Weekend Update + Labor Day

Hey guys! I guess we can officially say adios to summer now that Labor Day has come and gone. It's already starting to cool off a little here, and we've been loving every second of spending more time outside. Here's what we were up to this weekend. Hope everyone else enjoyed their time as much as we did!

 

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Saturday morning the weather was nice so we took the girls to a local park. We played and took a long walk around the pond and found the first of 3 painted rocks. I think a lot of communities do this, but we're involved in this "movement" to spread kindness called #madisonMSrocks. You simply paint a rock, hide it, and wait for someone to find it. The person who finds it re-hides it in a new location to keep spreading cheer...and then joins in by painting and hiding their own rocks for people to find. Anyway, it may sound like a silly concept, but I can't tell you how fun it was to find these rocks. And then for our girls to want to pay it forward by re-hiding them for others to experience that joy too. If your community doesn't do this, I highly suggest starting a group up. It's a simple way to create (and find) joy in this oftentimes hard world.

 

OK...how funny is Lily's pose below? She pops her leg out in almost every photo...future model? :)

 

 

 

After the fun we had finding rocks, we came home and painted our own. The girls had so much fun with the process and thinking about where they wanted to hide them. After Lily's rocks dried, she wrote messages on them. Her choices: "Smile." "Be happy." "Be kind." Proud mama right here.

 

 

 

We took a trip to get sno cones later in the day. Hadley hates almost everything sweet and refuses to even try a sno cone. So she had Cheetos while the rest of us devoured our sugar-filled ice.

 

 

Rob was in his element because football officially started on Saturday. It's not really my thing (ha!), so after sno cones the girls and I hit up Michaels to check out all the Halloween decorations. We were in heaven. I picked up a cute craft kit, and we made Halloween bookmarks when we got home.

 

 

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Sunday we went to church as a family and spent the rest of the afternoon just catching up on things around the house. How cute are our girls in their matching Mississippi State dresses? Rob was happy that the Bulldogs won, so that makes for a happy Sunday in our house.

 

 

The girls spent the night with Pop and J on Sunday night, and Rob and I had a rare date night. We went to a local spot, Saltine, and had some seriously yummy food. The weather was nice enough that we sat outside and enjoyed the cool breeze. How cute is this place?

 

I had a kale salad to start, and it was divine. Those are pickled red onions on top, and they're my new favorite food. I could eat anything that's pickled.

I chose shrimp and grits for my entree, and it was yummy too. I have a hard time passing up shrimp when we're out. One of my favorite foods.



The interior at Saltine is so cool...wishing I could find a spot for these lights in our house!



 

If any of y'all are ever passing through Jackson, Mississippi, I highly recommend Saltine...the food and the atmosphere are top notch.

 

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We spent Labor Day, laboring. Isn't that what everyone does? I cleaned and swept our garage (why?!?!) and am sore today as a result! We also got out our fall and Halloween decorations. I know it's early, but it makes us happy. I'll be slowly transforming the house this week and will share pictures when it's all done!

 

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I shared my favorite picks from Loft's Labor Day sale yesterday. In case you missed it, you can check it out here. Did anyone order anything? There were some good sales going on!

 

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Hope everyone has a happy, short week!

 

 



Weekend Update + Recipe for Fluffy Slime

Hey guys! How was everyone's weekend? I've always felt that summer is on the downward slope once the 4th is over, and it feels like that even more this year. School resumes in one month. Yikes.

 

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I imagine when people look back at the summer of 2017 one word will come to mind: slime. It's been the summer of slime, right? We finally made our own on Friday, and it was so much fun! I'm going to share the recipe I found below because I found it was not as messy as I thought it was going to be.

 

 

 

 

Fluffy Slime
via Little Bins for Little Hands

 

Ingredients:

 

Elmer's Washable Glue

Foaming Shaving Cream (the white, fluffy kind)

Baking Soda

Food Coloring

Saline Solution for Sensitive Eyes

 

 

Directions:

 

Measure 3-4 cups of shaving cream into a bowl. (We used 3 cups.)

 

Add a few drops of food coloring.

 

Add 1/2 cup of glue and mix thoroughly.

 

Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. Mix.

 

Add 1 Tablespoon of the saline solution and mix well.

 

Your slime is ready! **I found that kneading the slime with my hands for a few minutes made the mixture less sticky and more fluffy. The mixture will stick to your hands at first. The best way to get the mixture off your hands (and to make it less sticky) is to keep kneading it and keep playing with it! After a few minutes our hands were clean.**

 

Also important to note, most slime recipes contain a form of boron. In our recipe it was found in the saline solution. I don't know much about chemistry, but experts agree to wash your hands after playing with slime. So that's what we did! :)

 

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Saturday we had donuts on the front porch and spent the afternoon swimming at Pop and J's. We had blue cheese burgers for dinner, and we all went to bed that night tired from the sun and water. Typical summer day!

 

 

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Yesterday we made more slime (because it really is that fun), and we went to see "Despicable Me 3." It was really cute and clever. Animated movies just amaze me. And there was a Minion in the concession area so that was fun too.

 

 

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Today starts Vacation Bible School for Lily. Hadley can't attend until she's 5, and I'm the bad mom who didn't sign up early enough to serve as a volunteer. Whoops. Hadley and I have lots of fun errands planned (ha), and then we'll pick sister up around lunchtime and will probably spend our afternoon making more slime. Seriously.

 

I hope everyone has a great day and a happy week ahead. I'll leave you with two funny pics of my girls.

 

Below, I caught the stinker on the right mid-hit.



 

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Weekend Update

Hey guys! How was everyone's weekend? We were able to get some things on our to-do list done, but we were also able to have a lot of fun...the perfect weekend, right? :)

And, full disclosure, I have used some affiliate links in this post which means if you click the link and make a purchase I might receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting me! :)

Now on to the good stuff...

 

Friday night Rob and I went to a surprise birthday dinner for one of our friends, and it was so good to be out with other adults! The food was yummy, and the company was even better. I wore this cute top with skinny jeans and black sandals...love the bell sleeves and the tie at the front. It's sold out in black, but I've linked the striped version (which I'm kind of wanting now!).

 

Bell Sleeve Tie Front Top

 

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Saturday we went swimming at Pop and J's house. The water was cold, but it was still fun. I love that kids don't even notice the water temperature, but adults can barely put a big toe in. Hadley and Pop shared some potato chips on the side of the pool while the rest of us swam.

 

 

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We missed church yesterday but were able to get a lot of things done around the house. I'm working on the girls' playroom and upgraded their art table with a new one that's a little taller. This table is seriously the best. It's a great height, but it's not too bulky. The chairs come in an assortment of colors and are big enough for an adult to sit in! Plus, it's 15% off right now!

 

Industrial Kids Activity Table

Industrial Kids Activity Chair (Set of 2)

 

I picked up the pom pom garland at Hobby Lobby, and the cups that hold their art supplies are old and from Target. I wanted them off the table (to give more room for drawing and painting) and had the idea to use Command hooks to hang them within their reach. I love the way it turned out! And while I was feeling crafty I put together the unicorn banner. I love this little area and know the girls will enjoy it too!

 

I also framed some of my favorite pieces they've created over the years and plan on creating a gallery wall in the playroom. And I spray painted this unicorn head I found at Hobby Lobby. It was white, but duh...we had to make it purple. The horn is gold and glittery and just pretty much perfect!

 

 

 

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We picked up a bubble machine recently, and the girls had the best time with it. These things are worth every penny. I don't know about you, but I can't blow bubbles for too long! The girls enjoyed every second being outside with their new toy.

 

 

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Hope everyone has a great Monday and a happy week ahead. And just remember...

 

 

 





Our Beach Vacation!

We are back from the beach, and we had the most glorious time. Truly. I thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures along with info on where we stayed and where we ate in case anyone else is planning a trip to Orange Beach in the near future!

 

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We love Orange Beach, Alabama, for many reasons, and one big reason is proximity! It takes less than 5 hours to drive there, and with two kids that's something to consider. It's a family-friendly community with tons of great places to stay and some fabulous restaurants.

We've been visiting here for about six years now (pre-kids and growing up I always went to Destin, Florida), and each time we've stayed at a Phoenix condominium (there are 19 to choose among!). Our favorite is Phoenix West II, and that's where we stayed this year. We love how clean it is; the amenities are just what we need; and we also love the fact that there's a splash pad, and the pool has a big slide and a lazy river.

We always book directly through Brett/Robinson Vacations (the company responsible for the condos), but I know a lot of people have good success with VRBO.com as well. I've noticed I can find better rates on the Brett/Robinson site, however.

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Before I bore you with more lodging info, I'll share our pictures. There are lots! And then I'll share where we ate at the end.

Shortly after we arrived the girls were eager to feel the sand and the water. So we made a quick trip to the beach before coming back up to the room to unpack and get settled in.

Lily got this Trolls bathing suit for her birthday and has been dying to wear it since.



 

The Paw Patrol trucker hat kills me.



Hadley has food in every picture because snacks make her happy.



 

 

We had our favorite meal here. And check out this view! If you're in Orange Beach, you must check out Shipp's Harbour Grill!



This one ate her weight in fried shrimp.

Dinner ended with a surprise chocolate chip cookie with chocolate icing. Winner.

Doing a little dance. Another beach day. Yay! Followed by, "Can we move here?"

With my littlest nugget. How cute is her pineapple suit?



We love a splash pad...and it's surrounded by beach chairs, so Rob and I were able to sit back and relax while the girls played!



The sweetest sisters. So thankful they have one another!

Selfie with the hubs. Wish we could've gotten a family photo too!

This picture cracks me up. Hadley doing yoga at the splash pad!

Our final night, after dinner at Tacky Jacks.

The sunrise on our last morning. Just incredible. I enjoyed watching the sun come up each morning while drinking a cup of coffee. That's one of my favorite things about the beach!

Where we ate

Our beach routine is usually the same each day. Wake up; go to the beach for most of the morning, then cool off in the pool before heading up for lunch. We keep lunch easy and casual and pick up food from the local grocery store to snack on...that way we have more time at the beach. And then after a full afternoon of swimming and building sandcastles, we generally get cleaned up and head to dinner.

 

We went to Doc's Seafood Shack on night one. We were looking for something very casual, but we wanted some good seafood. Doc's did not disappoint. Don't go for the atmosphere or the views. You won't find either. But you'll get some really good food! Rob had the fried seafood platter (duh), and I had stuffed crab...and lots and lots of French fries.

After a long second day on the beach, we picked up sushi to go and ate on our balcony. That's kind of become a tradition for us, and each time we pick up from Big Fish Restaurant. Best sushi I've ever had. I'm sure the dinner menu is just as good.

A girlfriend recommended Shipp's Harbour Grill, and it's become a new favorite. The atmosphere was perfection, and the food was stellar. I had the Gulf Coast Snapper, and Rob had the Grouper Ponchatrain.
 

We discovered Cosmos years ago and make a point to return there each year. The atmosphere is fun and quirky, and we ate outside while a band was playing. There's also a fun gift shop attached, which makes waiting for a table a little easier. Rob got the fresh catch of the day for dinner, and I got the grilled shrimp. It honestly wasn't my favorite thing I've ordered there, but we'll still be back. If you go, you must try the firecracker shrimp appetizer and/or the BBQ crab claws!

Our final night we stopped by Tacky Jacks. It's probably more of a touristy spot, but it's casual and laid back and a great place to visit with kids. Our waitress was fabulous (she was from Romania!), and a fun band was playing in the outdoor dining area. I had the Half and Half platter (grilled fish and blackened shrimp), and Rob had the Steamed Royal Reds. It was really tasty. The Firecracker Shrimp appetizer is amazing as well.

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So, now we're home...our skin is a little darker (or, mine is more freckled, and Hadley's is just as fair); our bellies are full (we probably all gained a few pounds); and our hearts and minds have some special memories to hold onto (cheesy but true). It was a fabulous trip. Yay for summer!

Let me know if you've ever been to Orange Beach and where you like to stay and/or eat. We're always looking for new places to check out. Are most of you taking a family vacation this summer? Let me hear!

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Update: I wanted to source the girls' bathing suits for y'all too! If they're not listed below, they're sold out. We always find our suits at GAP, Old Navy, Target (buy one get one free right now!), Osh Kosh, Carters, and Gymboree.

Lily's pineapple two-piece
Hadley's pineapple two-piece
Lily's blue one-piece with tassels
Lily's purple sparkle one-piece (not pictured)
Lily's Trolls one-piece
Hadley's cactus one-piece 
Hadley's Peppa Pig one-piece
Hadley's flamingo one-piece

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