Since this month is wrapping up, it’s time for Patty and Holly’sMonthly Musing link up.
This month’s topic is: All About Spring
We’ve hit a cold snap this week, but thankfully the sun has been shining. I know spring weather is fickle, but I much prefer the warmer days!
1. Favorite spring fashion pieces?
Whenever this topic is asked, I always share a cardigan. Cardigans…it’s “giving” teacher fashion. When the weather starts to turn warmer, I start wearing cardigans over my dresses.
2. Favorite spring scent?
I love candles, and we always have at least one burning in the house. I always choose “lighter/fresher” scents like citrus and floral.
3. Go to spring meals?
Well, we’re so busy in the spring, I feel like I’m using my slower cooker still quite a bit. That being said, it’s always great when we can start grilling out! It’s just nice to have chicken or burgers and hot dogs and then serve quick and easy sides like baked beans, fruit, or pasta salad.
4. Spring dessert recipe
The first thing that popped in my mind is strawberry shortcake. We probably do eat that more in the summer though. I did make Shay’sFruity Pebbles Nieman Marcus bars recently, and they were delish.
5. Spring traditions
Some favorite spring traditions are dyeing Easter eggs, going to Keeneland, and watching the Oaks and Derby.
6. Spring cleaning hack
Lauren shared about decluttering and getting rid of something (trash or donate) and the number correlates with the day of the month. I started a bit late in April, but I did spend at least a week being intentional with going through junk drawers, random drawers I rarely open, my closet, the kids’ closets, the basement, and more. I still need to go through my dresser drawers and a few things in the garage, but at least I made the effort to “spring clean” a bit.
7. Will you plant a garden this year?
I’m not sure if we will or not. Anything in the yard is Trav’s domain. We’ve only done a garden a few times, but we’ll see.
8. Spring rain…love or hate?
I love a rainy Saturday or Sunday when there are no plans. I joke that it gives me “permission to be lazy.” If it’s raining, I can sleep in and do things around the house. That being said, of course, I hate when we have outdoor plans and it rains. For example, the kids have an outside field trip today that’s TBD due to the rain. I’m worried that tomorrow night’s track meet will be in yet another torrential downpour.
9. Favorite spring flower?
I always love when Trader Joe’s has their peonies in late spring/early summer.
10. Any spring travel plans?
Well, we already did our spring travelling when we went to Greenville, SC earlier this month. We loved it.
We don’t have any other travel plans for this spring. As a matter of fact, we still haven’t planned summer vacation yet!
This link up is always a fun one. I can’t wait to see what other people have to say.
I had a busy month of reading…and actually finished four books! I read quite the mix, and they range from three stars to five! Today I’m sharing about them…
This month I read:
{As always, book summaries are from Goodreads…}
The Husbands:
Summary:
Nora Spangler is a successful attorney but when it comes to domestic life, she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. Her husband works hard, too… but why does it seem like she is always working so much harder?
When the Spanglers go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighborhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women–a tech CEO, a neurosurgeon, an award-winning therapist, a bestselling author–with enviably supportive husbands. When she agrees to help with a resident’s wrongful death case, she is pulled into the lives of the women there. She finds the air is different in Dynasty Ranch. The women aren’t hanging on by a thread.
But as the case unravels, Nora uncovers a plot that may explain the secret to having-it-all. One that’s worth killing for. Calling to mind a Stepford Wives gender-swap, The Husbands imagines a world where the burden of the “second shift” is equally shared–and what it may take to get there.
Quick Thoughts:
This wasn’t necessarily “my type” of book to read…which is probably why I thought it was just ok. I guess it’s a “thriller/mystery,” and I thought the plot was interesting, but the “Stepford Wives” angle and some of those details made me lose interest. Also, I felt like some parts were predictable.
Rating:
A Quiet Life:
Summary:
Set in a close-knit suburb in the grip of winter, A Quiet Life follows three people grappling with loss and finding a tender wisdom in their grief.
Chuck Ayers used to look forward to nothing so much as his annual trip to Hilton Head with his wife, Cat—that yearly taste of relaxation they’d become accustomed to after a lifetime of working and raising two children. Now, just months after Cat’s death, Chuck finds that he can’t let go of her belongings—her favorite towel, the sketchbooks in her desk drawer—as he struggles to pack for a trip he can’t imagine taking without her.
Ella Burke delivers morning newspapers and works at a bridal shop to fill her days while she anxiously awaits news—any piece of information—about her missing daughter. Ella adjusts to life in a new apartment and answers every call on her phone, hoping her daughter will reach out.
After the sudden death of her father, Kirsten Bonato set aside her veterinary school aspirations, finding comfort in the steady routine of working at an animal shelter. But as time passes, old dreams and new romantic interests begin to surface—and Kirsten finds herself at another crossroads.
Quick Thoughts:
This was a beautiful and simple read. The powerful stories of Chuck, Ella, and Kirsten had me rooting for each one of them. As their stories intertwined, I really wanted to keep reading. Each character was brave in their own way, and I loved following along on their journeys. I think this could be in my top 5 this year.
Rating:
Night:
Summary:
Born in the town of Sighet, Transylvania, Elie Wiesel was a teenager when he and his family were taken from their home in 1944 to Auschwitz concentration camp, and then to Buchenwald. Night is the terrifying record of Elie Wiesel’s memories of the death of his family, the death of his own innocence, and his despair as a deeply observant Jew confronting the absolute evil of man. This new translation by his wife and most frequent translator, Marion Wiesel, corrects important details and presents the most accurate rendering in English of Elie Wiesel’s testimony to what happened in the camps and of his unforgettable message that this horror must simply never be allowed to happen again.
Quick Thoughts:
I’d read most of this book in March of 2020 while helping some students, but then school transitioned to virtual, and I never finished it.
I was helping a group of students read this book for their English 1 class last week. They came to see me every day, we read a chapter, discussed and completed the questions. This memoir really is a powerful read. The kids had so many questions, and I had to continue to remind them that Wiesel was sharing his experience in the concentration camps.
Obviously, this isn’t a light read, but is it a pretty “classic” high school text, but I’d never taught it (or read it). I feel like students are always invested in this book and have lots of questions. I’m glad that I got to read and discuss it with my two reading groups.
Rating:
The Secret Bridesmaid:
Summary:
Sophie Breeze is a brilliant bridesmaid. So brilliant, in fact, that she’s made it her full-time job.
As a professional bridesmaid, Sophie is hired by London brides to be their right-hand woman, posing as a friend but working behind the scenes to help plan the perfect wedding and ensure their big day goes off without a hitch. When she’s hired by Lady Victoria Swann––a former model and “It Girl” of 1970’s London; now the Marchioness of Meade––for the society wedding of the year, it should be a chance for Sophie to prove just how talented she is.
Of course, it’s not ideal that the bride, Lady Victoria’s daughter, Cordelia, is an absolute diva and determined to make Sophie’s life a nightmare. It’s also a bit inconvenient that Sophie finds herself drawn to Cordelia’s posh older brother, who is absolutely off limits. But when a rival society wedding is announced for the very same day, things start to get…well, complicated.
Can Sophie pull off the biggest challenge of her career––execute a high-profile gala for four hundred and fifty guests in record time, win over a reluctant bride, and catch the eye of handsome Lord Swann––all while keeping her true identity a secret, and her dignity intact?
Quick Thoughts:
This was a “lighter” read for me this month. It was predictable but cute. I liked the secret bridesmaid aspect of the plot…it’s fun twist on the topic of weddings. This book has friendship, romance, and even a bit of drama. The email exchanges from clients for the wedding plans are funny too. It was a quick and easy read.
Rating:
It’s crazy to think that next month, I will share a few books I hope to read this summer! Do you have any suggestions?
Today’s post is kind of random, but do you have a Crumbl Cookie near you? We’ve had one in Lexington for probably a year or so, and over spring break the kids wanted to try it. Well, we never had time to get there, but this weekend, Hadley mentioned it. We were out running errands, so we stopped in.
I saw this meme over the weekend…and it goes nicely with this post.
While these cookies weren’t “medium rare,” they are baked fresh and decorated as you pick up your order.
There’s a Crumbl Cookie app where you can see what the flavors are for the week. You can also use the app to place a pickup order.
We just ordered right when we went in the store. They have a few kiosks where you choose how many cookies you want (one, four, six, or party box) and which flavors you want. You pay, and then they put your cookies in one of their pretty pink boxes for you to take home.
We were in and out in ten minutes or less. Hadley was so excited:
The flavor options this time were:
Milk chocolate chip
Cotton candy
Peanut butter munch
Birthday cake (Oreo)
Caramel Shortbread
Classic pink sugar
The only one we didn’t order was the caramel shortbread; instead we picked up two peanut butter munch.
On the drive home, Hadley was watching some Crumbl Cookie Instagram reels/stories, and one guy rated the cotton candy one 3/10. Hadley was nervous. 😂
We split them up and each tried a bit of some over the weekend.
As far as favorites, Travis and Hadley loved the peanut butter munch. It was really good…you could taste the mix of peanut butter and chocolate.
Hayden’s favorite was the birthday cake oreo.
The cotton candy one was a sugar cookie, but the icing really did taste like cotton candy. We all thought it was better than a 3/10…but not one that you’d want all the time.
My favorite was the sugar cookie. It’s just a classic taste, and the icing was so good. Honestly, a close second was the chocolate chip. Delish.
I think they have some of the cookies all of the time — like the chocolate chip and sugar cookies. I just looked at this week’s menu includes those two and cookies and cream milkshake, strawberry cupcake, buttermilk pancake, and triple chocolate chip.
Hadley even said it would be fun if you were having a birthday party to let the guests choose which cookie they’d like rather than getting cupcakes. I think she’s on to something!
Do you have a Crumbl Cookie near you? If so, what’s your favorite flavor? I’m sure we’ll go back and will want to try other flavors.
We had a pretty good one….after we made it through the torrential downpour during Friday night’s track meet.
The rest of the weekend was spent running errands, and doing some things around the house. Both of the kids had fun with their friends, and I was able to watch some shows and read my book.
I probably say this every month, but I can’t believe this is the last Monday in April. So, I’m sharing some memes that made me laugh this month.
My friend sent this to me. She knows me so well 😆
This one really made me laugh. I always panic if we’ve run out of fast food napkins for the car.
I saw this one right after my school computer prompted me to change my password…and then told me my new one was too similar to my old one. There’s only so many passwords that I can remember.
Why does everything at the grocery store seem like it’s at least $5?!
Relatable:
LOL! Fun fact: if I’m home on a Friday night, I do like to watch Dateline.
This one feels so true. My bigger issue is the people who have a full load of groceries and do the self-checkout. I feel like that should be a 15 item or less situation.
Yes! My type A personality feels this deeply…
I hope these start your week off with a laugh or two! Have great day!
I’m really feeling the TGIF energy today. This week has been a good one but filled with lots of extras. Every day this week had at least one extra appointment on top of the usual evening activities, so I just kept feeling like I didn’t want to forget something!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Here are some favorites from the week…
Favorite Picture:
Well, I have to start with the absolute best news…look at Hayden’s new smile!!
No more braces! Also, why was I more excited for this milestone than he was? After over 2.5 years, the braces are off!
Both kids had “phase 1” braces in second grade. They had them put on in January 2018, and had them for less than a year.
For Hayden, “phase 2” started in July of 2020 with a Herbst appliance. A few months later he got the braces, and the appliance was taken out in July 2021. Then, he continued with braces until this week.
It’s crazy to see how much older he looks too!
Favorite Clothes:
I wore a new dress from SSYS to Keeneland on Saturday. I want to buy it in another color, but I think they are creating a sleeveless version for the summer, so I will hold off for now. I love lavender, and just couldn’t say no.
**Also, I was inspired by Amy and visited Sun Tan City for a spray tan last week. I hadn’t been there in years, but I was so happy with the results.
(A week later, and I still have a bit of color!)
SSYS also has the cutest athleisure pieces, and this quilted top has been perfect to throw on over my workout tank and leggings. I’ve already worn this one three times in a week. I think they have some cute new pieces dropping this weekend.
Other faves from the week:
On Monday, the kids had their yearly checkups, and they always ask for ice cream afterwards. Parenting teens is a tough job, so I deserved ice cream too.
Last week, Travis came home from Kroger with these flowers, and said they were free. They still hadn’t bloomed after a few days, and I told him that I thought that’s why they must have been free. 😆
Well, they finally did start to bloom, but I don’t think a couple of them ever will. They are pretty and freshen up the living room.
At the first track meet of the season, Hayden hurt himself doing the long jump, so he’s had to sit out the last couple of meets.
Hayden is the distance runner, and Hadley is more mid/shorter distances. She loves the 200m, and also runs the 800, 400, and some relays. In the off season, she started training, and it’s been so amazing to see that translate to her races. In the 200, she came in 2nd out of 100 runners and is close to qualifying for state. She’s also on some relays which are fun to watch too.
I can’t wait for Hayden to get back out there.
4×200 relay
Kind of random, but I have a new favorite podcast. I loved the show Hey Dude! on Nickelodeon in the 90’s. Christine Taylor and David Lascher talk about the show, but also have a 90’s guest on each week. I’ve listened to their interviews with the Hey Dude cast, Ben Stiller (Christine’s real life husband), Scott Wolf, Melissa Joan Hart, and a few others.
It’s a fun listen!
Favorite Mom Meme:
Real talk:
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
Because I love the toothless phase so much, I have to share this one of Hayden.
*He actually had two loose top teeth and thanks to a play at first base where he crashed into the 1st baseman, he lost one and the other was super loose. The next morning, he woke up with the other tooth gone…we found it in his bed!
Truly, the toothless phase was my absolute favorite with both kids.
What are your weekend plans? The kids are running in a track meet tonight, and I’m hoping it’s not a torrential rain the entire time. The rest of the weekend, we actually don’t have much going on. I feel like we all need a bit of downtime to recover from this non-stop week.
In only a few weeks, it will be Mother’s Day, so I’m sharing some gift ideas. While I have most of these items, I also have thrown in a few that I know I’d love to receive.
Jewelry:
I’m a bracelet girl. I typically wear the same three pairs of earrings, and rarely change out my necklace. That being said, I will change up the bracelets I wear while also wearing some of the same ones every day.
I still love my three bracelets from Daily Gold Co. I’ve had them since September and I’ve never taken them off.
I’m still loving the two bangle style bracelets I have from Amazon. I have one silver and one rose gold. You can’t beat the price.
Shop Style Your Senses has so many pretty accessories…bracelets, rings, necklaces, and earrings!
Amazon:
It’s no secret how much I love my Kindle. I think I’ve had mine for four years now, and it’s one of my favorite things. My mom got one recently and really likes it.
I purchased these slippers after Christmas, and they are another favorite. I put them on my feet as soon as I wake up and as soon as I get home from school. It looks like they are an Amazon deal right now.
While I don’t own this robe, I want to! I have a favorite fuzzy robe from Target, but this one looks perfect for warmer months!
Other ideas:
For Christmas, I asked for perfume. I’m not super picky, and I told Travis what I’d previously used but to choose something he likes. Well, insert Hadley into the equation —she took him to Sephora. They gave me three scents: Perfect and Daisy Dream by Marc Jacobs and Juliette Has a Gun. I love all three!
I’ve seen others share these this Barefoot Dreams dupe blanket that’s at Walmart. My sister-in-law has one, and it’s so cozy. I’ve been meaning to pick up one or two.
I love Antique Candle Co. candles. Besides smelling amazing, they even have so many cute options. The “vintage white teacup” is too cute! They have other options too like a vintage white goblet, wire closure candles, and stoneware crocks.
One more idea:
We gave my mom Storyworthsubscription a couple of years ago, and she did such a great job answering the prompts.
This year for Christmas, she gave me a copy of the book. It’s a great keepsake.
I say it every year, but for Mother’s Day, I’m happy with a card and going out to brunch. We always get two hanging ferns for the front porch, and Travis will plant flowers in our planters that weekend. Basically, for Mother’s Day, I want one of my favorite spots at our house looking pretty…the front porch.
Hadley has a dance competition Mother’s Day weekend this year. We don’t know the exact times yet, so I’m not sure what we can expect yet on that day. Lucky for them, I don’t mind being celebrated 365 days a year! 😆
{This post contains Amazon affiliate links…Thank you for supporting my blog!}
I’m continuing with my *never ending* Blog Challenge today. I really have enjoyed looking at different topics!
I left off covering topic #18, and today I’m writing about #19 and #20.
19. My worst habits
Well, I’m a worrier by nature. I do think I’ve gotten better at worrying less as I’ve gotten older. That being said, now I think I worry about “bigger” things rather than “smaller” things. I guess with age you do learn not to “sweat the small stuff,” but I sure do worry about other bigger things…Also, how can you have kids and not worry?
Also, I am type A in most aspects of my life, but I can procrastinate on things that I don’t want to do…and it’s usually small things like put away a stack of papers, pack a suitcase, or tidy up my closet.
Lastly, I play with my hair a lot. It’s a nervous habit that turned into just a bad habit!
20. Where I want to be in 10 years…
Retired. 😆
Seriously.
I’m finishing up year 21 in education, and I really don’t see myself going past year thirty. The “practical” part of me even likes the “math” of it…At the end of my 30th year, the kids will be 22 and graduating college (assuming it takes them four years). So, we can all check off big milestones.
I’ve loved my time in education, and it’s been the perfect job for me. I’ve learned so much, met so many great people, taught so many great students, accomplished so much professionally and more.
Could I get to that 30th year and decide to go one more because it will make my pension better? Yes…and I just might. Our retirement system has changed a bit. It used to be 52 years old and thirty years gave you a pretty optimal pension, but now I think it’s 55 (or a combo of age + years if you started teaching later). I know more and more people who are retiring at 27 years which is when you can start getting a pretty good pension. I have a few years in Missouri, so my thirty years would be 27 if I retire then.
But, for me, 30 is the goal. Then, I will be ready to do whatever I want…whenever I want!
I was just talking about the first day of school with some students. Even in August of 2020 when we started the school year virtually, I still went to school and sat in my classroom. I’ve had a first day of school in a classroom for over 40 years! I didn’t want to end the streak.
I’m not sure what I will do when I retire, but it would be nice to have more free time and do what I want. I sure hope Travis and I have raised good, productive kids who are ready for their own bright future, so we can enjoy ours (but be there for them whenever/however they need us to be). I’ve always dreamed of spending the month of February somewhere warm, travel a bit more, not be in a rush to drink my coffee in the morning, and more. I think I would be open to subbing. I honestly didn’t think that would be the case, but the money is good, and of course you can pick and choose where you go and whose classroom you sub in. After my mom retired, she worked at the public library. That sounds like something I’d enjoy as well. We’ll see.
I still have eight years go to, but I’m proud of myself for sticking with education even during some really tough years. I’ve earned two Master’s degrees, had various classroom jobs, held leadership positions, and more. I help provide for our family, and have modeled for my kids what it’s like to have a career and balance home life as well. It’s been the best decision for our family. Plus, I get the extra time at home with the kids on breaks and in the summer.
I know students sure have changed my life for the better, and I hope many can say the same about their time in my classroom.
Year 1 to year 21 sure escalated quickly!
I hope your week is off to a great start. It’s been a busy one for us, but I hope to be back with two more posts this week.
I’m linking up with Holly and Sarah for Hello Monday to share…
…a recap of our weekend.
Here’s what we were up to this weekend…
I had a few errands to run after school on Friday. Hadley had an after school activity, so after I picked Hayden up, I dropped him off at home and went to Ulta. All I needed was shampoo, so that was a quick stop.
Then, I headed to Trader Joe’s for a few things like flowers, bagels, chips and more.
When I got home, I unpacked and then trimmed my tulips and put them in the vases.
I checked in with Hayden and had a few minutes for an after school snack. I sat on the front porch before going to get Hadley.
Both kids wanted to go to two different sporting events to cheer on their friends. Real talk: I wanted to stay home…haha
That being said, the weather was lovely, and I figured we should take advantage of a free Friday night. Travis and Hayden went to the lacrosse game while Hadley and I went to softball and baseball. These middle schoolers are “playing up” for the high school teams which is my school. So, it was fun for me to see some kids I know as well as the kids’ friends. We watched the varsity softball game followed by the 9th grade baseball game.
Fun fact about me: if a corn dog is on the menu, I’m getting it!
We left the ball fields around 8:30, and Hadley wanted Fazolis for dinner. We were home around 9:00, and Travis and I watched a bit of American Idol. We were a few episodes behind. Around 10:30, we all went to bed, but I read for a few minutes before dozing off.
Saturday morning, I was up around 7:30. I enjoyed my coffee while watching more Idol. I also finished up my grocery list.
After that, I made the bed, washed my face, and headed to the basement for a leg day workout!
Travis and Hadley went to the track to get a workout in. Hayden is currently nursing an injury from the track meet the other day. He hurt himself on the long jump. Ugh. He had to sit out of Wednesday’s meet. Hopefully, he will be back in action soon.
One of my favorite Bodi (Beach body) programs is 21 Day Fix, so I did the lower body workout.
Then, I freshened up a bit to take Hayden for haircut.
Pardon the dusty mirror, but I ordered this quilted top from Shop Style Your Senses over spring break, and this is the third time I’ve worn it. It’s perfect to wear with leggings and especially right after a workout.
After Hayden’s haircut (no pic–y’all know –teenage boys!), we came home, and I changed out my door hanger. In April and May, this jockey silk is my fave to put on the door for Keeneland and then Oaks/Derby.
I made my favorite lunch: avocado toast with egg.
Then, I talked to my mom on the phone, showered, and then talked to my dad on the phone before getting ready for Keeneland.
Teenagers are the best at taking photos…I love this one of Travis and me ready for the races. (thanks to Hadley!)
We had club house tickets, but we walked around a bit and ended up sitting in a box with one of Trav’s friends. It was a HOT day at the track. I’m not complaining…I enjoyed the sunshine for sure.
For the last race, we walked back to the clubhouse area and stood at the rail, so we could make a quick exit to beat traffic. It was a nice “day date” with T-rav.
Once we got home, the kids were hungry, so we went to a fave Mexican restaurant for dinner.
We got home around 8:00, I showered and did a few things around the house. Then, I watched a couple of episodes of King of Queens before bed. It was a great Saturday.
I slept solidly from 10:30-8 (yay!)
I got my coffee and finished reading this book. It was so good, and I highly recommend it!
Then, Travis and I watched more American Idol. Can you tell we were very behind? 😆We wanted to get caught up before Sunday’s live performances.
Then, it was time for my Kroger pick up. I went in Kroger for a gift card and a couple of other things. After we unpacked the groceries, I started some laundry.
Travis and the kids went to the gym. While they were gone, I took a few minutes to pull out a few things from my closet that I didn’t wear this winter, so that I could donate them. Then, I put up my Easter decorations…
….and changed out my cute little ceramic house for my cute little ceramic jockey silk.
Then, I sat on the front porch, and called my Gma. The weather was overcast and so much cooler, but the fresh air was nice.
During that time, Hayden got picked up for a birthday party, and I ate some leftovers for lunch and worked on this blog post.
Before picking up Hayden and his friends, I made a quick stop at Target. Hadley and Travis went out to Keeneland to watch a few races.
Once I got home, I thought about taking a nap, but decided to watch Part 1 (of 2) of Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields. I only have one word for part one: whoa
Usually on Sundays I don’t workout, but this week will be busy, so I figured I’d at least go for a walk. My friend had asked to borrow my book, so I walked it over to her house.
I walked for about 30 minutes. Then, when I got home, it was time for dinner.
Trav grilled out burgers and hotdogs. During dinner, I told the kids that thirteen years ago on April 16, I found out I was pregnant with them. I didn’t know it was twins yet though. (haha!)
Then, it was time to get ready for the week ahead, shower, and finish up this post. We ended the evening with….American Idol. Glad we got caught up in time to start voting!
Shew! That was quite the weekend for sure, but it was a good one!
Well, we’ve been home for over a week, but today I’m recapping our few days in Greenville, SC over spring break.
I’ve shared many times before, but by the time spring break arrives, I’m usually too tired to do much for break. Also, Travis is pretty busy this time of the year, but a few days away is always nice.
We usually try to go somewhere close enough to drive, and often times, we go somewhere new (to us). I like that we are showing our kids a variety of places and mix in activities with some downtime as well.
We’d stopped in Greenville on our way to the beach a few years ago, and Travis always wanted to go back and check it out. We have friends who went for a few days last year, and they enjoyed their time there as well.
To me, it seems that Greenville is when Asheville and Charleston collide. There’s the charm of Charleston and the outdoor activities and attractions similar to Asheville.
We had awesome weather three of the four days. Travis had planned ahead, and I’m glad he realized that many of the smaller restaurants and even some shops are closed on Mondays.
Here’s a recap of our trip:
Saturday:
One thing about me is that I hate being rushed to leave the house. So, we all slept in on Saturday, did regular Saturday activities like picking up the house and getting some chores done, we packed and hit the road a bit before noon.
We stopped at Jimmy Johns before getting on the highway. We hit some traffic, but arrived at our hotel around 5:30.
We relaxed a bit, and there was basketball on, so Hayden watched it while Travis figured out dinner.
We went to Kitchen Sync for dinner. It was busy, but we checked in online, and barely had to wait for our table.
Hayden got a hamburger, Travis and Hadley had pizza, and I had the shrimp scampi. We even indulged in dessert!
Once we got back to the hotel, we just hung out a bit more. Perks of having big kids now…they hung out in the room while Travis and I got a drink at the hotel bar. That being said, we were all in bed by 10!
Sunday:
On Sunday, it was nice to sleep in. Travis and I even had our coffee in the lobby while the kids slept a bit more.
There was Another Broken Egg nearby, so we went there for breakfast. I wanted to take the coffee mug home with me!
Then, we went back to the hotel, called the bike place, showered, and packed up. We stayed at a Marriott the first night. Since we knew we were arriving later, we stayed at a hotel right off the highway with food nearby.
We drove a few minutes downtown to our hotel for the next two nights. We parked and walked to Reedy Rides to pick up our bikes that we rented for four hours.
Like my coffee mug, my bike was just my style! (my favorite color)
FYI: The downtown area of Greenville is very walkable, dog friendly, and has many trails.
The Swamp Rabbit Trail is 22 miles long, and that’s what we stayed on for our bike ride. Before we hit the trail, we did bike a bit downtown. It was so pretty.
Then, we made our way to the trail.
I’m assuming that given the amazing weather and the fact that it was a Sunday, the trail was busy. There were so many people out jogging, bike riding, and walking their dogs.
Along the way, there were signs pointing to various destinations, a few restaurants and other attractions.
Well, once Hayden saw that Furman University was only 6 miles away, he wanted to go there. Travis had already planned on taking the kids there the next day for a track workout, but Hayden wanted to see the purple track. 😆
So, off we went.
The campus was so pretty. We parked our bikes, got Gatorade out of the vending machine, and sat by the lake for a bit.
Photo cred: Hayden
Then, we found the track.
The kids ran around for a bit.
Then, we started the 6 miles back to town.
We stopped at Southernside Brewing Co for a few apps and a beer for Travis. It was pretty crowded, but we parked our bikes, found a table, ordered using the QR code, and we had our food in less than 10 minutes. We were impressed (and thankful since we were so hungry)
We returned our bikes around 4:00. We had ridden over 15 miles that day! Then, we walked back to our car by the hotel. We stayed at Embassy Suites Greenville Downtown Riverplace, and it was so nice and convenient.
We checked in, relaxed, showered/freshened up before hitting up the cocktail hour. We’ve stayed the the Embassy Suites a couple of times, and Travis is now a big fan due to free cocktail/snack hour and free breakfast!
The kids joined us and had a few snacks, and then we headed to dinner.
We went to Soby’s which was highly recommended. Travis had planned ahead on Open Table, so it was nice to walk right in and have a seat. Y’all, we were so tired…and hungry. The food was great, but we did have to wait a bit to get our food. Thankfully, the app and bread basket held us over.
The walk back to the hotel was pretty.
The Embassy Suites has “Up on the Roof” that’s a restaurant and roof top patio. Even though I was tired, Travis talked me in to hanging out up there for a bit. We knew the weather was going to be colder the next day, so we went ahead for a nightcap.
Again, we were all asleep by 10! We were tuckered out!
Monday:
Monday morning, we slept in before breakfast.
The temps went from 80 to 60, and it was a rainy day.
After breakfast, Trav and the kids went to run at Furman. I hung out for a bit in the room, but then decided to get some steps in. I went for walk around the town…and visited some of the areas we’d walked through at night.
I was gone about an hour. Once they returned, we decided to get lunch. This is when we really noticed how much is closed on Mondays. We did go to an outdoor place called Gather that has different food trucks. They also have heaters on the patio, so even though it was colder with some rain, we enjoyed eating outside. Hadley got an acai bowl at one place, I ordered a grilled cheese at another, and the boys got hamburgers and fries. Not every place was open, but we still had plenty to choose from.
If we’d stayed another night, we would have come back here for dinner and just hang on Tuesday.
Then, we walked around a bit. Hadley’s friend had told her about Blueberry Frog Frozen Yogurt, so of course we had to stop there. It was delish.
Then, we walked around and hit up some shops.
Once back at the hotel, we relaxed for a bit. Trav and the kids went out and walked around a bit more. Since I had already done that in the morning, I stayed back, read my book and took a nap.
Then, we made plans to go to Top Golf, and we had a good time. It’s fun to go when it’s darker outside, and the sun was setting just as we got started. We had a few apps while we played.
Then, we stopped at Iron Hill Brewery for dinner. Honestly, it was just on the way back to the hotel, and we knew the men’s championship game would be on. They had lots of good food choices though.
We got back to the hotel around 10:00, finished watching the championship game and went to bed.
Tuesday:
Again, we slept in a bit (it was nice that we slept in on this trip rather than be rushed in the morning).
We went down to breakfast and then got ready for the day. We packed up and left around 10.
We drove outside of Greenville to a trail Travis found. It was just a two mile loop that included a few waterfalls.
The weather was beautiful, and it was a good hike to get some steps in before being in the car for five hours going home.
The only family photo of the trip, but it was a good one. Thank goodness for Hadley and her selfie skills.
We got back on the road and near Asheville there was a White Duck Taco. We love going there when we visit Asheville, so it was a good stop for lunch.
We enjoyed our lunch outside before getting back in the car for the ride home.
So many times when we are on a trip, we just get up and head home. I’m glad we took the time to ease into the day, take a scenic drive, and sprinkle in one more activity and great pit stop for food.
We got back home around 6:00, and of course we were all excited to see Homer.
I was thinking back through our spring break trips, and we’ve been to Hilton Head and KC, but we’ve also been to Knoxville, Asheville, and Nashville…and now Greenville. We apparently love a “ville.”
It was the perfect little getaway, and I bet we’ll visit again in the future!
I don’t think I will have a Friday Favorites post tomorrow, so I hope you have a great rest of your week and weekend.
Today, I’m picking up where I left off in my blog writing challenge…
…and talking about topic 18.
18. What am I afraid of?
Well, I’m not a huge fan of spiders or things that slither! Also, I can’t say that I love heights. I wasn’t always afraid of heights; that’s something that’s developed as I’ve gotten older.
That being said, when I saw this prompt, my first thought was losing someone I love unexpectedly or something happening to my kids.
This prompt is timely given the tragic event in Louisville on Monday. This sad news hits so close to home for us. I honestly don’t know how to really process the anxiety I’ve felt the past couple of weeks. First, the Covenant School and now this. As a mom, it’s been hard for me to let my kids out of my sight. As a teacher, I’ve felt on “high alert” the past couple of weeks. Just a year ago, we ended the school year reeling from the aftermath of Uvalde. It’s really hard to believe this is the world we live in.
Trav’s family knows what it’s like to unexpectedly and tragically lose his dad, and I pray events like these will never happen again. We need more than prayers though. We need voices to be heard, and we need change.
While we’ve had beautiful weather this week and the sun has been shining, the world feels pretty dark right now.
I know this post is serious, and while I hope my little corner of the internet is a happy place, I never want my blog posts to feel out of touch with reality.
showmeandsweettea.com 