What's Up Wednesday - May 2017

It’s the last Wednesday of the month which means… it’s time to recap what we’ve been up to!  Not that you don’t already know if you’re a regular reader around her.  Ha!

What We’re Eating This Week

Mon – Hot dogs on the grill, baked beans, fresh fruit, Moscow Mules

Tue – Mama’s going out with the girls!

Wed – Grabbing something on the way to the Dave and Tim concert in ATL! 

Thu – Chicken Parm Sloppy Joe’s, sautéed brussel sprouts

Fri – Out

Sat – Out

Sun – Out

Well I’m looking super lazy this week in the cooking department!  Woops!  I blame summer break.

What I’m Reminiscing About

Jacob graduated kindergarten last week and I’m still in disbelief that the school year is over.  It went by in the blink of an eye.  I swear, we were just sitting in parent orientation last week…

What I’m Loving

YOU.  GUYS.  I have been drooling over this dress from Anthropologie for months, but I'm too cheap to spend that much on a dress.  Lookie lookie what I found the other day at Target... it's so similar and it's even cuter!  And it also comes in green!  I just love finding good knockoffs!! 

I'm also still in love with this little bomb pops dress that Olivia wore for Memorial Day weekend.  I had lots of people ask about it, so I thought it would be great for the post.  If you have an infant, they also have the same print in this adorable romper.  Oh how I wish Olivia could fit in it!  And if you have an older girl who is no longer a toddler, they also have this skirt as an alternative.  And let's not forget the boys... check out these swim trunks!  These are all just perfect for the upcoming July Fourth holiday!

What We’ve Been Up To

We’ve been busy little bees this month.  The majority of the month was filled with school events – teacher appreciation week, parents’ breakfasts, summer birthday celebrations, and graduation.  We also celebrated Mother’s Day, spent lots of time outside, and B and I even squeezed in a date night.

Last night I had dinner with my girlfriends to celebrate two major events - my friend Jeannine's birthday, and my friend Eryn's going away.  She's moving away (again) and we are going to miss her terribly.  We all had a couple of good hours chatting over the prettiest (and yummiest) drinks.  I'm so thankful to have these sweet ladies in my life.  I don't know where I would be without them!

What I’m Dreading

B is going out of town next month for work again and I’ll be flying solo.  I always dread those days alone because it’s exhausting.  Fortunately this time the trip is short… it’s not a whole week like it was last time.  Whew.

What I’m Working On

I finally bought a bar cart and I’m working on getting it all decorated.  I’m also still trying to decide whether or not to paint it white.  It seems like the majority of you said to keep it silver, but my only problem with leaving it silver is that it blends in with the wall too much… I was thinking the white would make it pop!  I guess I have some decisions to make!  I came up with a wish list of all of the things that I would love to have to decorate it.  SWOON!  You can see the original post along with the details on where to buy the items here.

I’m also working on preparing and packing for the beach!  It is a beast of a task packing a family of four for a beach vacation.  In case you missed it, here are some of our staples for the beach…

What I’m Excited About

Well, I’m going to sound like a broken record but I don’t care… THE BEACH!!!!  Our house sitter will be arriving in the next few days and we will be off for a glorious week!  I am so excited about relaxation and hanging with my favorite people.  Now we just have to pray that the weather forecast isn’t accurate… so far it’s saying thunderstorms every. single freaking. day. of our trip.  #PleaseNo

What I’m Watching/Reading

Watching – we just started season seven of Gilmore Girls!  I’m ready to finish it because I want to watch the new season SO bad.  We’re also watching The Bachelorette… can’t not watch that train wreck!  Brian would also have me tell you that he has started watching the new season of House of Cards so he can have his man card back.  Lol.

Reading – Save the Date by Mary Kay Andrews… I’m only about three chapters in so far, but I’m loving it!  This is my first time reading a book by her, but so far her writing style is right up my alley!  It’ll be the perfect beach read.

What I’m Listening To

Lots of Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds because we’re heading to see them tonight!!  Eek!  I’m so excited I might pee my pants!  This will be my 22nd (?) time seeing Dave in concert.  I’ll never get tired of it either.

What I’m Wearing

Still wearing these dresses and these wedges on repeat.  Also, lots of these shorts (they are absolutely perfect, you guys!).

For the beach I plan on taking lots of dresses, several of which are off the shoulder.  I’ve had this off the shoulder dress hanging in my closet for a couple of months and I’m dying to wear it!  I’ll also be wearing this one and this one, and guys, this one right here is ah-mazing… and I bought it in the little girl’s section at Old Navy!  Just buy an extra large or an XXL and voila, it’s the perfect adult size dress!

What I’m Doing This Weekend

This weekend is all about packing and preparing for our trip.  I’m sure Saturday it’s all I’ll be doing.    

What I’m Looking Forward To Next Month

The beeeeaaaach!  And aside from that, I’m actually looking forward to things slowing down a bit.  No more school for Jacob = no more homework.  Hallelujah!! 

Also, my sweetest little nephew will be celebrating his first birthday on Sunday.  Cue all the tears!  I can’t believe that it’s already been one year and I have only gotten to see his sweet little face just a handful of times in person.  Thank goodness for modern technology!

What Else Is New

I’ve mentioned a couple of times on the blog that I have had issues with chronic pain ever since I gave birth to Jacob almost six years ago.  Six years, three MRIs, four sets of x-rays, two ultrasounds, one EMG, one CT scan, numerous different doctors and treatments, and a bazillion dollars later I have finally decided to see a specialist in Atlanta to seek an experimental type of treatment.  I’m crossing all of my fingers and toes that this doctor thinks that I am a candidate and that it will be the answer to all of my prayers.  Believe me, the Lord has been inundated these last six years and He probably wants a break.  Haha.  If you could say a little prayer for me or send good thoughts/vibes my way it would be much appreciated.  I don’t like to complain a lot in this little space of mine on the web (believe me, I do that enough in real life – hehe), but I fully intend to go more into detail about it one day here on the blog.  I was just hoping to have a solution first.  :o)

Happy Wednesday, y’all!

*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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Memorial Day Weekend 2017

I hope you like red, white, and blue because this post sure has a lot of it!

We kicked off the long weekend downtown at one of our favorite restaurants where B and I enjoyed drinks and I also had my favorite salad of all time (spinach, steaktips, strawberries, and goat cheese in a poppyseed dressing).  Delicious.  After dinner, we listened to the band play at the outdoor concert for a bit and then we finished off the evening with froyo for Olivia and me and ice cream for the boys.  The kiddos were wild and crazy all evening, so B and I were constantly on them to settle down, so it wasn’t the most enjoyable evening but it definitely could have been worse.  I just don’t know what’s with them this past week… they have both been cray!  Must be the end of the school year!

Saturday B mowed the lawn while I cleaned the entire house top to bottom – sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, vacuuming, and dusting and I washed and put away six loads of laundry!  By the afternoon I was exhausted so I grabbed my book and laid out in the sun for a bit before heading up to get ready for church.

Saturday evening was squirmy kids in church followed by running around on the church lawn to let the kids run out their crazies.  Since we were looking so patriotic, I used it as an opportunity to grab a family photo.

After church, we went to our favorite Mexican place with my parents and B and I indulged in margaritas… I mean hey, that’s one way to calm my frazzled nerves after having squirmy kids in church, right?  And can we take a moment here to discuss just how much our kids adore Mexican food?  I really think they love it that much because I ate so much of it when I was preggo with both of them.  Jacob could eat chips and salsa all day long and Olivia pretty much did eat chips and cheese dip all night long. 

After they were done eating, we let them each try their hand at winning a stuffed animal out of the machine.  Spoiler alert: neither of them did.  Does anybody EVER?  Lol.

On the way home we grabbed a mini Blizzard for the kids to split (because they are creatures of habit like that) and then they enjoyed them on the back porch when we got home.

B and I thought for sure that we’d both fall asleep on the couch while watching TV since we had both spent the better part of the day cleaning, but I’m happy to say that neither of us did and we started the season seven of Gilmore Girls!  Eek!  We’re getting so close!

Sunday was relaxtion and dress up time – Olivia as Elsa, and Jacob as Spiderman-Superman-baseball player-ninja.  Lol.

I pushed my bar cart over to its final resting place and here it finally is in all its glory!  What do y’all think?  Do we like the silver?  I think I’m 99% sure I want to paint it white.

Sunday afternoon was lunch and a birthday celebration for B’s sis at his mom’s house.  Olivia put her Barbies down for their nap and Jacob wrote each of us a love letter while we waited for lunch to be ready and then we spent lots of time in the back yard.  The boys played soccer while Olivia and I ate blueberries straight from the garden.

Sunday evening was dinner at my parents’ house… but not before stopping to smell the gardenias that are in full bloom first!

We had spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, and wine, and then my mom and Jacob made brownies for us.  My parents gave Jacob and Olivia some new buckets and shovels for the beach and they danced around the living room with the buckets on their heads.  Y’all they have been WIRED all week!

Monday, our bonus day, was spent running errands in the morning… a little last minute beach shopping – new bathing suits for the kids and some tacky water shoes, too! – followed by checking out the sales on washers and dryers.  (Which reminds me – DO tell me your favorite washer and dryer if you like yours!)

We grabbed a quick lunch at Jason’s Deli and then turned the kids loose on the playground for a long time.  We decided to throw caution to the wind and let Olivia skip a nap for the second time ever and I’m proud to report that she did great!!!!  We swung by Walmart on the way home to grab charcoal to… GRILL FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!  I know I’ve mentioned this before on the blog… we have owned a grill for ten years and we have never once used it because neither of us have ever grilled and we just never took the time to learn.  Lol.  Well all of that has changed now, my friends!  We started with hot dogs because you can’t really mess them up, but I’m hoping this will lead to a little bit of everything for the future!  Haha.  #Finally

Monday evening we cranked up the music, turned on my favorite twinkle lights, and enjoyed grilling and eating on the back porch… hot dogs, baked beans, fresh fruit, and Moscow Mules for Mommy and Daddy.  It was a lovely evening with my peeps! 

Most importantly, for all of those who have died and for all of those who risk their lives every day so that we might live in freedom and safety, THANK YOU.  We appreciate everything you do for our country.

And finally, don't forget to check out my interview over at Whimsical September!

*Linking up with B Loved Boston for Weekending, My Glittery Heart for Hello Monday,  More Pieces of Me for Hello Monday Linkup, and HoHo Runs for Weekly Wrap.

And now it's time for the Tuesday Talk Link Up!

Hosted by:

Beth at Our Pretty Little Girls | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Crystal at Hall Around Texas | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Jessica at Sweet Little Ones | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Stefanie at Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam, & Dylan Too | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Becky at BYBMG | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Lindsay at Lindsay's Sweet World | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Sarah at Sarah E. Frazer | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Justine at Full Hands, Full Heart
Christina at Waltzing In Beauty | Pinterest | Instagram
Meghan at The Adventure Starts Here | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Tina at Go Big or Go Home | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

Whitney at Polka-Dotty Place | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram

An InLinkz Link-up

Five on Friday - Favorites

Guys, this week (and month) are kicking my hiney, so I’ve got a very brief Five… or Seven on Friday for you today!

O N E – New Bar Cart

I finally found a new bar cart!  I’m currently working to style it, so I posted a few of my favorite decorations and practical items for a bar cart here.  SO many cute things to choose from!  Here are a few items I already have:

And here are some that I love:

You can see the full post and where to buy all of the items here.

T W O – This Hat

My hat came in the mail this week and it is definitely worth mentioning because the quality is great and it is even cuter in person than it is online.  I’m sometimes wary about purchasing stuff like this online because you just never know how the quality will be, but this one is great and it comes in many, many other phrases!

T H R E E – Some Amazing Knockoffs

I have been in search of the perfect denim shorts for about three years now.  I have always adored these and these, but just can’t justify spending that kind of money for some jorts... I mean, honestly!  So imagine my delight when I came across these knockoffs!  They are excellent quality, they have the perfect amount of stretch, and they fit like a dream!  These have already been on repeat for the last two weeks!

F O U R – Twinkle Lights

We are still enjoying dinners on the back porch and we will continue to do so as long as the weather stays mild.  My very favorite thing about eating out there is being surrounded by our twinkle lights!  I have had several people ask where we got ours so I thought I would mention them here on the blog.  Our exact lights are here and they are so much cheaper now than they were when we got ours!

F I V E – Laying out in the Back Yard

Lately on Saturday afternoon I have been using Olivia’s nap time and Jacob’s quiet time to have a little bit of QT of my own… in the back yard in a swim suit with a good book.  It’s so relaxing!

S I X – Parents’ Breakfast and My Baby Graduated!!

You can read the full post about the graduation here, but I also wanted to post a pic from our parents’ breakfast last week.  Such a fun way to end the school year!

S E V E N – Mother’s Day Flowers        

My flowers that B gave me for Mother’s Day a couple of weeks ago were gorgeous for such a long time!  I finally had to chunk them this morning, but for a while there I thought they were going to last forever!

Finally, I am so excited to announce that my friend Erica over at Whimsical September is featuring Lindsay’s Sweet World tomorrow for her Saturday Sit Down series.  Be sure to pop over to her blog tomorrow to see the interview with yours truly!

Have a great weekend, y’all!

*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 Cup of Tea for High Five for Friday.

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