AMAZING, TOO.

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YAHAIRA @COMPLETE_MAKEUP | ISABELLA • AGE: 2 • @MOMMA_2DIVAS | WASHINGTON

MAMA STYLE

As a mom I sometimes forget to style myself during my crazy on-the-go weeks. To plan out my outfit, do my hair and make-up (even though my daily hair / make-up routine is pretty minimal) just the act of feeling like I paid attention to myself and feel my best because of it. When I  actually put even a little bit of time and thought into what I'm going to look like that day, my mood for the entire day is so much better and that's what we want as mamas right? Trust me, there's been days I sprint out my back door with no make-up on and my hair falling out of the hair tie. On these days I always think: as long as my babies are happy and ready for their day, I don't care how I look. 

Because of this thought of mamas putting themselves last , over the weekend I decided to style someone who means so much to me and is a new mama. She is absolutely gorgeous, amazing, talented, loving, has such a strong Faith ... there's too many compliments to list them all but you get the idea. She admitted that she doesn't always dress up like she used to, making it even more fun to style her and watch her do her hair and make-up which she has a passion for (Plugging @complete_makeup on Instagram :D) Did I say that she's gorgeous yet? Yeah, you see that. I also styled my good friends' adorable daughter and their outfits unintentionally matched which made it perfect for them to pose together for some of these photos. We decided to go for a stroll through a beautiful college campus and I put together an outfit for each of them that is stylish, chic and comfortable all at once. 

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Pictured above is Isabella age 2, such a sweet and fun little girl full of equal the amount of sass! She had me laughing with some of her face expressions.

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Who is in the stroller you ask? My baby nephew was taking a nap in there. When he isn't napping he's all heart eyes in admiration and love for his mama. 

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I'd like to end this post by saying to all my fellow mamas out there: Pamper yourselves a bit, put a little bit of moisturizer on, concealer and mascara (or whatever your beauty routine is), dress up a little even if you don't feel like it. In the end, I know I feel so much better when I do this. Don't forget to pay attention to yourself, because you're worth it and to be amazing Mamas we have to feel amazing too! Bye for now Loves! 

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YAHAIRA'S OUTFIT DETAILS
TANK TOP: Macy's
DENIM VEST: Similar one HERE
LEGGINGS: ZELLA Leggings
SANDALS: 
CROSSBODY BAG: Madewell /// Similar ones HERE 
SUNGLASSES: Forever 21 /// Similar ones HERE 

• Checkout her makeup Instagram page @complete_makeup
for a full make-up post with product details •

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ISABELLA'S OUTFIT DETAILS
BLOUSE: Target Kids 
LEGGINGS: Similar ones HERE
DENIM JACKET: Target Kids
HEADBAND: Similar one HERE
BALLET FLATS: Similar ones HERE

MINI PINEAPPLE PIñATAS! 🍍

Ello! Making these mini pineapple piñatas was actually a very fun project! The idea came to me when I was trying to come up with a fun party favor for my sons 4th birthday party (last year) and then it clicked! I had purchased a cute mini donkey piñata at Target a few weeks before, but I wanted to add my own little creative twist to go with his summery tropical theme. Plus I've been really into pineapples lately so there you go! 

MESSY LEVEL: 3
The paper maché  process can get pretty messy with the glue and water mix. Also, there is a lot of tissue + paper cutting and gluing.  

SUPPLIES: 

• Balloons

• Tissue paper

• Scissors

• Water

• Elmer's glue (I used the largest gallon I could find)

• Hole punch

• String for handle

• Dish to mix glue + water

• Newspaper / magazine paper

• Paper for small message (optional)

• Card stock to seal bottom of shape

• Acrylic / tempera paint

• Paint brushes

• Card stock for stems / leaves

1. First of all you want to blow up your balloon(s) to the size desired. After that, you want to mold them (by squeezing the balloons) into the shape you're wanting the body of the piñata to have. Then you're ready to start paper maché-ing. I mixed 3/4 parts glue to 1/4 parts water so that it was  a thicker consistency, just soak each piece of newspaper or magazine and stick it right onto the balloon.  I found that 2 -3 layers of paper maché is best for this project. I also left a top and bottom opening on each balloon so that once the paper maché dried I could determine which side I liked best to be the bottom and top of the pineapple. I tied some yarn (any type of string will work) to the end of each balloon to hang while drying so that the soon to be piñatas would dry evenly, this also made it easier to add the extra layers of paper maché.

2. Once your paper maché is dry and you're left with a solid shape, you pop all of the balloons and take them out of each piñata along with the yarn used to hang dry them. Then you're ready to see which side would be best as the bottom side. When you pick that, it's time to seal it off by creating a cardstock circle (make sure it's a good amount larger than the opening). Cut half inch tabs all the way around your circle, then you dip each cardstock circle into the glue and water paper maché mixture.

We did this by: Turning each piñata shape upside down and laying the circle flat on the opening that we wanted to seal off. We then smoothed the edges out all around and glued them to the sides bending and gluing them down into the rest of the shape. Two layers of glue mixture is best for a good solid base. Let this part dry well. If it's too soft once dry, add another layer and don't be afraid to use too much glue, the more glue the better for a solid base that isn't easily breakable.

3. Now that the bottom of your pineapple is dry, you have a standing piñata! These top openings will be where you attach the stem / leaves of the fruit. You can add the candy (if you're putting candy in it) here or you could do what I did and put the candy in a separate little bag so that the leaves aren't ruined. Also feel free to cut the openings wider to form a nice circle , it makes it easier to insert the leaves and will leave a nicer overall result.

4. I then painted each piñata with a tempera paint so that the newspaper didn't show through the thin tissue outer layer. You can also use the paper maché method and add a yellow (or whichever color) paper all over. I tried this with one of the piñatas and found it more time consuming, so then I went with the paint which was a lot faster for me. 

5. After that I added two layers of small tissue paper squares I cut to seal the bottom of the piñata for a nice finish, since I knew I wanted to add a message to each. You can do this by just gluing down each tissue square, and then sealing it with a coat of glue as well. Once the glue is dry you're left with a nice, durable, and shiny finish. This is optional and if you're happy with what the bottom of your piñatas look like once you're done painting them, you can totally skip this step

6. Then you're going cut 1 inch wide x 2 inch long strips of tissue paper. You can either cut small vertical lines all the way across (like the traditional piñatas normally use) or you can create a chevron pattern. These will be the strips you layer all around your piñatas. I used both kinds of strips to have a variety of the piñatas for the kiddos. 

7. Once you have enough strips cut (about 20) you can start layering and gluing them all around your piñata, row after row from bottom to top. I just used a paint brush and painted elmer's glue along the top of each strip to seal it down and kept doing this until I reached the opening of the piñata.

8. When this is dry, you can make two holes with your hole punch on opposite sides of the top of the piñata so that you can attach your sting that will be the handle. I used a plastic craft string but any durable yarn, string or plastic would work. 

9. Now you're ready to add your leaves. I cut pieces of green card stock into different shapes and sizes of pineapple leaves. Then I added some glue to the side that would be attached to the inside of the piñata, and put each of them in pressing firmly for about a minute to make sure they attached well. I did this all the way around the inside of the piñata folding the leaves in different places as I went, creating a pineapple leaf look. Then I did this again in a second layer attaching leaves to the leaf pieces that were already glued to the piñata. This formed the center leaves which you can also fold out or just leave standing. 

10. When your glue is all dry you can focus on the finishing details. I typed out little messages for each guest, cut them into little squares, and glued each of them to the bottom of the piñatas. As I mentioned before, this step is completely optional. 

Then TAAA DAAA! You're all finished and ready to add your creations to your party favor or cake table! Aren't they the cutest?! They make adorable little decorations as well for the party and for the guest to use in their home! Also watching each tiny birthday guest walk away with their little piñata party favor in hand was ADORABLE. I will definitely be making more varieties of these in the future! I hope you enjoy making them and we would love to see your creations!  Also, you can add any Holiday / celebration twist to them! Check out some of the Holidays we've used them for below! Don't forget to comment and tag us in your photos: @allkidsaregifted on Instagram (@allkidsrgifted on Pinterest) and use hashtag #allkidsdiy as well! Have fun!!

IF A GIRL WANTS TO BE A LEGEND... ⚽️

SALEEN | AGE: 7 | WASHINGTON

GIFTED WITH MOVES

She kicks, she shoots, she SCORES!!! We've heard so much about Saleen and her athletic gifts. Her parents have never-ending stories about how well she does at all of her soccer games, how she's excelled since she was very young and continues to make it into teams of girls a few years older than her. She's also quite the gymnast!

She usually has a soccer ball that she's kicking around and when she isn't in (soccer/gymnastics) uniform, she is a total girly girl dressed in the latest trends! Enjoy a mini Q&A  below between Saleen's Mommy (Q) and Saleen (A).

Q: WHAT IS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF GOALS THAT YOU HAVE SCORED IN ONE GAME?
A: In Recreational soccer I scored 19 goals in one game. In Crossfire Select Soccer I have scored 14 goals in one game! Now in Crossfire Premier A team, The most I've scored is 3 goals in one game. 

Q: WHO IS THE BEST SOCCER PLAYER IN THE WORLD?
A: Lionel Messi #10 Argentina's striker!! My family calls me mini Messi and I picked number 10 jersey just like his!  

Q: IF YOU COULD CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT SOCCER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
A: Mean girls 

“Saleen started walking at 9 1/2 months and running by 10 1/2 months! And she’s been running ever since. Then around 2 we really starting noticing she loves to dribble and kick a soccer ball. So we encouraged her and played lots of “soccer” with her. At 3 she started competitive gymnastics and excelled. And because she has Romanian genes we cheered her on and she is stilling doing that today at 7 1/2z.

At 5 years old a good friend and soccer coach asked Saleen to join her Rec team! From the moment her cleats hit the ground she was non-stop! She was really good. Her touches were so natural and instinctual! Coach Melissa saw something special in her!! She scored 19 goals in one game once! That poor opposing team felt so defeated, that they asked Saleen to play on their side for the rest of the game and then she scored some goals for them too...haha. Again they were 5.

From there she blossomed and played another year of recreational soccer, then a few seasons of Crossfire Select Soccer! And most recently she made A team for girls 2008! A huge accomplishment! Her team is doing so well! They ended two touraments this summer with 2nd place and First place champions in the second. They are looking forward to winning the Redapt Cup and going to Surf Cup in San Diego in November to play with the best of the best! ”

— Saleen's Mommy + Daddy

TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE

KOLBI + KAIA | AGE: 3

GIFTED WITH CREATIVITY + GIFTED WITH CHARM

How adorable is this little pair of twins?! Double the cuteness, fun, sass, EVERYTHING! My favorite thing about our shoot was seeing how much love these two have for each other and how they compliment one another SO well even though they each have their own little personality. I love Kolbi's little face expressions and look at Kaia's huge smile! Another favorite moment was when Kaia showed me some of her ballet moves that she was working on at the time, when both girls were enrolled in a ballet class. Do I hear a "Gifted with Moves" feature coming up in the near future as well?! I hope so!! Here's a mini Q&A between Kaia + Kolbi's Mommy and Daddy (Q) and Kaia + Kolbi (A).

• KAIA  // PIGTAILS • 
GIFTED WITH CHARM
Q: DO YOU LIKE TO MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH?
A: Yes! I like drawing funny faces.
Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE KNOCK-KNOCK JOKE?
A: Knock knock. Who's There? Pencil. Pencil Who? Never mind, you wouldn't get the point.
Q: WHO'S FUNNIER? MOMMY OR DADDY?
A: Kolbi :)

• KOLBI // BRAIDS •
GIFTED WITH CREATIVITY
Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE MEDIUM TO WORK WITH IN YOUR ART?
A: I like crayons and markers
Q: WHAT PROJECT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
A: Drawing
Q: WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST EVER?
A: Pan (pointing to a toy pan)

“These bundles of joy and craziness bring a new adventure every day to our lives. Kaia has been a little comedian since she could make sounds and has had a little mischievous smile from day one - and trust us there is definitely mischief behind that smile. Kolbi has always been great with her hand / eye coordination and ever since she picked up a crayon, she was able to color vividly and draw faces at an early age. I’m sure it will be all smooth sailing from here with these two, right? Mommy & Daddy”

— • Kolbi + Kaia's Mommy and Daddy •

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KOLBI + KAIA'S  OUTFIT DETAILS
DRESS: Similar one HERE
LEGGINGS: Similar ones HERE
SHOES: Similar ones HERE
DENIM VESTS: Similar one HERE
NECK SCARVES: Similar ones HERE

TEA CUP SUCCULENT PLANTERS 🌱

Our family attended a friends babyshower not too long ago  and one of the (super cute) activities they had for the guests was to paint the most adorable little teacup planters. Of course my boys and I were all over that project! I didn't document the painting process since we weren't at home but here's a picture of the finished product. Can you guess which was painted by who? 

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MESSY LEVEL: 2
Painting the ceramic planters can get a little messy, as can the planting of the succulents. Yay for creative messes!

SUPPLIES: 

• Ceramic teacup planters
• Acrylic paint
• Gloss to seal paint
• Succulents to plant
• Potting soil
• Shovel
   

We adore how these turned out and have been waiting to plant some cute succulents (my fave) into them. This afternoon was so beautiful and sunny so we decided to go out to our back deck and make the planting happen. 

// Can't forget to water!

// And DONE! 

// "Mama take a picture with my boots in it PLEASE!!!!" Can't say no to that! There you have it, apparently kids LOVE to help give plants a new home so I highly suggest including them if you're planning on doing any gardening/adding plants to your living space. Have fun planting! 🌱

KID STYLE: SUNSET ON THE DOCKS

What a cute little man to watch the sunset on the docks with! This outfit gives us all sorts of Fall/Winter feels and look at that view! Imagine looking over the water as the suns' glistening reflections sway gently over the waves ... It definitely makes me think of what was a crisp and sunny day, enjoying the last rays as the sun goes down in such a perfect school outfit! Also, imagine a lot of cute boy giggles and running around the docks as he's being photographed. Check out the details below!!

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CONNOR'S OUTFIT DETAILS
BEANIE:  VXRSI // Shop similar HERE
TEE SHIRT: Old Navy // Shop tees HERE
BUTTON UP: Quest Kids // Shop similar HERE
JEANS: H & M // Shop HERE
SHOES: Nike // Shop HERE

THE HEART THAT GIVES

ANNABELLA | AGE: 6

GIFTED WITH GENEROSITY

Finding such a beautiful soul both on the inside and out can feel rare, especially in a child. Annabella has showcased Generosity since I met her at age 4. She was always very caring of her friends and everyone around her. She is such a sweet little girl and when you talk to her sometimes you forget that she's so young because she is so mature and confident. She knows what she wants, she is a leader and what better type of leaders can we raise up than one with SUCH a generous heart? Enjoy a mini Q&A between Annabella's Mama (Q) and Annabella (A) below, continue reading to learn more about her generosity.

Q: WHICH CHARITY AND/OR CAUSE ARE YOU THE MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT?
A: People that do not have food or money!

Q: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IN YOUR LIFE WITH YOUR GENEROSITY?
A: Helping others and making them happy, so they can feel better about themselves. 

Q: DO YOU BELIEVE IN BEING GENEROUS WHEN SHARING WITH SIBLINGS TOO? :)
A: Yes...sometimes but most of my stuff is for girls, not boys. :) haha!!  

“Anna does not like seeing people sad or hurting, she is very compassionate or should I say motherly in that sense. It is such a joy to watch this trait in her as she grows, we love how she expresses herself through generosity. For instance every time we pass someone begging on a street corner she would ask us to help them and if we don’t have something to give she would say next time we will help them. Last year when she received some birthday money we had no idea she took it to church to put in the offering for Sunday school, her teacher would pull us aside and ask us if this was ok and we thought “oh wow thats Anna” but it truly was a surprise to us. This year for her birthday she said “Let gets everyone coming to my birthday party to donate toys instead of presents for kids who do not have toys” :). Also, Just a couple of days ago she said for Christmas she wants to fill up Grandma’s car full of presents for kids who don’t get any and we must get a present for Santa too! :) haha. We are proud that she loves to help and give and we hope as parents to nurture this gift in her. ”

— Annabella's Mama

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ANNABELLA'S OUTFIT DETAILS
DRESS: Lands' End /// Similar HERE 
SHORTS: Lands' End /// Similar HERE
SHOES: Native /// You can find them HERE