Archives for August 2014

If you are unfamiliar with our Twenty Wishes Project here on Truly Lovely we want to invite you to check out the prior link for the what and the why and then join us by writing up your 20 wishes list and coming back here on Wednesday, August 27th (TOMORROW!!) to link it up with us! For those of you already in on the fun, it’s time to share your progress for August 2014!!!

Updates for August are in maroon. July and June are in orange. May are in green. April are in pink. Updates for March are in blue. Updates for January and February are written in red.

Kassi’s Twenty Wishes Progress – August 2014

1. Visit Disneyland with my little family.
I FINALLY wrote a post and shared some photos we took while at Disneyland. You can see that here.
We had the BEST time as a family visiting Disneyland and the beach. I have yet to sit down and write a blog post about it, but I will sooner or later. Until then, here’s a photo of the Mortensens at Radiator Springs! 😉
Only a few weeks to go!!! Getting so excited… Anyone been to Disneyland with an infant/toddler? What tips do you have for us?
Counting down the days now! Just over a month away!!!
Reservations have been made! We’re going to go with my husband’s family this coming summer! We’re nearly to the single digits for weeks until we head out for our vacation! 😉

2. Paint my master bedroom.

3. Plant an upside down Mulberry tree somewhere at my house.
I planted my Weeping Mulberry Tree the first week of May! Read all about it and my other tree here!
My tree came!!! It’s actually just a little guy, sitting on my living room coffee table. The hubs and I were both sick with colds all weekend, but hopefully getting it planted will be my first to do of May!! 😉

4. Visit Build a Bear and build a bear for Klara.
In January we made a visit to Build a Bear at the Chandler Mall. We had the best time picking out a little cowgirl bear for my Klara. You can read all about our visit here.

5. Send a handwritten letter, note or card to someone via snail mail once a month.
I slacked on this one this month…. But I do have several Scentsy catalogs going out in the mail tomorrow all with a handwritten note inside. I guess that counts… Maybe. 😉 P.S. If you want a new Fall/Winter Scentsy Catalog message me your address and I’ll send you one too! 😉
I participated in a summer gift swap and sent a handwritten card to my new friends! 😉
Mother’s Day covered this month. Not only my own mom, but the hub’s step-mom, my nana and aunt got one too!
I literally just sat down to write this post and realized I hadn’t sent a letter for this month! SO, I got out my cute stationary and sent a handwritten card to my friend Bethani in Texas, you might know her from The Texan Pantry. Girl, if you’re reading this, check your mail in a day or two! 😉
I sent a handwritten card and printed a few photographs to my grandpa for his birthday in March, when I called to wish him Happy Birthday he said he’d received the card and was happy to see I’d sent pictures of Klara too. 😉
So far I sent two handwritten birthday cards in January and a handwritten Valentine card in February.

6. Save for and buy myself a tablet of some kind. Maybe an iPad or a Surface. I’ve always wanted one… 😉
I happened to mention to my husband that I wanted to save up for a tablet. I decided I wanted a Surface because they’re more like a little laptop and I thought that would be better for blogging. The morning of Valentine’s Day when I went in to turn on my work computer, I found a brand new Surface and a Valentine note from Nate sitting in my desk chair. Yep, I married a keeper!!! Any Surface users out there? What are your favorite apps, etc?

7. Complete my reading goal of 55 books in 2014.
August didn’t lead to a whole lot of reading… Now that my daughter is weaned I don’t have a whole lot of extra time to sit and read, but I did get some reading done. I am at 35 of 55 books read.
So far I am at 33 of 55 books through the end of July.
As of the end of May I’m at 26 books read!
So far I have read 22 of my 55 book goal, putting me five books ahead. I tried putting the widget in like I always do and couldn’t get it to work right… But you can see the books I’ve read here if you’re interested.

8. Host and/or participate in a Google + Hangout with some bloggie friends.
So I made an attempt at this one this last month… I tried hosting one during the afternoon on a weekday and had two girls log/attempt to log on. I discovered I can’t do a hangout on my Surface which is a HUGE bummer, so I had to use my phone. Google, please make an app for the Surface!!! Thanks. But in the meantime, friends, say hey to Megan of Shaping Up To Be A Mom! We “met” in “person” via Google+ Hangout! I plan to try hosting another hangout sometime soon with hopefully more attendees! If you want an invite, comment below. 😉

9. Have the carpet in my house professionally cleaned. I know this sounds like an ought to do versus a want, but I ought to clean the carpets myself… I WANT to have someone else do it!! haha

10. Make over my guest bathroom.
Still haven’t painted, but I did change out the shower curtain and accessories. Painting is on the to do list!
This is a work in progress. I already ordered a new shower curtain and floor rugs. When Kayli is here over her spring break she has promised to help me paint!

11. Take Klara to The Color Run for her “second” time. Technically last year she was just riding in mommy’s tummy. This year I plan to take her in her stroller!
We did our second color run in Tempe, AZ back in January!! It was a blast just like last year and Klara did so well! You can read all about it here.

12. Get a front screen door for my house.

13. Get together monthly with at least one friend. Dinner, shopping trip, lunch, etc.
We had fair food with friends at the Lordsburg fair!
Klara, my sister and I had a lunch date with my new friend Tina for June! And for July we met up with friends for Luna Rodeo weekend.
We had a little BBQ at our house with my sister in law and her family this month. That’s going to have to count… haha. Its been a busy month!!
Klara and I were popular in April! We went on our first lunch date with Klara’s Aunt Brianne AND had a lunch date with our friend, Kayce! Yay for getting out of the house and seeing our friends!!!
This month Kayli and I went shopping here in town for some new TOMS shoes when the ones I ordered didn’t fit… FYI, be careful ordering TOMS online. The sizing can be really weird!!!
In January my sister, sisters in law and I went to Tempe for The Color Run, we went out to the mall the night before, had dinner and did some shopping, so I’m counting that. 😉 February we went with the entire family to the steakhouse in town for my sister in law’s birthday. We took Klara with us and she got to have her first apple sauce and ‘meal’ in a restaurant. 😉

14. Visit here in Safford. I’ve wanted to go since they opened, but haven’t ever made it since it’s across town!
Done!!! You can read all about our trip to Caboose Frozen Treats here! Oh, and bonus, here’s a picture of our whole group that the guy at Caboose took and shared on their Facebook page! Yep, that’s me holding Klara on the right… squinting into the sun… haha.

15. Figure out a system for organizing and saving the baby clothes and items that Klara has outgrown.
So I finally took care of Klara’s newborn to 12 months clothes! I purchased two of the under the bed soft plastic organizers from Wal-Mart and sorted through her old clothes discarding anything that was stained or something she never really wore. The rest got put into the organizers and stuck under her bed. I’m saving them in case we have another girl someday or if someone close to me needs the clothes. Plus I’d like to save some for Klara for her future kids like my mom did for me. 😉

16. Get tickets for and attend the 2014 National Finals Rodeo.
This is a work in progress! We have a hotel booked and everything to go to Vegas for the NFR ACCEPT the NFR tickets… So friends, if you know of anyone selling theirs, we are in the market for four. 😉

17. Build a container garden of some sort for my backyard.

18. Pay off my credit card. I’m SO close!!! I’m sure I can have it all paid off by the end of this year.

19. Take a photography class or workshop.
At the beginning of March Kayli and I attending a photography workshop held at the local college by Impact Photography Group. They are a husband and wife team that is well known and highly popular in our area. We both learned a ton of good information and can’t wait to attend the next one they host. that I took the afternoon of the workshop putting to use some of the new things I learned while attending. It’s straight out of my camera, no editing involved other than adding my watermark. Yep, so worth it! If you’re interested in seeing more of my photography check out my website or .

20. Throw a surprise party for someone.

Again, don’t forget to get your list written and come back here on Wednesday (July 30th) to link it up with us!!! Past… There’s a giveaway if you share your 20 wishes list and/or progress so far!!! 😉