Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Memorial Day/DMB Weekend

Happy Tuesday!!  Oh how I love heading into the work week by saying that instead of Happy Monday! 

We had a full weekend… there was lots going on, mostly good, but unfortunately some bad. 

Friday morning you may have seen my Instagram post… I had mentioned earlier last week that I thought I was coming down with something and then it just kind of fizzled out.  Well, Thursday night in the middle of the night, it came back with a vengeance and I came down with full-blown croup.  Like the kind that your tiny kids get and it scares the crap out of you.  Like the kind that landed Jacob in the hospital just before his second birthday.  It was so scary.  I was having major trouble breathing so I couldn’t sleep and I finally awoke B sometime after 2 AM and told him I thought we were going to have to go to the ER.  Fortunately he remembered that we had a steroid leftover from Olivia’s last bout with croup, so I took a little toddler dose of that.  It cleared my airways just enough for me to skip the ER and finally get 2.5 hours of sleep before I had to wake up and go to work Friday.  I went to acute care at lunch and they hooked me up with a steroid shot which gave me breathing relief in just 30 minutes, and I was much better the rest of the weekend although my voice is still mostly gone.

Friday night the babies were a little squirmy and overtired so we had a quick outdoor dinner at Panera and then we went back home to let them play outside a little.  We put them down for bed early (for a Friday night) and then B and I actually watched a movie!  Our TiVo is finally empty and we’re not currently binge-watching anything, so we watched Pitch Perfect.  Yep, we are that behind on movies.

Saturday morning we awoke to the news that our friend’s mother had passed away from cancer.  She had been fighting for quite some time and had recently taken a turn for the worse, so we are thankful that she is no longer suffering.  There is, however, an ache in my heart for her family that she left behind.  They are a very tight-knit family and she was the heart of it – such an angel – so it would be much appreciated if you could keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Saturday was our annual trip to Atlanta to see Dave Matthews Band.  We headed out just after lunch and drove straight to Ikea… because no trip to Atlanta would be complete without it!  After Ikea, we headed over to Little 5 Points to eat at The Vortex.  Brian and I have both been to Atlanta a zillion times in our lives and we had never eaten there.  It’s a bar/full restaurant, but you have to be 21 to get in.  Even though we had arrived at 5:30 the wait was already 40 minutes because it’s so popular.  They are known for having the best burgers in Atlanta and they didn’t disappoint.  I had a Blue Moon and their traditional Vortex Burger and B had a Laughing Skull (The Vortex House Brew that they brew right there in ATL) and their Rebel Outlaw Burger… it was topped with barbecued pulled pork, cheddar cheese, bacon, and a spicy teriyaki sauce.  I tried a bite and it was fantastic! 





After dinner we headed straight to Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood for the concert.  The weather could not have been more perfect… it was just at 80 degrees and the humidity was (thankfully) very low.  There was also a nice breeze so it wasn’t hot at all.  The concert was incredible (duh) and we had a great evening.  Our seats weren’t quite as good as last time, but they were still pretty great.  We were in the second row of the second section so we only had one row of people directly in front of us which was so nice.







Meanwhile, the babies were having a blast hanging out with Pop and Cokie… they went to church, they went to Panera for dinner (again), and they got to stay up late.



Sunday morning we were reunited with them and we spent the afternoon celebrating Brian’s sis for her birthday.  His other sis had come to town with her family as well so all seven of the cousins got to spend time together.  Brian’s mom cooked a delicious lunch and we ate way too much as always.  After lunch and cleaning up, we let the kids pick some blueberries from their garden.  Olivia thought it was so cool that she could pick them and eat them straight off of the bush.  She must have eaten twenty!  The kids were so exhausted that they both fell asleep in the car on the way home... that never happens.





Sunday evening we had dinner at my parents’ house.  My grandmother was unable to join us like she usually does because she has been in the hospital all weekend due to high blood pressure and an erratic heartbeat.  Please keep her in your prayers as well.  She is still there as of this morning and we are hoping to have some answers soon.  Since she was admitted to the hospital, one of my aunts came into town and she had dinner with us.  After dinner we made s’mores and played with the stomp rocket for the third Sunday in a row.  The kiddos just love that thing!  We sure did miss Cass, though.







Monday we didn’t have any plans so we woke up and made red, white, and blue confetti waffles and then we took the kids out for lunch at Five Guys.  After that we ran a few errands - we finally got some paint swatches for Jacob’s bedroom, we grabbed a couple of things for our beach trip in a few weeks, and we took the kids grocery shopping.  Now I know why I never do that.  #Overbuying #HandsEverywhere







Monday evening was low-key.  We stayed home and grilled hot dogs, cut up some fresh fruit, and had dinner on the back porch while the kiddos played.  Then B and I finished off the long weekend with The Bachelorette.  What am I ever going to do if they cancel that show?


I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend!

*Linking up with B Loved Boston for Weekending, Our Pretty Little Girls for Tuesday Talk, and Stang & Co. and Crown Me in Glitter for Talk About It Tuesday.


Friday, May 27, 2016

Five on Friday - Red, White, and Blue Edition

Happy happy Friday and happy three day weekend eve to most of you!  We are heading to Atlanta this weekend and my parents are staying at our house with the babies… I am so excited for some adult time and some good music in the great out-of-doors!

Memorial Day is this weekend so I’ll be busting out all things red, white, and blue.  I love it!  Here are some of my favorites...

O N E – Food

Last year for 4th of July we went to a cookout with my extended family and I was asked to bring a dessert.  These white chocolate strawberries were so easy to make and they were a hit at the party.  Everyone loved them!  The only thing I would do different next time is to double the amount… they were almost gone before the food even came out!  Perfect for Memorial Day and the 4th!

These red, white, and blue confetti waffles are the perfect way to kick off the long weekend.  Our kids would eat waffles every single day if we would let them, so I can never go wrong with those!




T W O – Festive Outfit for Me

I love red, white, and blue, and the older I get the more excited I get about wearing it!  This is my kind of summer style right here!



T H R E E – Festive Outfits for the Kiddos

I love dressing our entire family in coordinating outfits for the holiday because it’s always a good excuse to get a family picture… some of my favorite pictures have been from 4th of July these last two years since Olivia was born.


F O U R – Décor

Hobby Lobby is my go to store for all things holiday décor.  This will be the first year that I will decorate our house for the summer holidays, and I have already picked out some good stuff from Hobby Lobby.  You can check out their red, white, and blue selection here.  I also like to wait until they put the entire department on sale, because everything is 50% off!  Since it’s not on sale this week, I would assume that it will be next week since they seem to rotate sales every other week.



F I V E – Giveaway

This has nothing to do with red, white, and blue, but it is a good way to support business here in the good ol' US of A!  In case you missed it, I have a giveaway going on until 6/6.  If you want to get your hands on one of these beautiful watches, head on over and enter here!  I’m so smitten with mine and I haven't stopped wearing it!



And finally, just for fun, here is a picture of our little family all red, white, and blued up last year for July 4th... look how tiny my babies were!



Happy long weekend, everybody!  I hope you enjoy your time off with the people you love!

*Linking up with A Liz Adventures and Carolina Charm for Five on Friday, A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites,  September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for Oh Hey, Friday, Meet @ the Barre for Friday Favorites, and Our Pretty Little Girls for Rewind Friday!


 

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Summer Arm Party with Jord Wood Watches + Giveaway

The weather is warm and I’m living in short sleeves again which means… my arm party is ba-aaaack!

I’ve been accessorizing since I was tiny.  Every night before bed I would lay out my outfit for the next day at school and it would always include jewelry.  Not much has changed over the years, and I still love to accessorize every day – necklaces, earrings, bracelets, watches, rings… I wear it all. 

When I was approached by Jord to collaborate, I took one look at their products and knew instantly that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get my hands on one of their gorgeous wooden watches.  It was love at first sight.  And y’all, I would not be doing this review right now if I wasn’t 100% enamored with their products.  I am quite often contacted by companies to collaborate, but I had yet to work with anyone until now.  I just couldn’t turn this one down and I wanted to share it with all of you as well!

These unique watches are handcrafted right here in the good ol’ US of A and they have many gorgeous pieces to choose from.  Sizing was a piece of cake as they have a wrist sizer that you can print straight from their website.  You just give them your size at checkout and they build your watch to fit your wrist.  The hardest part of the entire process was deciding which watch to pick.  I ultimately decided on the Fieldcrest watch in Zebrawood and Maple though I was torn between that one and a couple of others.



My watch arrived quickly, and it was delivered in a beautiful wooden keepsake box... y'all know how much I love keepsakes!  #KeepsakeHoarder  The watch was sized perfectly for my wrist and they had even set the time for my time zone… such a thoughtful and personalized touch.  



The watch is even more gorgeous in person and it is super lightweight which I wasn’t expecting.  It pairs well with other bracelets and bangles to create the perfect arm party for summer, but it is so incredibly unique that it looks every bit as beautiful all by itself.  







Not only does Jord make wrist watches for women, they also make men’s designer watches as well.  As you all know, June is right around the corner which means that it’s about that time to start looking for Father’s Day gifts.  These watches make the best gifts for dad!  

Need a gift for a guy who's not a dadThese are also perfect for anniversary gifts, birthday gifts, graduation gifts, Christmas gifts, you name it!

If you’re looking for something unique, creative, and different, then you should definitely check out Jord.  I just can’t say enough wonderful things about my watch, and I will definitely be wearing it for many years to come.  Added bonus - it's really nice not to have to pull out my phone every time I want to see the time!









Jord has very graciously offered to give one of my lucky readers a $75 voucher to put toward their very own Jord watch.  The winner will be randomly chosen and notified via email at the end of the giveaway on 6/6 at 11:59 PM.  

And y'all, as a bonus, each person who enters and does not win the $75 voucher, will still receive an e-gift card for $20!!  You can't lose!  



Good luck!  

And thank you to Jord for this gorgeous addition to my collection.

*A special thanks to Jord for providing a watch in exchange for this post.  All opinions are honest and 100% my own.  No additional compensation was received.
*Linking up with Home of Malones for Thoughts for Thursday.




Wednesday, May 25, 2016

What's Up Wednesday

Thanks for your sweet comments and emails on yesterday's post.  Today was a much better day and I’m also feeling a bit better… only a tinge of sore throat left, so let’s hope it continues to go away since we have a long weekend coming up!

What We’re Eating This Week

These last two weeks have been a bit crazy so we’re eating a bunch of quick and easy meals that are in our usual rotation… no time to try anything new this week.  You can check out my One Dish Chicken, Red Potatoes, and Broccoli recipe here.  It’s a lifesaver on busy evenings.

What I’m Reminiscing About

We’re gearing up to go to the beach later this summer so I’ve been reminiscing about our trip from last year.  Look at those sweet little faces!  My, how they’ve grown this last year.




What I’m Loving

Summer clothes at Old Navy.  They just have the cutest stuff all the time now!  This pom-pom top is likely going to make an appearance in my closet and I wouldn't mind having one of these jersey swing dresses.  They look so light and comfy... almost like a maternity dress!  This sheer flutter-sleeve dress takes the cake, though.  I bought it a couple of months ago and it is gorgeous.  I received more compliments in the few short hours that I wore it!  I was also excited to see that they have a new version of the trapeze dresses that they had last year.  I had the plaid one in blue last summer, but I am loving this new dark wash denim version.  Perfect for July 4th cookouts.

What We’ve Been Up To

Last week Jacob graduated from pre-k, so we’ve been closing out the school year and getting him ready for summer camp.


What I’m Dreading

And speaking of summer camp…

Jacob is a creature of habit.  He thrives on schedules and he likes to know what to expect pretty much every second of his day.  Therefore, he always goes through a rough adjustment period when he has a big change in his life, and he is going through a big one as we speak.  School is officially out for the summer, and since I work full time, he is attending summer camp.  Fortunately the camp is at his current school so he will be in familiar surroundings, he will know some of the teachers, and he will know some of the students, but in his little world, everything is now different.  This means extra irritability and more tears than usual, which means more stress for mommy and daddy for the next few weeks (or months if it’s really bad).

What I’m Working On

I’m still cleaning out our entire house.  Right now I’m working on my office, which has proven to be the most difficult of all of the rooms so far.  I hoard keepsakes, and it’s really hard for me to part with anything of sentimental value, but I’ve gotten a lot better about it these last few months, and my office feels a million pounds lighter.  Now to finish it up!


What I’m Excited About

Beaching it!  Just a few more weeks until our trip!  I can’t wait for sun, sand, relaxation, and most of all, making memories with my favorite people.

What I’m Watching/Reading

Watching – Most of our TV is over for the summer, but my very favorite guilty pleasure just cranked up again this week… The Bachelorette!  I can’t wait to follow along with Jojo on her journey!

Reading – Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella.  During the summer, I turn to chick-lit for some lighter reading… perfect for the beach!  I’m about four chapters in so far, and I’m liking it.  I’ve read all of the other Shopaholic books, so it was inevitable that I would read this one, too.     


What I’m Listening To

The Lumineers new album… our kids are completely obsessed with it (as am I).  Every time we get in the car Olivia shouts, “Wisten to O-Opheeeelia turned up reawwy woud, Mommy!”   

It’s so cute!

Although, we are starting to tire of that one…

But it’s better than Frozen.


What I’m Wearing

Summa summa summa time!  Shorts, flowy tanks, and sandals on the weekends, and pencil skirts, sleeveless blouses, and dresses for work.  It always seems so much easier getting ready during the warmer months!  You can see my monthly recaps below:




What I’m Doing This Weekend

We are heading to Atlanta for the Dave Matthews Band concert and then we’re going to soak up every second of the three day weekend.  This will be the 20th time that I’ve seen them and I’m still every bit as excited as I was the very first time!  And just for fun, here is the car trip from last year's concert...


What I’m Looking Forward To Next Month Year

Oh my goodness, you guys, have you seen the new trailer that was just released for the live action Beauty and the Beast?!  It’s based on the Disney version and it looks amazing!!!!  I watched the trailer the other night and I got the chills.  CHILLS!!  That will be one that I will trek to the theater to see!

What Else Is New

See this beauty?  It sure is gorgeous in pictures but it’s even more gorgeous in person.  Stay tuned because tomorrow I’m hosting an amazing giveaway and you will have the chance to get one for yourself!  


Happy hump day, errrrybody!

*Linking up with Shay, Mel, and Sheaffer for What’s Up Wednesday and Jessi's Design and Going the Distance for What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday.

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