❤️ Miss Wisconsin USA ❤️
6-15-2024
Last Saturday, I spent the evening with ladies from our Wisconsin crew to cheer on many of our friends competing at the Miss Wisconsin USA pageant in Verona, Wisconsin.
Together, we filled the room with cheers for our favorite gals competing together for the prestigious titles of Miss Wisconsin Teen USA and Miss Wisconsin USA. They all did fantastic!!!
Special congratulations to our girl @sarah_niehueser on her incredible placement of 4th runner-up... we are so incredibly proud of you, sweetheart!!!! Love you tons!!!
Daddy planned an awesome 6th birthday dinner for Griffin tonight! He drove us all the way to Wisconsin Dells for dinner at Griff's favorite restaurant, "The Train Restaurant"... aka Buffalo Phil's, where your food and drinks are served to your table via train.
Followed by Knuckleheads' arcade; where Griffin jumped on the pillowpad, rode the rollercoaster, and even won a jackpot of 500 tickets.
Happy 6th Birthday Buddy, we love you so so so much!
Tonight, he goes to bed a 5 year old... 🖐
Tomorrow, he shows his age using two hands... where did the time go?
6 years old!!! It feels like just yesterday you were smiling up at me for the first time.
We love you so much buddy!
Happy Birthday my little munchkin!!!
The countdown continues... 60 days until the Galaxy International Pageant Finals in Orlando, Florida!!!
What an incredible journey this has been, and we aren't done yet!!!
60 more days of Summer adventures, Sisterhood and Service... I'm feeling SO GRATEFUL for every single moment I have left!
Photo: @magicdreamsproductions
Dress: @autumnspageantcloset
Earrings: @kennabeeboutique
Hair and Makeup: @yadira.amador.hmua
Opportunity of a lifetime: @missgalaxypageant
Throwback to a few weeks ago when we visited the Ocoee Fire Department, Open House, in Ocoee, Florida...
The best part of this year is taking my family and friends along for the journey...
Griffin and I had so much fun exploring the fire department alongside my best friend and former Mrs Galaxy International, Crystal Cavey ...
Griffin, unfortunately, was bitten by a few fireants 🐜 during this event, and even though he was fine, the paramedics gave him the ROYAL treatment and made sure that he had enough bandaids and snow cones to remedy the emergency 😆 🤣 😂
First Responders, Food, Fire Safety, and Fun!!!! What could make a better day???
Thank you to all of our law enforcement and first responders for keeping our communities safe!
By now, I'm sure you've all seen the amazing generosity from our community and volunteers during my Annual FREE Community Baby Shower... so this year I've decided to do it again. This time, my focus is the school-aged kiddos....
The collecting of donations has already begun, and on July 28th, 2024, I'll be partnering with local businesses and volunteers to support members of our community and beyond as they prepare for BACK TO SCHOOL.
As we all know, the "Back to School" shopping list requirements can be stressful and expensive for ANY family. As Mrs Galaxy International 2024 I'm honored to host a "Back to School Bash" which will focus on providing support for local families who need a little extra help with filling their backpacks for the 2024/2025 school year.
Free school supplies, clothes, shoes, backpacks, and more... I can't wait to share the outcome of this event with all of you!
Want to volunteer?
Contact me!
Want to sponsor a student?
I am collecting monetary donations in the amount of $15- $25, which will assist in filling the backpack of a student in need.
❤️ Mrs Galaxy International 2024 ❤️
Autumn Kastein
And just like that... Kindergarten is over... Griffin was so blessed to have the most amazing teachers this year!!!
I can't believe how fast the time flew by!
Congratulations hunny, Mommy and Daddy are so so so proud of you! We love you so much!
1st Grade, here we come!!
"LET'S PULL TOGETHER!"
Join me in collecting "Pop Tabs" for Ronald McDonald House Charities!
Together, I know we can beat the 135,000 pop tabs my extended family and I collected in 2023.
Over the past several years, you may have noticed my "POP TAB CHALLENGE." What started as a collection drive for charity has turned into a very intense competition for bragging rights. You'll often notice my family members going to extreme lengths to steal pop tabs off one another's drinks at gatherings.
Every year, I award the person with the most pop tabs collected with a gift basket and bragging rights for their valiant efforts. The real reward, however, is the cause at hand, which is so much sweeter.
Why pop tabs?
❤️ On average every year Ronald McDonald House families and supportive groups across the nation collect over 2 million pop tabs per location to help raise funds and awareness for their mission to provide "a home and support that allows families to stay together while they focus on the healing of their sick children at a critical time."
❤️ Pop tabs are collected instead of entire aluminum cans because it's easier and more hygienic to store tabs at the Ronald McDonald House rather than full-size cans. The collection is easier to manage for rhe RMHC volunteers, and storage is certainly easier, too.
FUN FACTS:
❤️ Last year, my family collected 120 pounds of pop tabs, approximately equal to 135,000 pop tabs at our family reunion.
❤️A gallon size bag of pull tabs equates to ~2.5 lbs.
❤️Approximately 63,360 pull tabs = 1 mile.
❤️It takes approximately 1,128 pop tabs to equal one pound.
❤️Ronald McDonald House typically receives between $0.40 to $0.50 per pound of pop tabs
As Mrs Galaxy International, I plan on continuing this family tradition to benefit the Ronald McDonald House for years to come even long after I give up my crown.
This Summer, I invite you to collect your tabs this year for a wonderful cause... and bragging rights, of course!
Over the past month I held 3 of my biggest events as Mrs Galaxy International;
Mr and Miss Wonderfully Made
The Sisterhood Seminar
And ...
The Free Community Baby Shower
Throughout all 3 of these events I hosted a separate but equally important "Personal Hygiene Drive" benefiting our special needs community and the "Champions" group of Fond du Lac, WI.
I'm so incredibly proud to announce that we collected THOUSANDS, yes you heard me, THOUSANDS of Personal Hygiene Products to stock the shelves of community members who are currently living on a disability income and also for those who are currently living in group homes. These basic essentials are SO NEEDED and APPRECIATED by our special needs community members!! Everytime I ask "what do you need?" and "what can I collect for you?" this is always one of their most requested items.
Thank you so so much to everyone who made this collection and donation possible!
Please enjoy a few photos from those collections.
Special SHOUT OUTS to our "Top 4" collectors/donors...
Sara DornBrook USOA Mrs Washington County
Jennifer Brooks
Dana Ingram, Miss Teen Wisconsin Galaxy
Sandahl Taylor, Mrs US Galaxy 2024 (She even made a point to ship her items all the way from Pennsylvania!!)
Thank you all so so much!!!!
