Enjoying a hike off the beaten path (spoiler alert: we all lived to tell the tale).

Our last day in Colorado! We drove to Boulder and discovered the most amazing bike shop.

We spent the next three hours MOUNTAIN biking. Like on an actual mountain. This was no joke.

Mountain lion signs and single tracks and husbands over handlebars, OH MY. Another adventure in the books (and never so happy to see civilization again).

I am told the bikes we were riding (Niners) were quite the treat, and even I could tell the difference of having a $4600 bike under my hiney.

Concert time! A daytime view of the majestic amphitheater.

Hanging with our new friends Howie and Diana in the parking lot pre-concert. (Everyone is unbelievable nice in Denver, by the way.)

A group shot before heading in.

The grand finale: amazing music with an unbelievable backdrop in the company of some fantastic friends.

Dear Denver, I daresay, we'll be back!!

Project Purge // Post-Purge Recap!

It's time to wrap up Project Purge! This week was garage sale week for us, and I thought I'd share a few photos (although I did not do a great job snapping pictures in between the hauling, sorting, and selling). To refresh your memory, our garage sale was a fundraiser for several local ministries: The Manasseh Project, Sacred Beginnings, and All is Well Fitness.

I did my very best to grow my purge pile throughout the month of August despite a couple of vacations sprinkled in there. I do frequently go through our family's stuff - including this past spring during a 40 bags in 40 days themed purge - but I am amazed how I can always find a few boxes (in this case about six) to get rid of.

The garage sale was held at my friend Jami's house and I contributed my purge pile plus many piles from other friends around town, filling my minivan to the brim and dropping loads off to Jami's throughout the week. (At one point Dylan was completely wedged into the back seat and had to exit the vehicle by climbing over a couple tables and several boxes...he was polite but I could tell not a big fan.)

On Wednesday, Jami and I worked for several sunny, sweaty, FRANTIC hours unpacking, organizing, and displaying the goods as best and as fast as we could, just in time for the sale to open at 3pm. I signed off around 4:00 and left the sale in good hands for the next couple of days while Jami wheeled and dealed.

One quick fundraiser garage sale-ing tip: we did not price ANYTHING, but instead asked people to make an offer for their new found treasures. I know this makes serious garage saler's cringe, but it paid off in prep time on our part plus most people were generous because the proceeds were going to a good cause.

The sale ran for three days and, while the dust is still settling, Jami and our community of women were able to raise $1,100+ (way past our goal of $500).

Garage sale-ing for justice. 

Garage sale-ing for Jesus. 

Now this is living.

Living the Width, Volume IV

I hope you took a moment to look through last month's great reads!

Here's your chance to share! Scroll down to link up your own posts...

The idea behind {living the width}:

a monthly mash-up of posts centered around intentional living, new experiences, celebrations, community, pushing the limits, glimpses of glory, moments of truth & aha moments.

I'd love to read your latest adventures, see your newest projects, and share in your joy as you seek to live not just the length of life, but the width of it as well.

{Party Guidelines}

1) The intent of this link party is to share posts that inspire and motivate others and that showcase your very best bloggy (& living life well) work!

2) All types of posts are welcome including crafting & DIY, tips & tricks; simplifying & organizing, parties & celebrations, musings & reflections, projects & challenges, milestones & accomplishments...and everything in between.

3) Feel free to link up more than one post. Please link recent posts that were written and posted in the month that corresponds with the party (i.e. Volume IV = August 2012). Make sure you link directly to your post, not just your blog.

4) Please share the blog love by tweeting, sharing on Facebook, or  posting the {living the width} button within your blog post or somewhere else on your blog. Check back and see if your post is featured as a great read next month!

5) Lastly, go grab a cup of coffee and spend a few minutes clicking through some links below and commenting on your favs. Let's applaud each other for attacking life with intention and purpose!

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#CottageWeek

It's hard to sum up a week like we just experienced. Seven days filled to the brim with friends, family, fun, food, fires (brrrr!) and more.

We rented a cottage last summer too, and it's one of our most favorite vacations. The kids run free, the adults get to relax, and no one cares if you rarely shower and never change your clothes. Ahhh, now this is living. 

Monster cookies. Protein, check. Oatmeal, check. Chocolate, check check.

 Heading up north is serious business. We packed this full size truck to the brim.

 Want to know what's even more fun than the Fun Deck? Running out of gas in the middle of the lake with 14 people aboard. Start rowing, boys!

One of my favorite cottage week memories: biking 15.5 miles (round trip)
with T to Moomer's for an 11am ice cream treat. Hills, thrills, near-spills. 

Because everything is funnier with a bike helmet on.

 Lakeside living: fishing...

...and some tubing too.

Captain Mady!

 Communal living at its best: one mama does the work of three,
reading bedtime stories to six kiddos at once.

 Not exactly how I thought I'd spend my August, huddled under a blanket next to a fire at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, but it made things more memorable!

 It was my birthday week too! No day was complete without at least one round of the Pirate 'Stache birthday song.

Moomer's: three visits in seven days. Don't judge.

 Late night shenanigans after the kiddos were tucked snugly in their beds.

Enjoying a day trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes. We drove along the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive in the drizzle...

... and the kids loved hopping out along the way to see the sights.

A yummy lunch at North Peak filled out tummies (white cheddar ale soup!)

Capping off a great week (& my birthday!)
with one more visit to our moo-cow friends.

Project Purge // Week Three

It's the final week of Project Purge! It's garage sale week for us, and we've been busy vacation-ing all over our fine state, so it's time to roll up our sleeves and get down to business.

Here are the final five spaces we'll be tackling together:

11. Technology // Time to tune out the tech. Could you simplify your DVD collection? Perhaps add your CD collection to iTunes? Any old electronics sitting around gathering dust? Tech tip: the VHS tape is not about to make a comeback.

12. Hobbies // Leave your pastimes in the past. Clean out your craft supplies. Pass on past-due project supplies. It’s OK if Pinterest temporarily made you believe you were crafty...let go, move on, and focus your energy on a hobby you really enjoy.

13. Garage // Reclaim your parking space. Has it been awhile since your garage actually housed a car? Do your kids have enough outdoor toys to entertain a small nation? Do you often find yourself tripping to get in the door? Your first impression when you return home should be calm, not chaos.

14. Sports & Games // Get your game face on. It’s OK if you never really liked rollerblading...someone else will be thrilled by your circa 1992 pair of blades. Did your child try {baseball/soccer/snowboarding/tennis} and hate it? Do you get buried in board games everytime you open the closet? Call a timeout and focus your free time on the activities you really dig.

15. Storage Room // Yep, we’re going down there. If it’s been sitting in your storage room for years, how bad do you really need it? Will you ever really repaint that old dresser? Are your holiday decorations dragging you down? Clear a path towards simpler living!

If you missed any of our previous posts, here's a quick recap:

Project Purge: 15 Days of Giving It Up // Katie

Project Purge: 15 Days of Giving It Up // Theresa

Project Purge: Putting a Plan in Place + a Printable // Katie

Project Purge & Your Story // Theresa

A Simple Purging Process // Katie

A Project Purge Link-Up // Theresa
Project Purge // Week One
Project Purge // Week Two

Living the Width, Vol. III {great reads}

It's time once again to share some of my favorite {great reads} from last month's edition of Living the Width! I love the variety of posts here - intentional living affects everything we do from the food that we eat to the games that we play...from how we spend our time to how we take care of our bodies.

It was REALLY hard to pick only a few posts to feature here, but here are a few of the highlights...

Another Free Printable // Carlia @ Nest Building 101

I love it when I come across pretty printables, and I love the message Carlia chose for this one as well. (And if you need further proof that Nice Matters, check out this post from my friend Theresa.)

"I saw this saying on a painting in a store recently and I fell in love with it! As great as it looked in the store, I thought I would put my own spin on it and offer it up as a free 8x10 printable for all of you."
{Download It Here}

How to Manage Your Social Media Habit // Kat @ Inspired to Action

I've been following Kat's blog since my experience with Hello Mornings! earlier this summer. Kat is all about intentional living and here she shares how she uses folders on her iPhone to help hold herself accountable such as filing her Facebook and Pinterest apps within a folder called "Nap/Bedtime" to remind herself not to peak while her kids are awake.

"It’s been about a week since I’ve implemented this idea and it has really impacted the way I use my phone. I am much more intentional. I create and connect more than I consume now, which is huge for me."
{Full Post Here}

No More Excuses // Melissa @ Grin & Barrett

Melissa is embarking on a 90 Day challenge centered around getting healthy, and I admire her determination and her heart. We are on week 90 (!) of our workout challenge, but summer has gotten away from me a bit and it's time to get serious about hopping back on the healthy living wagon.

"No more excuses. I am not doing this for you, or my husband, or the hundreds of other women in America who are overweight. I am doing this for me. Because at the end of the day, me is all that matters when it comes to being healthy."
{Full Post Here}

Bean Bags // Heather @ It's a Long Story

I love these DIY bean bags (& simple tutorial) Heather shared last month. My kids received bean bags as a gift one Christmas from my aunt and they were the most genius gift ever: simple, old school, and loads of fun fueled by imagination, not batteries. Heather's version is super cute too!

"This is a perfect project if you are a new sewer. Straight seams, minimal cutting, instant gratification! This is totally a naptime project. Or, in my case, a PopPop took the tiny child to Home Depot and Steak n Shake project. Ha!"
{Full Post Here}

Thanks again for sharing, bloggy friends! 

If you were featured, here's a button for you!

And get ready to share your posts at the next edition of Living the Width

(coming soon...look for it later this week)!

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