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Life in Stepping Stones Blog by Justine Thomas - parenting - recipes - DIY crafts - custom play rugs with roads - travel

Life in Stepping Stones

There are a million moments in life that make you who you are. These are my moments.

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Stories from our life as restauranteurs from 2014-2018. All of the details from building a restaurant from an empty shell to learning how to run it from customer service to management. Aroha closed in late 2018 due to the Woolsey Fire that tore through Westlake Village and the surrounding area.

Category: Aroha Restaurant

Aroha Restaurant

Aroha Restaurant: The First Busy Weekend

We’re two months in. Two weeks ago, during the World […]

By JustineNovember 10, 2014
Aroha Restaurant

Aroha Restaurant: Breeders’ Cup Taste of the World 2014

On Friday night, Gwithyen and I had the honor of […]

By JustineNovember 2, 2014
Aroha Restaurant

Aroha Restaurant: The Yelp Effect

Before I go into this blog, let me start by […]

By JustineSeptember 30, 2014
Aroha Restaurant

Aroha: An Incredible Week Thanks to an Incredible Team!

It’s funny. Every day for the past 7 months, people […]

By JustineSeptember 13, 2014
Aroha Restaurant

Aroha Restaurant: One of The Best Days of Our Lives

Do you ever have one of those days you wish […]

By JustineAugust 23, 2014
Aroha Restaurant

Aroha Restaurant: Floors are In, Sign is Up!…What’s Left?

The clock is really ticking down now! Later this week, […]

By JustineAugust 11, 2014
Aroha Restaurant

Aroha Restaurant: Entering “Little Blossom” Mode

We’re getting down to the wire now and I’d be […]

By JustineAugust 2, 2014
Aroha Restaurant

Aroha Restaurant: We’re Opening in September!

Hi everyone! It’s insane how busy these past couple of […]

By JustineJuly 25, 2014
Aroha Restaurant

Aroha Restaurant: Our Westlake Magazine Cover & In Other News: Interior, Meetings, Phone Calls, Repeat

This week has been one of the craziest, if not […]

By JustineJuly 5, 2014
Aroha Restaurant

Aroha: Light Speed Ahead!

Big changes are now beginning at Aroha. During the week, […]

By JustineJune 27, 2014

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About Me

Welcome to my blog! I'm Justine and I'm a stay-at-home mom and eternal optimist living in SoCal with my husband, Gwithyen, our two young kids, and our pet bunny. I created this blog in hopes of helping others by sharing my honest journey through motherhood as well as providing allergy friendly recipes, family vacation tips, and ideas for DIY parties that your family will cherish forever.

Contact me at Justine@LifeinSteppingStones.com

lifeinsteppingstones

lifeinsteppingstones
DIY decorations for my daughter’s 2nd birthday i DIY decorations for my daughter’s 2nd birthday in the theme of @nickjr #ShimmerandShine - based on the Dance Magic episode! #shimmerandshineparty #shimmerandshinecake #birthdaydecorations #diydecoration
Hi everyone! I thought I'd introduce myself, for t Hi everyone! I thought I'd introduce myself, for those of you who don't know much about me. My name is Justine. I'm a stay-at-home mom with a passion for singing, DIY crafts, and sharing my experiences as a parent. I've always believed that life is about the journey and the moments. I believe in making memories and following your heart, and I try to parent with these goals in mind. At 16 years old, I dropped out of high school after being mistreated by the school district for health issues. As I strived to rebuild the confidence my teachers robbed me of, I set out on many adventures in my late teens through 20s. By the time I was thirty, I had run a film set, worked for a soundstage, recorded a CD, designed and owned a restaurant, and ultimately, became a stay-at-home mom to my two beautiful children, while suffering from a miscarriage in between. Some of my experiences throughout that decade were amazing, some were devastating. But ultimately, they each taught me a lesson about myself. I love sharing my experiences from the past and present. My blog is opened and honest as I hope to help other people who are also trying to get through the hard moments and find their path. As a mother, it's easy to lose yourself in motherhood and put endless pressure on yourself to do everything right. Every day, I'm learning a million things about who I am, the dreams I strive for, and the new adventures I can pursue, with my family and for myself. I hope you take the ride with me and follow me on my journey. . . . . . . #mommyblogger #thisisme #aboutme #honestmotherhood #honestmomconfessions #morethanmama #lifeasamama #lifeasmom #mynameismama #mommydiaries #mamahood #findingme #discoveryourself #discoveryourworld #beyourself #followyourpath #findyourdream #dontstopbelieving #mystory #blogginglife
Excuse me while I sit in disbelief that my once li Excuse me while I sit in disbelief that my once little boy is graduating kindergarten in just a few days. 🥲 . . . . . . #mommysontime #mylittleman #theygrowupsofast #ilovemyson #kidsarethebest #mommyblogger #mysweetlittleboy #wheredoesthetimego #growinguptoofast #boymom #mylittlecowboy #boymomlife #thislittleface #meltsmyheart
It’s been a long time since we’ve taken a road It’s been a long time since we’ve taken a road trip as a family! While it can be truly exhausting to hit the road with two young kids, there is nothing more exhilarating than seeing them thrive on a new adventure! . . . . . . #roadtripusa #familyroadtrip #hittheroadjack #thefourcorners #fourcorners #roadtripwithkids #roadtrippingusa #explorewithkids #familyadventure #makememories #momentslikethese #travelingwithkids #funfunfun #ontheroad #kidsareawesome #throughtheeyesofachild #memoriestolastalifetime #memoriestocherish
Our son has been reunited with his favorite girl i Our son has been reunited with his favorite girl in the entire world this week and it’s been truly magical to watch them together. He’s 6 years old and has been convinced since he was 2 that he’s going to marry her, when he called her on his fake phone as asked her out for an imaginary sushi date. At 4, he brought her fake pink flowers as a gift (100% his idea!) and at 5, he got down on one knee and proposed with a little $10 ring he picked out for her. This time, he got some toy dinosaurs from the store (originally for himself) but upon hearing that she loves dinosaurs, he decided to give them to her as a gift. They only see each other once a year but every time they’re together, it’s like lightning in a bottle. I’ve never seen two kids connect so quickly and so easily. The joy that crosses their faces when they look at each other makes my heart so happy. Who knows where life will take these two, whether it’s the greatest love story of all time or a beautiful lifelong friendship, but their connection is truly undeniable. ❤️ . . . . . . #younglove #kidsinlove #friendsforlife #toocuteforwords #goodfriendsgoodtimes #goodfriendsarehardtofind #mommalife #beingamomisthebest #watchthemgrow #growinguptogether #ilovebeingamom #momlifeisbestlife #lovestory #childhoodlove #magicisintheair #magical #kiddos #instantfriends #ALoveSoBeautiful #purelove #ilovethem #makesmyhearthappy
My daughter living her best life at the Grand Cany My daughter living her best life at the Grand Canyon Deer Farm @deerfrmr. I’m pretty sure if she could move outdoors and live amongst nature, she would. ❤️ . . . . . . #mylittlegirl #mamasgirl #toddlermommy #happytoddler #lifewithlittles #animalsarefriends #animalsareawesome #thegreatoutdoors #mydaughterismyworld #mydaughterrocks #smilesfordays #momofatoddler #familyroadtrip #ontheroad #adventureswithchildren #familyadventures #familytime #explorearizona #grandcanyondeerfarm
SUPER WINGS BIRTHDAY PARTY // When my son turned 4 SUPER WINGS BIRTHDAY PARTY // When my son turned 4, he wanted a travel themed Super Wings party. I knew to pull it off, he’d have to “travel” around the world during his party. After flying to “Egypt” on their mission in the backyard, the kids all “flew” to Japan and gathered in our dining room to make their own sushi. To set up the dining experience, we moved the coffee table into the dining room and bought short step stools off of Amazon for the kids to sit on. I printed out a simple instruction sheet with drawn pictures of how to make your own sushi and the kids all had a blast (the parents were thrilled too!). Read more about the Super Wings Party on my blog! Link in bio. . . . . . . #birthdaypartydecor #birthdaypartyideas #birthdaypartiesforkids #birthdaypartyfun #travelparty #traveltheme #superwings #superwingsparty #sushiparty #aroundtheglobe #kidsbirthdayideas
SUPER WINGS BIRTHDAY PARTY // A few years ago, my SUPER WINGS BIRTHDAY PARTY // A few years ago, my son wanted a travel themed party…and boy did I deliver! I had so much fun making these party favors for the kids. On arrival, each child collected their suitcase (empty and ready to collect treats from the piñata), a passport, and their plane ticket. I had a lot of fun creating the suitcases! I got the majority of my supplies at @michaelsstores: white folding gift box, red duct tape, yellow foam sheets, and glue dots. I had some sticker paper at home and designed the decorative travel stickers. To make the suitcase, I cut a flap in the back for dropping in the candy. Then, I used the duct tape to make the straps, wrapping them evenly around the box, and cut opened yellow rectangles from the foam sheet to make the buckles. I also cut long rectangular strips to make the handle. I attached them with glue dots. Finally, I placed the stickers randomly on the suitcase to decorate. To read the full details on the party and other decorations, visit my blog. Link in BIO. . . . . . . #partyfavors #partyfavorsforkids #partyfavorsideas #diypartyfavors #diypartyideas #diyparty #diybirthday #kidsbirthday #kidsbirthdayideas #kidsbirthdaypartyideas #bonvoyage #superwingsparty #superwingsbirthday #makeitwithmichaels
SUPER WINGS BIRTHDAY PARTY // When my son turned 4 SUPER WINGS BIRTHDAY PARTY // When my son turned 4, he wanted nothing more than a party where he could travel around the world with Jett. It took me weeks to build and paint the airplane (what mom has endless time after all during a weekend to do a project?), but it was well worth it! When my son's friends arrived, they all gathered in front of the TV where they watched a video of me giving them their mission. Their first stop was a trip to Egypt for a scavenger hunt. They all gathered inside the plane, joyfully "flew" off, and after a few minutes, arrived in Egypt. After the scavenger hunt, they gathered the puzzle pieces they found for their next mission: they had to fly to Japan to "stop" a Ninja who was hiding the treasure! They once again gathered inside the airplane and pretended to fly off to Japan. The Ninja was a piñata and they all had a blast "fighting" him for the candy! My son had so much fun playing inside this plane for ages after the party as well. Do you like to make crafts for your kids parties? For more details on my son's Super Wings Theme Party, visit my blog. LINK IN BIO. . . . . . . #birthdaydecor #birthdaydecoration #birthdayactivities #birthdaygame #kidsparty #kidspartyideas #kidspartyinspo #kidspartydecor #diypartyideas #diypartydecor #diypartyplanner #momlife #whatmomsdo #craftymommy #lovediy #itspartytime #superwings #superwingsjett
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