Five on Friday - Beach Wagon, Swimming Lessons, and Girls Night

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Hello hello one and all!  It’s been a while since I’ve done a “live” Five on Friday post… the last two were prepared in advance since I was able to get a little bit ahead at blogging before the kids were out of school.  It’s nice to be back and doing a Friday post for current things!

Before I get into today’s favorites, I did want to provide an update about blog comments.  Unfortunately my comments are still not going to my email inbox so I’m unable to respond directly, but please know that I’m still reading your comments every day and, as always, I appreciate all of you taking the time to drop me a note!  I’m praying that Blogger fixes the issue soon because I miss interacting with y’all on a daily basis.  I kind of feel like I’ve been in the dark these last couple of weeks and it’s not been fun.  I know all of you other fellow bloggers who use Blogger Comments feel the same way!  So anyway, keep the lovin’ coming!  I enjoy reading them!

Now, time for some favorites!

O N E – Beach Umbrella

As a lot of you may know, we just got back from our annual beach trip and I posted a lot of pictures and story highlights on Instagram along the way.  I had so many people PM me about our beach umbrella and beach wagon that I thought I would share them on the blog, too!  

When we go to the beach, we usually just pay extra to use the property’s chairs and umbrellas, but this year we decided to bring our own.  Shade is SO important at the beach (since there is none naturally) so we decided to spend a little more and invest in a top-notch beach umbrella.  We bought this one from Amazon and we could not love it more.  It was easy to set up, it was very sturdy (we never had any issues with it falling over or catching the wind or tearing up), and it was easy to take down… not to mention it was also easy to pack up and carry. 

Plus, did I mention that it's HUGE?!  It's 8 feet in diameter so it provided abundant shade for both of our beach chairs, the wagon, and some extra ground space for the kids to play in the sand as well.  Doesn't hurt that it's super cute, too!  I love rainbow colors!  

If you’re in the market for a good beach umbrella, we highly recommend this one.  It may be a little pricier than the others, but we know that it’s going to last a long time and in the end I’m sure we will save money compared to what we would have to pay to use the condo’s chairs and umbrellas. 

T W O – Beach Wagon

Since we added chairs and an umbrella to our list of things to take down to the beach every day, we thought it might be a good idea to get a beach wagon, too, because we knew that we wouldn’t be able to carry everything down at once otherwise.

Friends, let me tell you, this may be my favorite purchase all year!!  This wagon is worth every single penny!!  We decided on this one because it has the bigger wheels which make it way easier to pull through the sand, and we also love it because it folds up so small and lays flat.  It’s very sturdy and holds a lot of weight (I could ride in it if I wanted to), but it’s easy to manage and it’s not too clunky.  It’s easy to pop open and it’s easy to fold up, and when it’s folded flat, all four wheels lay side by side so you can roll it.  This thing is freaking genius!!  I love it so much that we decided that it is going to have a permanent spot in the back of my SUV so we can use it all summer long!  It’s perfect for the beach, camping, hauling stuff to and from your car or house, and pulling the kids at events if they get tired of walking (our two kids can both fit comfortably in there).  We could not love this more and we know that this is yet another product that will last us for years to come!

T H R E E – Swimming Lessons

We got back from the beach on Sunday and the kids started swimming lessons on Monday.  This is Jacob’s third year and Olivia’s second.  Jacob picked up right where he left off – jumping in and swimming across the entire pool without hesitation – but Olivia has had lots of tears every day this week, which I find funny because just last week she was swimming all over the ocean like a mermaid. 

I think this might end up being Jacob’s last year as he’s pretty comfortable in the water now, but Olivia is clearly going to be heading back next year.  One week down, one week to go!

And before I move on to my next favorite, can I just take a moment to say how grateful I am that I’m home with the kids this summer?  For the last two years, the two weeks of swimming lessons were always a nightmare because Brian and I had to shuffle our work schedules around, skip lunches, rush to pick up the kids, change them quickly into their bathing suits in a bathroom stall at summer camp, rush to swim lessons, sweat our hineys off in our work clothes for the entire hour, rush the kids back to summer camp, and then rush all the way back to work arriving a sweaty mess.  We did that every single day of the week for two weeks straight and I always dreaded it.

Well, this year I’ve been able to leisurely get the kids ready at home, get snacks prepared for them to eat in the car on the way home, and wear some jean shorts and tank tops to keep cool.  No more rushing.  No more juggling work schedules.  No more sweating and getting back to work feeling disgusting.  And the best part is, now we don’t have to take two exhausted, wet kids back to summer camp… they can now come home, dry off, and rest!

Y’all, I am just so thankful!

F O U R – Girls’ Night

Wednesday night my Momma, Mama Cass (grandmother), Aunt Joy, cousin Shelby, and I all headed out for a girls’ night to see Book Club.  The movie was playing in the fancy theater with the recliners so we had a ball, laying out, cozying up, and watching the movie together.  I sure do love these ladies!

And this movie was hilarious!  It was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time!  They just don’t make movies like this anymore, y’all.  Romantic comedies from the 90s and early 2000s were always my favorite (Father of the Bride, Miss Congeniality, What Women Want, etc.) and they are just so rare these days.  This movie totally satisfied my need to see one of those good old-school rom-coms. 

I would also just like to say that I want to be Diane Keaton when I grow up.  Everything she does is golden.  I don’t think she’s ever been in a bad movie.  She always has the best style, and she always has the most gorgeous homes in her movies (I’m looking at you, Father of the Bride!).  But anyway, if you just want to see a feel-good movie that will make you laugh really hard, this is the one!  I will be buying this one when it comes out.  As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t mind going to see it again in the theater.  Brian?

F I V E – My Plant

Remember my grandmother’s 50+ year old plant that thrived all last year and then I repotted it a couple of months ago and it started to die?  Well, I have some good news… the plant survived and it appears to be thriving again!  I’m so excited, y’all!  It has really perked up these last couple of weeks and the leaves have stopped turning brown.  It even has three new buds forming!  Woo hoo!  I guess my grandmother was right… it just needed to readjust to the new pot. 

Crazy plant lady status, here I come!

Happy weekend, y’all!

*Linking up with A Liz Adventures and Carolina Charm for Five on Friday, A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites, Meet @ the Barre for Friday Favorites, and Cup of Tea for High Five for Friday.