Hello! How was your weekend? I definitely had a great one. I joined Travis for a work trip in California, and we had a great time. We were in one of our favorite places, Del Mar. We spent time at the beach, ate amazing food, and had a couple of fun events for his work with a nice dinner on Friday night and enjoyed the track on Saturday.
I’m going to keep today’s post pretty short and sweet because I can barely keep my eyes open as I type this, and also need to prep for back to school this week.
I’m co-hosting the monthly Not Just a Mom linkup with these lovely ladies:
This month’s topic is: Daily Must Haves…
Daily Must Haves:
Coffee. Coffee is definitely a daily must have for me. I can’t start my day without one cup…or three!
Quiet time. I cherish my quiet time in the morning where I read my favorite blogs, scroll Instagram, answer emails and more.
A plan. 🤣I need to know what to expect for the day. From school, to kids’ activities to errands and dinner, I feel better knowing how the day will unfold.
Exercise. Exercise is definitely a daily must have for me as well. Sometimes it’s just going for a walk, but I try to work out at least four days a week. To be honest, exercise has fallen to the wayside the past few weeks, and with school starting back, it may continue to do so. I am going to try to work out at least twice this week, three times next week, and continue to build it back into my daily routine. I can definitely tell a difference in my mood when I don’t work out.
Family dinner. Even though it doesn’t happen every night, I prefer that it does. Sometimes, that means we eat really early or a little later, but if I can figure it out to have dinner ready for all of us before or after practices, I really try to do so.
Reading. Whether it’s the blogs I read daily or a book, I love to read. Sometimes I read while waiting to pick up one of the kids from practice, sometimes it’s just a few pages at night before bed, or other times, like on vacation, I get to read for hours and hours!
So…those are some of my daily must haves! What are some of yours?
Next month’s topic is: morning routine.
I wanted to say thanks to everyone who commented on my Blogiversary post last week! I really appreciate it, and will hopefully announce the winner in tomorrow’s post. Speaking of which, I have a few posts planned this week, and I’m going to try to get them done, but since I start back to school today and the kids start on Wednesday, I will just have to see where the week takes me!
I hope you have a great one. Don’t forget to check out the others’ posts from the link up.
Hello! Today is a special day here on Show Me and Sweet Tea! It’s my two year blogiversary! Sometimes, it feels like I’ve been blogging for years and other times it feels like I’ve only just begun…
I’d been wanting to start a blog for a few years, and on August 4, 2019, I finally published my first post.
Now, 400+ posts later, I’m so glad that I did. This has been a fun creative outlet for me, and I’ve “met” so many great people along the way! I’m very thankful for my loyal readers!
I thought I’d take a look back on a few of my favorite posts that I wrote throughout the year.
In no particular order, here they are:
1. Lexington Top 5:
I shared some of my favorite things about Lexington from restaurants to activities and more!
My kids wrapped up their 5th grade year finally in the classroom. I took a look back on their amazing elementary experience. Middle school starts next week!
We spent a few days in South Carolina this summer which is one of our favorite places to visit. I recapped that trip which includes all that we did along with some of my favorite photos of the summer.
Of course, I’ve enjoyed writing all of my posts (or why would I write them? ;), but these were just a few meaningful ones that stuck out to me over the past year.
To Show My Appreciation:
I’m going to send one of my readers a $30 gift card to one of my favorite places: Target or Trader Joe’s (Your choice!). To enter, leave a comment on today’s post with what you love the most about summer along with your Instagram handle. Also,make sure you are following me in on Instagram (@showmeandsweettea), so I can message you if you win.
I know it’s not much, but I do want to show my appreciation! You have until Sunday at 11:59 PM to post your comment and Instagram handle! (If you don’t have Insta, you can leave your email address in the comments, so I can contact you if you win!)
One last thing before I go…another thing I love is blogging link ups! I will be taking the rest of the week off, so just a reminder that we have our Not Just a Mom link up on Monday, and the topic is: daily must haves! We’d love for you to join us!
Hello! How’s it going? We are holding on tight to summer over here! Yesterday, the kids helped me set up my classroom for year number 20! I can’t even believe that I am 2/3 of the way finished with my teaching career. Time sure does fly by! Then, we spent the afternoon at the pool followed by lots of neighborhood kids playing outside and an impromptu decision to pick up some carry out pizzas for dinner. We had a perfect summer Monday, that’s for sure.
Today, I’m linking up with Tanya for this month’s Prime Purchases.
Here’s what I bought this month:
First up is the mini massage gun for Travis. Travis is a runner, and he always takes the time to stretch and cool down. The massage gun was the perfect birthday gift for him!
I wanted to add in a Vitamin C serum to my routine to help brighten up my skin. I’ve been using this serum once a day, and it’s been a good addition to my skin care routine.
I recently shared that I bought a messenger bag, and I turned to Amazon to find the perfect strap for summer. I thought this black, pink, and rose gold one was fun. There are lots of cute color and pattern options.
As expected, this month’s purchases included some things for back to school as well as a few things for myself 😉 (+ a gift for Trav!)
Tanya’s next link up is September 7th.
Well, my kids are off to get their middle school schedules and meet their teachers today. I don’t know what’s harder to believe…the fact that summer is almost over or that I’m about to have two kids in middle school!
Hello! How was your weekend? Ours was pretty good! The weather finally cooled off and we even had a little rain yesterday. We were busy with baseball games for Hayden, dance workshops for Hadley and did a little back to school shopping as well.
I can’t believe July is already over! I’m sharing my sentence a day recapping the month. We started at the beach and ended the month thinking about getting back to school.
7.1.21
On July 1st, we were still on vacation in Isle of Palms, SC; we had a great vacay!
7.2.21
The 2nd was our last day at the beach; we ate at Hyman’s, in Charleston, for dinner followed by the Magnolia Cemetery ghost tour.
7.3.21
On the 3rd, we spent the day in the car leaving SC behind and heading home to KY.
7.4.21
On the 4th of July, Trav took the kids to the pool, we grilled out for dinner and then watched fireworks at our favorite spot.
7.5.21
Then, we celebrated Trav’s birthday a couple of days early with lunch out followed by a couple of games of bowling.
7.6.21
I had summer school followed by lunch with friends, and then we had Trav’s birthday cake a day early.
7.7.21
The 7th was Trav’s birthday, but he worked and took Hayden to baseball while I took Hadley to the last swim meet of the season.
7.8.21
On the 8th, we hung out at home most of the day, ran a few errands to get Hadley ready for camp, and I had my monthly facial!
7.9.21
On this day, we had more errands at the mall, picked up some library books, and got a car wash.
Can’t go to the mall without going to Auntie Anne’s (Photo by Hadley)
Bonus sentence: I went to dinner with my friend Sarah!
7.10.21
The 10th was a rainy day of baseball, a basketball game, and cousin fun in the evening.
7.11.21
On Sunday, we dropped Hadley off at camp, and my new bracelets arrived.
@soulshine.kc on Instagram
7.12.21
Hayden was excited for golf camp to start.
7.13.21
While Hayden was at golf, I did a little back to school shopping for me and picked out my teacher planner for the upcoming school year at Michaels.
7.14.21
I treated myself to a new purse; I’d been wanting a messenger bag for quite some time.
Travis and I had dinner out while Hayden ate with his teammates after baseball practice.
7.15.21
I had summer school while Hayden had his last day of golf camp followed by school with me for a bit while our new basement floors were installed.
7.16.21
On the 16th, my errands included picking out a basement rug, followed by state tournament baseball for Hayden.
7.17.21
Yay! On the 17th, I picked up Hadley from camp and went to Hayden’s baseball games.
7.18.21
We had baseball games in the morning followed by dinner on the back patio in glorious 75 degree weather.
7.19.21
On Monday the 19th, we spent the whole day at the pool, and then met family for dinner.
7.20.21
I went to school, took Homer to vet for his allergy shot and started reading Malibu Rising.
7.21.21
After summer school, I enjoyed lunch with some friends, and then went back to school shoe shopping for the kids.
7.22.21
On the 22nd, I spent lots of time at home getting things done, and then both kids had an ortho appointment. (After a year, Hayden got his appliance out and his bottom braces.)
7.23.21
This day was my last day of the summer “with nothing,” so we hit up the pool for most of the day, and then I started watching Bethenny Frankel’s Big Shot (and loved it!)
7.24.21
I had typical Saturday errands, went to Trader Joe’s for a few odds and ends and flowers followed by baseball games for Hayden.
7.25.21
While the rest of us were at Hayden’s ball games, Hadley was living her best life at the lake.
7.26.21
Middle school 6th grade orientation started, and I had dinner with my teacher friends from my former school to meet up with one of our friends who has been teaching in Egypt the past two years.
7.27.21
I helped with freshman orientation while the kids were at 6th grade orientation, and we later met Trav’s brother and his kids out for dinner.
7.28.21
The kids hung at the pool with friends while I had a hair appointment (that was very much needed!)
7.29.21
On the 29th, we met up with some neighborhood friends for a water balloon fight; the kids had so much fun.
7.30.21
On Friday, I was home most of the day, the kids went to pool with Trav and their cousins in the afternoon, and Hadley had a dance workshop in the evening while Hayden had a basketball game.
7.31.21
We finished up the month with Hayden having two baseball games, Hadley had a three hour dance workshop, I got a pedicure and then took Hadley back to school clothes shopping.
This tiny shirt didn’t come home with us 🤣
Overall, we had a good month. (A few days warranted more than one sentence 😉 July is a difficult one for me. June is all fun and games, and July brings a sense of urgency to savor the summer moments while starting to think about school.
I hope to be back tomorrow with my Prime Purchases for the month and a special post on Wednesday.
Hello! Can you believe July is almost over? We are in back to school mode around here. The kids have been attending 6th grade (middle school!) orientation all week, and I’ve been helping with 9th grade orientation. Less than two weeks, and we’ll all be back in the classroom.
That being said, I’m definitely in a reading groove this summer, and today I’m sharing the books I read in July.
This month, I read 5 books…and have started one more. My mom sent this to me, and it’s so true:
Of the five books I read in July, a couple were just ok, but one book was my favorite of the summer (and wasn’t even on my Summer Reading list!)
This month I read…
For my Good Reads Reading Challenge, I’m up to 26 of 40 books read this year!
Jessica tells of growing up in 1980s Texas where she was sexually abused by the daughter of a family friend, and of unsuccessfully auditioning for the Mickey Mouse Club at age 13 with Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling before going on to sign a record deal with Columbia and marrying 98 Degrees member Nick Lachey.
Along the way, she details the struggles in her life, such as the pressure to support her family as a teenager, divorcing Lachey, enduring what she describes as an emotionally abusive relationship with musician John Mayer, being body-shamed in an overly appearance-centered industry, and going through bouts of heavy drinking. But Simpson ends on a positive note, discussing her billion-dollar apparel line and marriage with professional football star Eric Johnson, with whom she has three children.
Quick Thoughts:
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up this book at the library. I was actually in the library and saw it on the shelf. I took it with me on vacation, and it was a great beach read. I really enjoyed the book. Of course, I love reading and getting details on the lives of others, and it was interesting to read about Jessica’s childhood, her relationship with Nick Lachey, and her career.
Honestly, I’d forgotten how successful her Jessica Simpson line is, and she hadn’t started it yet when going through her divorce with Nick. I loved her mic drop moment when she told her dad she was tired of the back and forth about money during the divorce with Nick and to just pay him whatever he was asking. (When they married, he was the more successful one, but her career had picked up and was more successful at the time). She told her dad, “I will make the money back…and I did by billions.” Boom.
Anyway, I really did enjoy the book, and Jessica was so forthcoming with many details and she really has accomplished so much!
Rating:
Four…maybe five stars…depending on if she’s a person of interest to you.
#A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth.
We Were Liarsis a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from New York Times bestselling author, National Book Award finalist, and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.
Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.
Quick Thoughts:
I didn’t know this was a young adult book when I picked it up. The chapters were short making it an easy read for young adults. I didn’t really enjoy the first half but then I did get into the story line for the second half of the book. That being said, the overall story was pretty heavy especially once I realized what happened. I really enjoyed the “bonus” content. The author shares notes from her, notes from the characters, her writing process, her book proposal, why she called it “the liars” and more. I always love insight from an author!
Rating:
Apparently it was a Good Reads Choice 2014 Winner.
3 🌟 for the first half, 4🌟 second half and how the story wrapped up, 5🌟 for the bonus content 😂
They are the families considered worthy of a listing in the exclusive Green Book—a discriminative diary created by the niece of Edith Roosevelt’s social secretary. Their aristocratic bloodlines are woven into the very fabric of Washington—generation after generation. Their old money and manner lurk through the cobblestone streets of Georgetown, Kalorama, and Capitol Hill. They only socialize within their inner circle, turning a blind eye to those who come and go on the political merry-go-round. These parents and their children live in gilded existences of power and privilege.
But what they have failed to understand is that the world is changing. And when the family of one of their own is held hostage and brutally murdered, everything about their legacy is called into question in this unputdownable novel that “combines social satire with moral outrage to offer a masterfully crafted, absorbing read that can simply entertain on one level and provoke reasoned discourse on another” (Booklist, starred review).
Quick Thoughts:
I’m not sure how I feel about this one. Similarly to We Were Liars, it took me some time to get into the plot, but the ending came together nicely. I did like the little excerpts of historical context sprinkled between chapters. The book shines light on politics, the upper class, and high society life. I’m glad I finished the book, but it’s not one that I feel like will stick with me.
Lily Bishop wakes up one morning to find a good-bye note and divorce papers from her husband on the kitchen counter. Having moved to Alabama for his job only weeks before, Lily is devastated, but a flyer at the grocery store for a hair stylist position in a local retirement community provides a refuge while she contemplates her next steps.
Rose Carrigan built the small retirement village of Safe Harbor years ago—just before her husband ran off with his assistant. Now she runs a tight ship, making sure the residents follow her strict rules. Rose keeps everyone at arm’s length, including her own family. But when Lily shows up asking for a job and a place to live, Rose’s cold exterior begins to thaw.
Lily and Rose form an unlikely friendship, and Lily’s salon soon becomes the place where residents share town gossip, as well as a few secrets. Lily soon finds herself drawn to Rose’s nephew, Rawlins—a single dad and shrimper who’s had some practice at starting over—and one of the residents may be carrying a torch for Rose as well.
Neither Lily nor Rose is where she expected to be, but the summer makes them both wonder if there’s more to life and love than what they’ve experienced so far.
Quick Thoughts:
The Summer House was a cute summer read. It reminded me of Virgin River with the small town setting, Lily coming to the small town for a fresh start. Lily’s love interest Rawlins, had a very Mel and Jack vibe of Virgin River. I loved the Village Vine newsletter updates sprinkled throughout the book.
Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.
The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.
Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.
And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.
By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.
Malibu Risingis a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them… and what they will leave behind.
Quick Thoughts:
Malibu Rising is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It’s definitely the best book I’ve read this summer (and it wasn’t even on my summer reading list!) This book caught my attention from the first page and held my interest until the very last page. The plot seamlessly moved between the past and the present which provided so much insight into each character and made this book an easy page turner. I love the relationship between the siblings. You could feel Nina’s sense of responsibility and sigh of relief when she was able to provide for her siblings and that they “made it.”
One of my favorite quotes (in part) from the book: “It hurt to leave…but most good things come with a pinch or an ache.” This rang true in a variety of ways throughout the book. Malibu Rising is definitely a book I will always remember.
Rating:
Hands down, 5 stars. This is definitely the best book I’ve read all summer…maybe all year.
Summer Reading Update:
These are the books on my summer reading list:
Here’s to Us:read!
Big Summer: started but couldn’t really get into it.
The Summer House:read!
Girls of Summer:read!
That Summer: just picked up from the library!
Golden Girl: on the library wait list
I’m definitely going to miss having as much time to read once I get back to school. I still have a couple more weeks of summer, so I’m trying to get my reading time in while I can.
I just started Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins. I’d been on the library wait list, so I’m reading it now since it’s my turn!
Hello! Long time, no talk! How’s it going? My blogging break has been much needed, but I sure have missed posting!
Today, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favorites.
Here’s what we’ve been up to the past couple of weeks along with some of our favorites.
These bracelets are one of my favorite things to wear lately.
My friend, Amy, sent these to me. She hand makes these custom bracelets. She has so many cute and fun options. Check her out on Instagram (@soulshine.kc)! I know you’ll love anything she makes!
Hadley went to sleep away camp and had the best time! She was so sad last summer when camp was canceled, so she was so excited to go back this year! We were one of the first in line for drop off, and she had a great time with friends, old and new. Camp was definitely a favorite for Hadley this summer.
I loved seeing the photos on Facebook. I missed her, so it was nice to get daily updates and see her smiling face!
Hadley at camp was one of Hayden’s favorite parts of summer (haha!). He also went to golf camp for the first time, and he loved it!
One things that wasn’t a favorite…poison oak! It’s never good when your kid wakes you up at 3 am to tell you he’s itching all over! We aren’t sure where he picked it up, but it sure did spread quickly. Thankfully, we got into the doctor the next day and the steroid meds helped immensely.
We’ve also continued to have lots of baseball this summer. It’s always a favorite watching Hayden and his team play. They have lots of fun together.
Another favorite…we FINALLY got our new basement floors. I shared that our master bath shower leaked down to the basement bathroom and living space in early May, so the floors had to be ripped up. What we had put down when we updated the basement a few years ago was no longer being made, so we found something pretty similar and are really pleased.
The original floors after Travis ripped up the damaged flooring vs the new finished product:
Then, I found this pretty rug at Home Goods to replace our previous area rug. It’s super soft and I love the gray tones.
Another favorite is my new messenger bag. I’ve been wanting one for quite some time. I stopped in a favorite boutique that I hadn’t been to since before the pandemic, and saw this gold toned bag. It was my summer gift to myself for teaching summer school 😉 They had some fun straps and I liked the one it came with, but I got this one (in pic below) from Amazon!
Another favorite is dinner al fresco! The kids were having too much fun playing with friends, so Travis and I ended up having dinner on our back patio by ourselves on Sunday night. Steak and asparagus by Travis…and microwave Bob Evans mashed potatoes by me!
Once July hits, I start thinking about school. I always feel better after I get my room unpacked (which will maybe happen next week?…they are still cleaning my area of the school), buy my desk calendar and lesson plan book.
I decided to try the Happy Planner teacher planner. If you know any teacher, you know we are picky about our planners. I’ve used a variety through the years, and I just thought I’d give this one a try. I was close to ordering one online and then realized Michael’s has some and they were 30 (or 40?)% off…+ my teacher’s discount at Michael’s! I love a good deal.
We are soaking up these last days of summer. We’ve had a couple pool days this week after a three week hiatus. June is our big pool month, then we had vacay, camps, and lots of rainy days that took the pool off our fun list for a bit. The kids have had lots of fun with their friends this summer at the pool. It’s definitely a favorite part of our summer.
Favorite Mom Meme:
Me…all summer long trying to keep up with my kids…vs. my parents in the 80’s (Although, the Major was pretty strict about knowing our whereabouts!)
BonusFave: Flashback Friday
One of my favorite vacation photos popped up in my Facebook memories recently. Siesta Key in 2017…sunset and the kids playing in the ocean.
I still hope to post intermittently over the next few weeks while continuing a little break.
I will share my Sentence a Day for July and what I’ve been reading this month as well once we get to the end of July.
I hope everyone has been enjoying their summer! See you back here soon.
Just a quick note that I’m taking a brief blogging break (Say that three times fast!) during the rest of July.
Once July hits, I feel this way as a teacher:
…and honestly, I kind of feel that way as a parent, wife, friend, and more! It’s just a very busy summer and a very busy season of life, and I’d like to enjoy the last weeks of summer, soaking in the time with the kids while prepping for the upcoming school year.
I’m taking the rest of the week off, and hope to join a link up or two in the upcoming weeks before sharing:
Hello! How was your weekend? Ours was filled with a few errands, baseball and basketball on Saturday (baseball was rained out on Sunday), some family time and more!
It’s already the second Monday of the month (sigh!), so I’m co-hosting with these ladies for our Not Just a Mom series.
This month’s topic is Home Tour.
Well, I’ve written blog posts sharing our home improvements, so I will link back to those during this post. I did a Transformation Tuesday series during the pandemic sharing our house updates through the years.They include before and after photos of our fixer upper home that we purchased all most seven years ago. Wow! That’s hard to believe.
I shared in the first post of that series that I didn’t even want to look at our house because I knew it needed so much work. Travis convinced me to look, and we stopped by the house a few times before making an offer (at the same time that another offer was being made too!) The inside of the house we could update. We couldn’t beat the location, the yard, the schools, and more.
So here we go….
Living Room:
I love our living room and how bright it is. The only thing I wish is that we could change up the seating configuration. All the main seating is up against the wall with the windows. There were hardwood floors under the carpet in the living and office (dining) room. They were untreated which actually worked well for us when we tackled this and the kitchen area.
I’ve been thinking about adding “shiplap” to the walls on either side of the fireplace and add a mirror above the chest. That’s on our project “to do” list.
Office:
So, our office is what would be the formal dining room. Our first couple of years here, we did have formal dining room furniture that we had in our previous home. We then decided to make this space more functional for us and brought up the desk that was in the basement, ordered this cute cabinet, and moved these chairs in from the kitchen for additional living room seating when needed.
The kitchen is one of my favorite parts of our home. When we moved in, there was carpet in the kitchen! A few quick fixes we did pretty immediately included, pulling up the carpet, laying hardwood and then staining the kitchen, living room/office, and hall floors all the same finish. Travis painted the lower paneling white and eventually painted the fire place. We had the island installed within the first month of living here. We had the cabinets (they are great quality…just not our color preference) painted after living here about six months.
Since I wrote the kitchen post, we have made a few more dream list item updates with a gas stove and updated (as close to farm house style as I could get) sink. Here’s that post and the kitchen post:
The sun room was a perplexing space for some time. Travis painted the wall paneling gray almost immediately, and then we also changed out the flooring within the first six months of living here. Until April of 2020, we didn’t really use this room much, and it housed our leftover furniture. Then, the pandemic motivated us to figure out this space. We purchased some new furniture, brought up the tv cabinet form the basement that I had painted, and made this area more inviting. We now spend lots of time in here!
**Sun room part 2 is at the end of the Life Lately post.
Master Bedroom:
Our master was not a space I put forth a lot of effort. I always had bedding that I loved and wanted to feel cozy, but we hadn’t done much else to our room. Randomly, in December 2019, I had the idea to move our bed how it is in this photo (it used to on the wall where the pictures are). This created more space when you walk into the room which I immediately loved.
In April/May 2020, we purchased new bedding, Travis and Hadley painted the walls, we hung a little gallery wall, and Travis and I put up Wall Pops wall paper on the wall where our tv is located. (You can see that in the master bedroom post). Now, this room is the definitely more cozy. I do wish our room was bigger (as well as my closet), but the room definitely is more functional now and a space I enjoy.
Like our bedroom, the master bathroom is also small. I can’t believe we waited as long as we did to update it, but the finished product was definitely worth the wait.
The kids’ rooms both show their personality. We kept them as is for about nine months before painting them and adding some personal touches in the summer of 2015. Like the master, I do wish their rooms were bigger, and, of course, I wish they were tidier, but I kind of let them do what they want with their rooms, and ask them to pick up every couple of days. Hadley is asking for a bit of a refresh, but we just haven’t had time this summer. I can understand wanting a bit more of a “sophisticated” middle school look ;), but I do think her room has stayed pretty age appropriate which was my hope when making color choices a few years ago.
Hayden’s room is still pretty much the same, but he now has a desk in his room.
The basement is still a space that is a work in progress. Like most basements, it’s not our most put together part of the home, but we have tried to make it inviting and have updated it with new floors, Travis (and I) painted the wood paneling and we’ve made color choices that tie into the rest of the house to at least make things as cohesive as possible.
Travis also painted these bookshelves white, added the wooden planks and mounted the tv. This was definitely a labor of love, but a cheap update with lots of bang for your buck!
I don’t think I’ve shared this but almost two months ago, our master shower leaked down into the basement bathroom and seeped on to the basement floors. So, our basement and basement floors currently look like a disaster area! I think the new floors will finally arrive this week, and then hopefully we can get the basement put back together.
The basement bathroom was my very first Transformation Tuesday post! It’s still one of my favorite before and afters. Travis now uses this bathroom, and the closet in the basement is where he keeps his clothes.
Thankfully, with the master shower leak, this area was spared except for a few wet walls (The insurance company brought out fans) and a hole in the ceiling to repair the pipe. That hole is finally getting fixed this week, but thankfully, this bathroom is still in great condition!
We still have a few more updates both major and minor. The hall bath still needs updated and the basement needs to be put back together. Then, we are doing little things like plantation shutters in the kids’ room, a shade for the front door and basement windows, and probably making a few tweaks in the kids’ rooms to prep for middle school.
So that’s a look at our home sweet home! I love looking at houses, so I can wait to see what others share! House Hunters and Fixer Upper (and similar shows) are my favorites to watch. House Hunters is permission to be nosy, and I love a good before and after on remodeling shows!
Next month’s topic is Daily Must Haves. The first thing that comes to mind is coffee! 😆
Make sure to check out the other ladies’ posts, and I hope you have a great week!
Hello! How was your week? I can’t believe we are in the full swing of July! Up next will be school supply displays. Actually, I think they are already out…but I just close my eyes when I see the words “back to School!”
Anyway, as always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
My first favorite for the week:
My traditional red, white, and blue waffles for the 4th! I made them for the kids, and I even had one! So good.
We had a great 4th of July. I spent most of the day unpacking from vacation and going to the grocery store. Travis took the kids to the pool for a few hours in the afternoon. We had steaks for dinner and watched fireworks at our favorite spot.
Then, we shot off a few fireworks and sparklers before heading to bed.
The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays.
Another favorite for the week was Travis didn’t work on Monday, so we decided to celebrate his birthday a couple of days early. We went out to lunch at one of our favorite places and then went bowling at the new Lex Live. We had lots of fun.
We had cookie cake on Tueday (a day early) because we all barely even saw each other on his birthday (Wednesday) because I was with Hadley at her swim meet while Hayden and Travis were at baseball. Anyway, our neighbor bakes cookies and cookie cakes, so I ordered one for Trav’s birthday.
I laugh every time I look at this photo because Homer was desperate to be included in the pic…or maybe he just wanted to get near the cake! (Remember when he ate our anniversary cookie cake last year?! 😂 )
We did presents and cake eating Tuesday evening when Hadley got home from dance.
The cookie cake was so good! The buttercream icing was the best part.
Hadley’s final swim meet of the season was another favorite of the week. She swam her fastest times of the season in all strokes.
I was a bit hesitant about the 8:45 practices during the summer, but with the help of other swim parents, we’ve carpooled and made it work. It’s been a big adjustment after not swimming last summer and now she moved up an age group and swims 50’s. I’m proud of her commitment and determination. Hadley proved that you show up to the things you love…and donut days on Thursdays! 😉
Favorite Mom Meme:
🤣🤣
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
Since I’m on the topic of swim team, how about this flashback to the kids’ first ever swim season in 2017? My oh my how they have grown! Hadley’s swim cap and goggles slay me!
If you are a blogger, we’d love to have you link up with us for a tour of your home!
We’re thankful for those who read our blogs, so we hope you’ll check out everyone’s posts on Monday! I can’t wait to see what others share!
I hope everyone has a great weekend! Baseball is back for us after having last weekend off. So, we’ll be at the ball fields off and on! Hadley is thrilled 😉
Hello! Today, I’m sharing the details of our vacation last week to South Carolina. We often head to Siesta Key, Florida for most of our vacations, but we’ve gone to SC pretty often as well. I actually was thinking and we’ve been to Hilton Head once, Folly Beach three times and IOP three times as well. So, we know our way around the Charleston area pretty well. Since our summer is filled with baseball, we chose IOP because we can drive there in 8-9 hours, and we hadn’t been there since fall break 2018.
These memes are timely:
and…
It’s so much effort for my homebody self to get everything organized and packed, but the trips are always worth it once we get there.
Warning: photo overload! 😉 My love language must be photo taking!
We left after Hayden’s Sunday baseball championship game, and drove to Asheville. We arrived at our hotel around 10:00.
Monday
Monday morning, we slept in. Even I slept in! The kids and I woke up around 9:00 and, after a quick breakfast, we hit the road around 10:30. We definitely took longer than we thought we would in the morning, but the sleep was much needed.
We arrived at our hotel around 4:00, unpacked, and headed straight to the beach. There was an outgoing tropical depression, so it was really windy but no rain. We walked around a bit, and the kids splashed in the water before we changed and went to dinner.
We drove a few minutes to Mt. Pleasant and ate dinner on the water at Saltwater Cowboys. I had the shrimp tacos, and they were delish!
This pic of Hayden and Travis is a fave of mine!
Hayden and Hadley checked out the dock of the restaurant after we ate.
Then, we headed back, but made a stop for ice cream on Sullivan’s Island. As we were parking, Travis recognized the picket fence that I had the kids stand in front of in 2013. This photo (on the left) is on our gallery wall in our kitchen. The kids obliged for a “how it’s going…” photo for contrast of “how it started.” Since 2013, the kids have grown two or more feet and the house has definitely been upgraded!
We hit up Co-op for delicious ice cream.
We headed back to the hotel and went to bed!
Tuesday
Travis always gets up early on vacation, and I do try to sleep in a bit. The kids really sleep in on vacation! Travis usually goes for a run, and then it’s my turn to sip my coffee on the beach. It’s my absolute favorite thing to do!
Our hotel was on the beach, and we rented two chairs and an umbrella for our four full days there. They were set it by the time Travis got down there each morning. (We packed two smaller beach chairs from home, so we all had somewhere to sit when needed). These are the best spent money for sure!
Me: every morning…
I brought a ton of snacks and drinks from home, but Travis went to the grocery for sandwich stuff and other food for the week. The kids had a quick hotel breakfast (They had grab and go until 9:30 each day), and then we hit the beach.
I usually went to the room around noon to make sandwiches and grab any other food we needed. We typically stayed at the beach until 2:00 or so, and then the kids liked to go to the pool. I will say that Travis knows my love for the beach, an ocean view, and reading a book under and umbrella, so most days I stayed put while he monitored the kids at the pool.
We usually got an afternoon snack or headed back to the beach for a bit before dinner each day.
Travis and Hayden love oysters, so everyone freshened up before we went to happy hour at Pier 41.
Oysters were the happy hour special as was $2 champagne. They had oysters, Hadley had calamari, and I sipped the bubbly!
We went back to the beach afterwards. Hadley and I walked around while Hayden and Travis played catch.
I always love watching the sunset at the beach. Through the years, we’ve tried to make a point to go to dinner early and head back to the beach for sunset.
After the sun set, we headed to at late dinner near our hotel at Acme Lowcountry Kitchen. We’d eaten there during a previous visit and knew the food would be good. Hadley got the salmon, I had a salad, and Travis and Hayden split the fish special.
The kids wanted ice cream, so we got that on our walk back to the hotel. We all went to bed with full bellies.
Wednesday
Wednesday started with another morning filled with sunshine and coffee.
Once we all got down to the beach, we took our traditional beach family photo 😉
On this day, we purchased a boogie board, and the kids had tons of fun.
I got some time on my own in the afternoon with a book and a cool beverage.
Wednesday evening we headed to Charleston to eat at Coast. I love all of the colorful home in Charleston!
Our dinner at Coast was my favorite. The atmosphere was amazing, and the food was phenomenal.
Hadley, outside of Coast, looks like she’s 11 going on 16!
On our way to dinner, I spotted Sewing Down South which is Craig’s pillow store. I love watching Southern Charm, so I was excited when I saw his store! Hadley and I stopped by there for a few minutes after dinner. Craig wasn’t there, but the employees were so friendly!
We ended our evening in Charleston walking around Battery Park. We usually do this every time we visit.
Then, we headed back to the hotel and went to bed!
Thursday
On Thursday, I checked the weather, and they were calling for 100% chance of rain on Friday, so we beached hard on Thursday!
I got my “me time” in the morning.
Then, we hung out in the sand most of the day! Hadley borrowed my hat for a bit:
Then, Travis and Hayden wanted round two of oysters, so we went to Binkys, by our hotel, for Happy Hour oysters.
Then, the kids played in the pool for an hour or so before we headed to dinner at Papis.
When we visited IOP for fall break 2018, we went to Papi’s TWICE. We loved it that much. So, we couldn’t wait to eat there again. We got all the dips and chips, some margs (for the adults ;), tacos, and then churros for dessert!
After dinner, we headed to the beach for a bit before bed!
Friday:
Friday morning’s hour by hour forecast seemed pretty favorable for a decent day at the beach. One more morning of coffee …
followed by my sunshine and sand.
The day actually turned out to be so nice. The wind picked up and the skies got cloudy around 4:00, so the kids hit the pool and then we got ready to go into Charleston again for dinner.
The kids really wanted to do a ghost tour, so Travis found one for Magnolia Cemetery at 9:30 pm. We walked around Charleston, and as expected on the Friday of 4th of July weekend, most restaurants had quite the wait. We go to Hyman’s every time we come to Charleston. They said their wait was about 1.5 hours, so we walked around, and Hayden and I got ice cream sandwiches at Peace Pie (key lime pie for me and chocolate peanut butter for him), and Hadley got some macarons from Le Macaron which was next door.
The wait ended up being about an hour, and we ate dinner around 8:00. We were a bit pressed for time because we had to be to the ghost tour by 9:15. We ate quickly and headed that way…
Hyman’s has these little cards on the tables that are fun to read. Fun fact: When Travis and I visited Charleston for the first time in 2010, we ate at Hymans, and I have carried one of these marriage cards in my wallet ever since. I should probably refer to it more often, but it’s a good little check list!
This one is so funny and so true!
The Magnolia Cemetery Nighttime Tour was so good. I didn’t know what to expect, and I told the kids to be prepared to be “spooked” a little, but it was all good.
We met our group and tour guide, Joy, at the gates of the cemetery at 9:15. Joy was amazing! Hayden and Hadley were the only kids on the tour. After she closed the gate, she pulled them aside, and told them they could ring the massive bell to start the tour. She gave us all flashlights, and explained that we needed to stick together because there are various birds, bugs, spiders, and ALLIGATORS! that we may see on the tour.
Joy was so knowledgeable. The tour is listed at 1.5 hours, but she told us that her tour takes about two hours, and she wasn’t wrong! As we walked, she shared the history of of the cemetery, talked about Charleston, the people who were buried in the cemetery, and sprinkled in spooky stories within the history.
My kids loved it! Hayden White was often found near Joy, asking her questions!
Checking out a mausoleum…
We spotted the huge cranes, definitely saw spiders, and had to keep our eye on a alligator that we spotted in the pond as Joy told one of her stories!
Her tour ended right around 11:30, and I definitely wish we had time to drive through the cemetery during the day just to see some of the headstones and structures in the daylight.
We got back to our hotel after midnight, packed up most of what we could before falling asleep around 1:00 am.
Let me tell you what is more spooky than a southern cemetery at night…me on less than 5 hours of sleep 🤣
We were up by 6:00 and on the road around 7:00. Of course, we hated to say goodbye to one of our favorite places, but we were ready to get home and see Homer!
To sum up the trip with a favorite quote:
For whatever we lose (like a you or a me) it’s always ourselves we find in the sea.” ~e.e. cummings
I never realize how much we need to get away until we do. Grateful for some time in the sunshine with a mix of sand and saltwater. The week provided a time for great memories, wonderful weather, amazing food and a different setting for the kids to bicker 😂
This was me most of Sunday…unpacking all my overpacking…
If you made it to the end of this post, you’re the real MVP!
I’m so glad we made the time to squeeze in some uninterrupted family time in one of our favorite places.
Have you ever been to the Charleston area? We’ll definitely be back…hopefully soon!
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