Hello, I'm Christina.

Carolina Charm

Five on Friday!

 Oh, hello!

one. It’s been a whirlwind of a week over here. We flew home from Florida on Monday and upon landing headed straight to the doctor (per usual) to confirm our google diagnosis that Caroline had a terrible (first) case of croup. And because she’s an overachiever she also got diagnosed with stridor, which almost took us to the ER the evening before but instead Matt slept zero hours while he watched her like a hawk. Anyway, the severity of her condition qualified us for an extra strong steroid shot to the leg and thankfully she slept like a baby that night with minimal seal bark coughs. By the next morning her 103 temperature had finally gone away and she was feeling 99% better, but Matt decided to keep her home for a movie marathon day while I traveled the entire week between Raleigh and Wilmington. Sooo, shout out to the most amazing husband and daddy who was already a week behind in work but took a sick day to be with Caroline and handled ALL the duties while I was away.

two. I forgot to pause my HelloFresh box this week since I knew I was going to be out of town every night, so you can imagine my surprise when Wednesday night Matt sent me the following photos while I was at a work dinner…

 Pronto Pasta Amatriciana!

If my husband can do it, yours can too. Also, I should mention that HelloFresh would be a great Christmas gift for the person that loves to cook! And if that person is your husband it’s a double gift win! Use promo code MG8GKD at checkout for $40 off your first box! That means you can try out HelloFresh for $29 and then cancel after your box arrives or keep on going.

three. While downloading all of my iPhone photos I realized I forgot to blog about Mel’s Supper Club! Just before Thanksgiving Mel hosted the ladies for a night of make your own pizzas!

 

four. I have two amazing Old Navy finds for you! First up, a dress that I love so much that I purchased it in 3 colors! There are 8 colors to pick from and the dress also comes in a textured version and in plus size too! I love how flattering and versatile this dress is. I style mine for work, date night and even our Christmas cards! It’s SO loose and flowy which I appreciate too.

Next up, these adorable and comfortable pointy ballet flats! I purchased mine for $10!!! Oh, and these also come in 8 colors.

Wearing them here…

I always get a lot of questions about this cowlneck sweater. I own it in 3 colors. It’s from Gap. It’s from last year and no longer sold, but there is the shaker stich version!

five. McKinsey’s annual gift exchange is quickly approaching and I need a good $35 gift for girls to bring fight over!  Below is a list of the big hits from last year. Now the hunt is on for what to bring this year…

Gifts for her under $35

Gift Cards: Target, Starbucks, Nail Salon, etc. Some girls bring a $35 gift card while others include a $5 gift card with a gift — both are always big hits!

Stemless Wine Glasses: Shatterproof // Cooling Set // Rubber Sleeved Set (my favorite!!).

S’well Insulated Water Bottle: 9 oz // 17 oz
Insulated Totes: Casserole Carrier // Cooler Bag
Fun Jewelry: Bracelet ideas: 1 / 2 / 3 | Necklace ideas: 1 / 2 / 3
Cosmetics: Ideas: Lip Scrub // Eye Palette // Smashbox Eye Palette // MAC Eye Palette // Urban Decay Eye Palette // NARS Blush + Bronzer Duo // Lip Scrub
Coffee Mugs & Tumblers: Ideas 1 /  2 
Scarves: Ideas 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Candles: Rewined // Aquiesse // Volcano // Nest

 —

I accidentally volunteered to host a dinner party this weekend for
35+ people so I better go pick out a Christmas tree, decorate my house for
Christmas, figure out what to cook, buy some booze, vacuum and hide all
my clutter under beds and in closets. Oh, and maybe track down some
folding chairs, ya know, because we still don’t have any chairs for our
dining room…


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Comments

  4. Anonymous says

    Wow, the meals from Hellofresh look so good! I might have to sign up so my hubby can learn. ;-)Design by Sydnee | What I'm Loving Lately ��

    Reply

  5. Annie says

    Umm Matt is a champ and you are a rockstar Mama for being able to be away from your sick baby! So glad she's better. And I think I need that dress!

    Reply

  7. StorkWatcher says

    I don't know if you have this store, but TJ Maxx (or HomeGoods) has TERRIFIC tumbler/wineglass/mugs this time of year – so many great options to add to a gift at a fraction of the price! I think I saw similar initial mugs there last week…

    Reply

  8. Andrea says

    Yeah that dress from Old Navy is my STAPLE! I have it in a tank style, long sleeve, black, grey, burgundy LOL. I LIVE in those!!!

    Reply

  9. Elly Johnson says

    With the phenomenal sales happening at Jcrew Factory, you could totally score some AMAZING jewelry for the gift exchange!

    Reply

  10. The Lucky Lifestyle says

    What a great daddy, and so glad Caroline is feeling better! Love the dress paired with the booties – so cute. 🙂

    Reply

  11. Lindsay @ LindsayInNYC says

    I'm doing a Yankee Swap/White Elephant exchange with some mom friends this year. The rules are $25 limit and no baby/mom type gifts. I think I'm going to get this from Sephora: https://www.sephora.com/product/perfume-travel-sampler-P423556?skuId=1961820&icid2=products%20grid:p423556My other idea was an Oster electric wine opener ($15-20 depending on where you buy it, it's $14-something on Amazon now) and a bottle of wine. Vinturi also makes a great wine aerator!

    Reply

  12. Life As You Live It says

    Random question, but where might I be able to find that white 5 piece serving dish that Mel used for supper club? It would be perfect for our Taco Tuesdays! Thank you! (:Kaylie

    Reply

  13. Lindsay at Lindsay'sSweetWorld says

    I'm so glad that Caroline is okay! Croup is NO JOKE. When our son was two he came down with a case of croup so bad that his throat completely closed. We had to call 911 and thankfully they got here super fast. By then Jacob's oxygen was super low so they took him to the hospital and we had to stay overnight. It. Was. Terrifying. Our doc gave us some Prednisolone to keep on hand after that and it saved us from having to go to the hospital two more times over the next year.

    Reply

  14. Jayme H. says

    Yes! That dress is the best. I have it in black and the textured grey. I also have a very similar one from last year. The best!

    Reply

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Five on Friday!


Haaaaaaaappppyyyyyyy Friddayyyyyyyyy!



one. A few weeks ago I saw my friend Corey wearing the most amazing pair of shoes and begged her to tell me where she purchased them. She laughed and said she’s been asked that question at least ten times and then shared her secret…they are the Royale Pointy Toed Flat from Free People…but the DUPE (she is the best bargain hunter so I shouldn’t be surprised)!!!!!!!!! I tried to order the dupe right away but found they were out of stock…for forever. Finally they came back in stock and I purchased them. Since they’ve arrived I have also received at least 10 compliments on them. I am so obsessed. In fact, I think I would even splurge on the Free People version I love them so much. Anyway, my grainy mirror selfie does not do these shoes justice. They are amazing. And you deserve a pair at whichever price point you want to spend!

  Shoes // Top (on sale!)





two. If you read my Holiday Gift Guide for Men than you already know how obsessed Matt is with his Fulton & Roark products. Anyway, if you didn’t see the gift guide than you need to check it out! And if you want to snag some luxury grooming products for the man in your life (which I highly recommend), use code CHARM at checkout to save 15% on your order through 12/31! Whoop!


three. Earlier this week I came home to the best surprise at my door from my bestie Lisa — the  Pressing Pause devotional. I’ve only completed a few days so far and LOVE this book. It’s designed for busy mamas and is the EXACT length in a devotional (2 pages) I need to not skip it for the day! If you are a busy mama trying to carve out a few minutes each day for Jesus, this is the book for you!


four. So I stocked up on a TON of leggings for fall/winter for Caroline recently. And then she informed me this week that she absolutely would not wear ANY sort of pants without pockets. I didn’t have any jeans for her so she helped herself to Tom’s 2T high waters and dressed herself in a sweater…backwards.

five. Last night I met my friend Caroline for a mani followed by a bottle of Pinot Noir at Bond Street Wines. Even though I spend at least 3 lunches a week with her we had the absolute best night together — the kind that’s good for the soul.




Hope y’all have a great weekend. We have some awesome triple date night plans for tonight! xo


 








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Comments

  3. Caitlin says

    I would have never in a million years picked out those shoes after seeing them online, but they look so cute on!!! They are out of stock in my size, but I think I am going to have to stalk them until they are back in stock!

    Reply

  6. Owen Davis @ Davis Duo says

    Absolutely getting that devotional right now! After that one you need "Walking With God in the Season of Motherhood" devotional… sooo good!

    Reply

  7. Katie says

    Hahahah love Caroline's outfit!! My 3 year old son recently went through a phase of outfits not matching or insisting on wearing a shirt backwards because the back was more fun! Just last week was pj day at school. He wore his pjs but insisted on wearing his dress shoes as well. His teacher sent me a picture of him and it will forever be a favorite! Had me cracking up!!

    Reply

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Five on Friday!


Happy Friday!

one. Did anyone else take advantage of the huge Bath & Body Works sale this week? It was buy two candles, get two candles free plus $10 off $30 purchase. My new favorite scent is WINTER. It legitimately smells like winter and is so amazing I had to buy two! 

two. Caroline and I made my favorite two ingredient pumpkin bread for her and Thomas’s teachers this week. I was skimming through the comments and a few readers said they added an egg so I tried that and loved the extra fluff it gave our mini loafs! 

three. PSA for all contact users!!! I thought I shared this amazing solution with y’all like a year ago but it turns out I didn’t. Sorry! Anyway, a long time ago Thomas’s contact lens specialist told us we should be using Clear Care Contact Solution for cleaning contacts and that it’s really the best and most effective solution out there. This stuff is seriously so magical. You can SEE it working when you drop your contacts into the solution and it deep cleans Thomas’ contacts SO well. And Matt uses it too and always comments on how much better this solution cleans his contacts than the stuff he used to use. Anyway, we have this solution stock piled under the sink. If you’re not using it, you should! You can buy it at Target, Amazon, etc. Oh, and warning…you must abide by the 6 hour soaking rule or you’ll be sorry.

four. We had new master bathroom countertops installed this week (post coming soon!) and Matt installed our faucets himself (go Matt!). Y’all sent me the most hilarious messages in response to my insta-stories post of me keeping Matt company/supervising late into the night of faucet installations! I also had a lot of questions about 1. where I purchased our wreath from (I made it! post here!) and 2. If our bed always looks that perfect. The answer is yes. And it’s 100% Matt. He loves to make the bed every morning. NOTE: Our perfectly made bed is NOT indicative of the tidiness of the rest of our house!

Five. Two dresses you need to know about! And thanks to Matt, I’ve got some non-mirrored selfies for ya…






Dress // Tassel Horse Necklace // Flats 


Dress #1: I found this gorgeous burgundy dress (under $50) for my Christmas card photo shoot next weekend! I’ll swap out flats for booties but seriously, how cute is this dress?! Now I need to find something for the rest of the family to wear!

Dress (wearing size small, runs large)

Dress #2: Another dress from Romwe, this Fluted Sleeve Gingham Dress is $17 and I LOVE the open tie back. Also,  I was more impressed on the quality of this dress.

That’s all for today! Have a wonderful weekend, friends! xo







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Comments

  1. Amanda @ That Inspired Chick says

    I have been craving pumpkin bread this week so a two ingredient bread recipe sounds perfect for a girl like me who hates to cook but loves to eat! 😉 I may even get fancy and add the egg! Happy Friday!!That Inspired Chick

    Reply

  3. Jo says

    I will need this gingham dress! Adorable! I have a shirt that looks just like it and now want that dress! Comment on sizing??

    Reply

  5. Courtney Montello says

    A few years ago, I was sleeping over at a friend's house and used her clear care contact solution without realizing it was any different and OH MY GOODNESS the burning was SO BAD. My eyes were red for days… lesson leaned lol.

    Reply

  7. Brandi says

    I once had something in my eye, so picked up a bottle of contact solution to use as eye drops and flush it out. Except I picked up the wrong bottle and squeezed Clear Care directly into my eye. I thought "this is it…this is how it all ends for me"

    Reply

  8. Valerie says

    Wait what do you mean "you'll be sorry"??? A lot of the amazon reviews mention cloudy vision–is that from not waiting the whole six hours?

    Reply

    • Anonymous says

      I received some samples of this solution from my eye doctor last year. My husband and I used it and both experienced horrible hazy vision like many of the reviews mention. At this year's appointment, my doctor said she has heard the same complaint from a lot of patients since the company switched to the HydraGlyde formula. I used the old formula with no problems. The hazy/cloudy vision is different from the intense burning you'll experience if you don't wait the whole six hours though – ouch!

      Reply

  9. Leslie @ A Side of Chocolate says

    I've put mine in too early before and OW. But, I agree that the solution works SO much better than the stuff I used to use. I've been using it for years and I'll never go back. My eye dr is also anti store brand, but he does recommend the Walmart version of this if you're ever running low and happen to be there. It works just as well, but I don't like the case as well.

    Reply

  10. Leslie says

    Those dresses look so cute on you! I also love your candle haul; Bath and Body Works has really upped their branding game. I love the labels on those candles!

    Reply

  12. Owen Davis @ Davis Duo says

    Obsessed with both of those dresses! And YES I took advantage of the candle sale! The lavender is soooo delicious smelling!

    Reply

  13. Chelsey S says

    I found the pumpkin bread on your blog last year, and I love it! I'll have to try adding the egg sometime!! 🙂

    Reply

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Five on Friday!

Yay for Friday! It’s been a busy week and I’m happy to wake up in my own bed this morning after several days of work travel (Charleston & Greenville — can’t complain)! 

ONE // On a serious note, I’ve been tracking Hurricane Irma (& now Jose) constantly. To all my Florida readers, friends and family, I’m praying for you! And stay safe! I’ve been in frequent communication with my mom and sister as they prepare their homes and family for the powerful storm. If the Hurricane stays on track as the weathermen forecast, it should hit them late tonight through early tomorrow and then hit us late Sunday night through early Monday. So many prayers!



TWO // Sniffle Stopper Shot. A few days before our Florida trip I started coming down with some cold symptoms that I knew I needed to get rid of fast. On my way home from work one night I stopped at the Juice Bar for a powerful Sniffle Stopper Shot which is NO joke. This shot is a kick to the face and requires a pineapple chaser but it. is. magical. The next morning I woke up feeling 80% better. 

After posting my sniffle stopper shot to my insta-stories a really sweet reader surprised me with a Starbucks gift card for one of their secret menu items — The Coldbuster (AKA The Medicine Ball). Seriously, how dang nice is that? I had no clue this drink existed and had to share this menu item with all of you as we embark on the unfortunate cold & flu season!



THREE // Caroline’s first dentist appointment! I’m not gonna lie, I was soooo worried about how this appointment was going to go down. For weeks I had been preparing Caroline for it. I just knew she was going to bolt out of the chair the second the dentist came near her with a shiny metal tool. But nope. She surprised us all and breezed through the exam and giggled over all the “teeth tickles”. I was so proud! And so was she.

FOUR // While working in Charleston this week I walked over to East Bay Deli for lunch and ordered the Veggie Crisp per Natalie’s recommendation. It was so delicious that I’m determined to recreate it at home — Lettuce, tomatoes, avocado spread, cucumbers, onions, pepper relish, sprouts and provolone on toasted wheat bread.


5 // Dog Heaven. When we broke the news to the kids that Charlie had gone to Heaven, Caroline did not take it very well. She was so heartbroken and couldn’t understand why he had to go to Heaven. Once she calmed down we gave her the book Dog Heaven and told her it was a gift Charlie had sent. This book y’all. It was recommended to us by so many friends and is definitely a tearjerker but so beautiful. Highly recommend if you’re ever in this situation.













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Comments

  2. Owen Davis @ Davis Duo says

    That book omg I can't even think about the day we have to go through this. What a great way to explain to the minis though <3

    Reply

  4. Justine Ciemny says

    What a sweet book. So sorry for your loss of Charlie!!Justine @ Charm City Ciemny'swww.lifeasabaltimoregirl.blogspot.com

    Reply

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Five on Friday!


Hello from the beach! You didn’t think I was going to forget about y’all while on vacation, did you?!



one. I received SO many messages in response to my 4th of July post from y’all recommending Bunch O Balloons — THANK YOU! These have seriously changed our life, or at the very least the state of my fingers on the weekends after filling and tying 34850345 water balloons by hand. These water balloons are worth every single penny and are the most amazing invention I’ve ever seen. In one minute we had 100 water balloons filled and tied. Amazing. I purchased a single pack first and once I realized how incredible they were I grabbed this mega-pack (on sale!!!!)! I’ve also been told Costco has the best deal on these!


 

two. Makeup Bag Splurge vs Save! I love hearing which products other people splurge vs save on! Personally, I am pretty selective on which makeup products I splurge on and which products I save on. Today I thought I’d share one of each!

 

SPLURGE: For the longest time I have been using $4 NYX HD Studio Concealer (a dupe for MAC Pro Longwear concealer) and thought it was the bees knees (do people still say that?!). Anyway, I recently splurged on NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (color: vanilla) and will never turn back. The texture is SO creamy, it goes on smooth and it outlasts my former concealer. If there was going to be a product to splurge on for your makeup bag…this is IT!

SAVE: I’ve blogged about this dupe before but it’s worth bringing back! On my wedding day I wore MAC Twig lipstick and loved it so much that it’s the only color I wear regularly throughout the year! It’s one of those colors that looks good on anyone really. Anyway, a tube usually lasts me a very long time which is why I don’t mind splurging on it from time to time. But I like to keep a tube in my car, a tube in my purse, a tube at work, etc. So that’s when I knew I needed a perfect $5 dupe – Rimmel Kate Moss #104 (Pink/Mauve). It truly is an equally amazing lipstick in every category – color, quality, long lasting, etc.

Now share your splurge vs save makeup items in the comments!!!


three. I recently picked up this popular Everything but the Bagel seasoning and am absolutely obsessed. I’ve been sprinkling it on everything from eggs to veggies to salads. It is SO good and only $1.99 from Trader Joes!

four. Let’s talk about bath towels.


Tub Caddy | Hand Towel c/o | Rose Oil Mud Mask


During our move I took the liberty of throwing out a bunch of old bath towels that no amount of deodorizing tricks could save. I’m talking three decade old towels that I took from my parents house when I went to college and still have! Anyway, it felt good to purge them and buy new ones from TJ Maxx. I am sad to report that ALL of my new towels have already ripped or frayed and I couldn’t be more disappointed. However, it was perfect timing that The Towel Shop contacted me and asked if they could send me a family bale of Royal Egyptian Towels all the way from Britain and I quickly said YES! Y’all, these towels are truly AMAZING. I’ve only been using them for a few weeks so I can’t attest to the long term quality, BUT my favorite feature is not only are they incredibly soft and thick, they are ginormous!!! I can almost wrap them around my body twice and the hand towels are so plush. Two thumbs up.

five. Earlier this week Matt cashed in his Ole Mason Jar gift card for his custom suit + shirt! I joined him for the appointment and I can’t tell you how cool it was. We (mostly him, not me) got to build every piece of the suit from the liner to the fit to the fabric to the monogram to the everything!!! I swear there were like 30 decisions to make and we learned so much. It was an awesome experience. Now we wait a few weeks for his dream suit to be sewn together! Can’t wait to report back!






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Comments

  1. Amanda Bullard says

    Happy vacation!!!! Totally a lover of the Rommel myself. Loving the "creation" of the suit! And oh hellayes to new towels lol! Soak up that sunshine!

    Reply

  2. Angela says

    I hope your having a great vacation!P.S. – There's no place on the bottom of your blog post to link up for the Five on Friday. Are you not doing the link-up thing anymore?

    Reply

  4. Caitlin Helgeson says

    Can you tell me roughly how much the custom shirt/suit cost? I love that idea for my husbands upcoming birthday. We've looked into it at a few other local places in Charlotte but interested to see price point of Ole Mason Jar. Thanks!

    Reply

  5. Sarah says

    The new Loreal Voluminous Lash Paradise mascara is an almost exact dupe of the Too Faced Better than Sex! For half the price of the BTS, I'll be sticking with the Loreal version from now on!

    Reply

  6. LHWinstead says

    I have definitely found that splurging on a nice concealer has been worth it!! I loveeee the Everything seasoning from TJs, too!

    Reply

  7. Owen Davis @ Davis Duo says

    I am still so jealous of that gift you gave him! I am dying to do that for my husband!!!

    Reply

  8. Caley-Jade Rosenberg says

    Those balloons are such fun and saves the hack! And there is nothing better than huge, soft white towels x

    Reply

  9. Hayley Carter says

    Wet and Wild PhotoFocus foundation is a dupe for the Estee Lauder! I also love Wet and Wild liquid lipsticks too!

    Reply

  10. قمة الدقة للتنظيف says

    شركة الصفرات لمكافحة الحشرات بالرياض شركة مكافحة حشرات براس تنورة

    Reply

  11. rox says

    Love the idea of the water balloons – but here's the thing. Don't you have a bajillion pieces of broken balloons to pick up after they've all been smashed? This seems like SUCH a big deal – the clean up. Am I over exaggerating?!?Adding the Rimmel lipstick to my to-buy list. SUCH a gorgeous color!And I'm definitely picking up the everything bagel seasoning the next time I'm at TJ's. YUM! Quick question, though – is the sodium super bad?

    Reply

  12. Allison Gilpatrick says

    Your blog is killin' it lately!! I made a Target run specifically for the lipstick dupe and I love it. And I picked up the Everything seasoning from TJ's last weekend and it's delicious!! Thanks for the recommendations. Loved the post on toddler meals, too! And I may have hopped on to the J Crew Factory website after your last outfit post. Ha. Keep the inspiration coming!!

    Reply

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Five on Friday!


Happiest Friday!



one. We’ve been hanging outside a lot lately on the weekends and I’ve had a few people ask me how our patio furniture has held up since we bought it last summer! I am happy, happy, happy to report that it has held up beautifully!! I did a ton of research last summer to find affordable furniture that would last and decided to go with this 5 piece rattan wicker set. I love that you can arrange the furniture in a variety of ways depending on your set up and that the cushions have removable and washable covers so I don’t have to freak out when my toddlers leave their melted popsicles on my couch!!!! We also cover it with this tarp to protect the cushions from the sun and rain when we aren’t using it.

two. A few weeks ago I scooped up some new summer items from my favorite boutique, Petal! One of my most favorite pieces I grabbed was this suuuuuuper cute summer romper and so many of you loved it on my InstaStories! Anyway, I had to follow up to let you all know that it’s now available for purchase online!!! 




three. Need some Father’s Day ideas? If the man in your life loves a good burger, check out my review (+ 20% off promo code) for BurgaBox, a ridiculous feast kit! Need other ideas? I have a whole bunch more for ya here!




four. Confession: I have the absolute hardest time burning a nice candle. Although I am obsessed with candles I rarely splurge on them and instead quickly burn through inexpensive candles. In fact, I just finished burning my Nest Christmas candle a few days ago because I would only light it when we’d have company over or when my house is really clean or during nice dinners with Matt — all of which are infrequent occasions. However, one of the tips I’ve been putting into practice from the Happier podcast is NOT saving nice things for special occasions (perfume, candles, wine, etc.)! And so I’ve been burning my new favorite Nest candle — Japanese Black Currant…and it brings me a tremendous amount of happiness.


five. We recently received one of my most favorite boxes of HelloFresh yet! In my opinion, the summer boxes tend to be the best. Last week we enjoyed Pineapple & Chicken Quesadillas one night and saved our Asparagus & Prosciutto Tartines for an at-home date night over the weekend. These summer recipes were both super simple and you definitely don’t have to be a subscriber to enjoy them! I plan to pick up the ingredients and recreate both of them again soon!


 


But if you prefer the convenience of having delicious recipes delivered to your doorstep click here to select a meal plan and use promo code MG8GKD for $40 off your first box! That means you can try out HelloFresh for $29 and then cancel after your box arrives or keep on going. 


 


Also, I received another promo code to give my friends a FREE box of HelloFresh meals! I’d be happy to send the first THREE people to leave their email address in the comments a free week of HelloFresh to try!






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Comments

  6. Erin says

    Just placed my order for burgabox. I've been wanting to try and it Father's Day seems like the perfect time!

    Reply

  8. Julie @ Just the Joy's says

    Love your patio furniture! What a genius idea with the tarp cover. Something I never knew exsisted! Obviously I'm living under a rock. 😉

    Reply

  9. Somethin' Southern says

    We're LOVING hellofresh thanks to you r recommendation a few months back! Seriously life changing. xx, McKenzie // SomethinsouthernBlog.com

    Reply

    • Carolina Charm says

      I love that! And we feel the SAME! I can't imagine NOT using HF now! It's a lifesaver for us!

      Reply

  10. Laura Darling says

    I love the idea of not saving nice stuff to use once in a while! Your patio furniture is so nice!

    Reply

  11. Lyndsey Beasley says

    Have you ever tried Blue Apron? We tried their box out this week and I'd love to know how they compare to HF.

    Reply

  14. Mary Leigh says

    Happy Friday! The patio furniture looks awesome! I am right with you on the candles! I have such a hard time burning the nice ones!

    Reply

  16. sara [at] journey of doing says

    That romper looks SO good on you, mama!! Love that patio furniture too – it's the ultimate summer style!!

    Reply

  18. Kate says

    I'm obsessed with the Nest Sicilian Tangerine candle and always feel happy when it's burning – good reminder to enjoy the fancy stuff on non-fancy days! 🙂

    Reply

  19. Owen Davis @ Davis Duo says

    I am the same way with candles! My absolute favorite are Anthro and those things are a pretty penny so I save them for special occasions. Buuuut thanks to your advice I am going to light it right now and enjoy my iced coffee while baby girl naps 🙂

    Reply

  20. ksbockelman says

    Bummer!! I was the first to comment through bloglovin! I guess I need to click through to your actual blog website next time!

    Reply

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Five on Friday!


Happy Cinco de Mayo Friday!

one. In honor of Cinco de Mayo I had to share my favorite guacamole recipe!

two. What’s that? You say you want another festive recipe? Okay, you got it! Here is my favorite Cinco de Mayo beverage — Cherry Beergaritas, to go alongside your guac!

three. Is this not the happiest welcome mat? I impulsively picked it up at Target last week and was convinced Matt was going to make me take it back as soon as he arrived home so I ripped off the tags right away! But to my surprise…he loved it!  

four. It’s Teacher Appreciation Week at the kiddos’ school. Each day is a different theme/gift and yesterday was “treat day.” I figured all of our teachers were maxed out on B&BW lotions and candy (although I thought last year’s candy gift was cute and clever) and sweets (see previous “Smart Cookie” gift). Anyway, we have some pretty incredible teachers so this year I thought I’d make each of them each dinner! I don’t know if this is a weird gift or an awesome gift but if someone gifted me a night off of cooking I’d be pretty pumped. Anyway, I tripled my favorite Baked Spaghetti recipe which yielded 6 meals plus some leftovers for us one night.

five. I realize this was a heavy food post, but I have to share one more recipe I made earlier this week because it is so dang good and it’s perfect for Cinco de Mayo tonight — Sesame Beef Tacos with quick pickled veggies and spicy crema! 

Want to try HelloFresh? Use promo code MG8GKD for $40 off your first box! That means you can try out HelloFresh for $29 and then cancel after your box arrives or keep on going.

Also, I received another promo code to give my friends a FREE box of HelloFresh meals! I’d be happy to send the first THREE people to leave their email address in the comments a free week of HelloFresh to try!

 










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Comments

  6. Stang&Co says

    I just laughed when you said you ripped the tags off of the floor mat! And mmm that drink looks so good!

    Reply

  8. Lizzie Simantz says

    Yum, I want to make that quac! And those beergaritas sound pretty good too! Is 6:30am too early to start celebrating Cinco de Mayo?!? 🙂

    Reply

  13. Just Jess says

    I love that pineapple welcome mat! Target always has the best selection for welcome mats. Jess at Just Jess

    Reply

  16. Chelsey S says

    Those Cherry Beergaritas sound delicious! I'm gonna have to try them sometime this summer!

    Reply

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Five on Friday!

If things are going as I planned in my head, we are en route to Florida! If I’m being realistic, we are probably still running around collecting toys, stuffing snacks in coolers, packing up sound machines, toothbrushes and chargers, installing DVD players on headrests, writing instructions for the dog sitter, locking up the house, and filling up on gas and coffee…and then we’ll be in route to Florida!

However, while procrastinating on all of the aforementioned to-do’s, I wrote a Five on Friday post!

one. In a moment of pure delusion (and shortly after watching the Memphis Episode of This Is Us), I tried to persuade my 7 month pregnant sister into helping me plan and convince my parents of a day trip to Disney as a family this weekend. Clearly, I am living in la-la land and the conversation was quickly dismissed. However, dad has been holding on to our Disney tickets for literally DECADES to take his granbabies to Disney one day. I’m still holding on to hope this will be in our near future! In the meantime, homemade Mickey waffles will have to suffice! But seriously, look at these BMB (before magic bands) tickets…

and they never expire!

two. For a recent taco night I used the Avocado Crema recipe from a previous Hello Fresh meal for topping off our tacos and ohhhh myyyy gooooooosh, I will never make tacos without it again! And this topping is incredibly easy to whip together. Oh, and I served my tacos alongside a Mexican street corn that I also highly recommend! 

Avocado Crema: 

1 Avocado, pitted and halved

4 TBSP sour cream

1 lime, zested and halved

Salt & Pepper

 

Mash together half an avocado, sour cream, juice of ½ a lime, and lime zest with a fork in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

three. I recently received a few bottles of Dixie Southern Vodka to review so last weekend I experimented with St. Patrick’s Day cocktails. I was pretty happy with the final cocktail! I’m calling these Wicked Little Leprechauns because they sneak up on you fast! Oh, and the vodka is far better than anything we keep in stock in our booze cabinet — highly recommend (and it comes in a variety of flavors)!

 Wicked Little Leprechaun Cocktail: In a glass full of ice add 1.5 oz Dixie Southern Vodka (more or less depending on how strong you like it), fill glass up with sprite, add a splash of lemonade and a splash of Green Hawaiian Punch. 

four.   This is going to be a two-part #4 because both topics revolve around bedtime.

 So, let’s call this 4A: Night Terrors. I received a TON of messages from you all yesterday on insta-stories in response to Caroline waking up every night sobbing and trembling in fear. A few nights a week she’s been suddenly waking around 2-3 am with the saddest and most terrifying sob screams. She’s disoriented when we find her (she always screams for Matt to come get her) and can’t recall the dream that upset her, rather she says “she’s scared!” and continues to sob, heart racing and clings to Matt. She is nearly impossible to comfort and begs us to bring her to our bed to sleep the rest of the night because she is too terrified to go back to sleep by herself. So I’m thinking we’re just going to let her sleep with us until she goes off to college. Not weird, right?

Anyway, many of you gave me some solid advice and some of you asked to relay whatever advice I received because you’re going through the same thing. So let me breakdown the most popular responses:

  • There’s a difference between Night Terrors and Nightmares: Nightmares occur during the dream phase of sleep known as REM sleep. The circumstances of the nightmare will frighten the sleeper, who usually will wake up with a vivid memory of a long movie-like dream. Night terrors, on the other hand, occur during a phase of deep non-REM sleep usually within an hour after the subject goes to bed. During a night terror, which may last anywhere from five to twenty minutes, the person is still asleep, although the sleepers eyes may be open. When the subject does wake up, they usually have no recollection of the episode other than a sense of fear. This, however, is not always the case.
  • Send her to bed earlier. Being overtired can sometimes prompt a night terror. She’s been skipping her school nap so this makes sense!
  • No sugary snacks before bed (see ya later popsicle bath bribes!)
  • Footy pajamas are linked to night terrors (yes, most random thing ever, and that is what she wears!) 
  • Essential oils
  • Lully Sleep Guardian (has anyone tried this?!?!?) 
  • Pray over her (we do this, but maybe need to come back in after she goes to sleep for extra credit).
  • And the best news I received — this is usually a phase that she will outgrow!

On to happier bedtime things: 4B — classic childhood books! I am working on adding some new books to our collection and would love to know which book was YOUR favorite as a child. I recently picked up one of my old favorite books, Tikki Tikki Tembo and there is absolutely nothing funnier than hearing my toddler try and recite this book. So far Caroline has gotten as far as “Tikki Tikki Tembo No Siry Bootchi!” It gets me. every. single. time. Oh, and for the record, Matt thinks this book is totally weird and doesn’t know why I liked it as a child, or adult. Anyway, tell me your favorite books in the comments!!!

five. I thought I’d make your day with that picture. Real life, folks!

Happy weekend friends!


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Comments

  3. Sarah says

    Awwww poor Caroline!!! My 3-year-old has these occasionally, and usually they are when she's been crazy all day and goes to bed later than normal (mine are in bed at 6:30 lol! But they don't nap and are up early). And how random they are linked to footie pajamas??!! Crazy!!Hope you have an awesome time in Florida!!!-Sarah http://www.thefrugalmillionaireblog.com

    Reply

  4. Laura Darling says

    I cracked up at that last picture! That's awful about the night terrors! I hope some of those tips help, and that she outgrows them quickly! Love that your dad has those tickets! I bet you will have a blast when you get to use them! Hope the trip goes smoothly, and enjoy your time with your family! I will keep you in my prayers!

    Reply

  5. Lizzie Simantz says

    I hope you get your Disney trip in there soon! I can't believe those tickets!! OMG that last pic, hilarious!

    Reply

  6. Kathleen says

    That old Disney pass AND that it doesn't expire. I want to see you hand that to a Disney person and watch their reaction. Hope you have a safe trip and a good visit with your Dad!

    Reply

  7. Donna says

    Best wishes with the night terrors! So hard…Our almost three year old gets them in phases. Like she'll have them for a couple nights in a row and then won't have them for a long time. And I've never figured out exactly how to help with them either…

    Reply

  8. Adrienne at Bentley, Like the Car says

    That last pic. HAHAHA! Where The Wild Things Are is one of my favorite books. In fact, I used this as the inspiration for my toddler's valentines this past year.

    Reply

  10. Laura Wyatt says

    Some of my favorites that I vividly remember reading growing up: Runaway Bunny (great, great Easter basket book if y'all don't already have it) and Mouse Paint (definitely influenced the inner artist in me!)

    Reply

  12. Mary Porter says

    My 2.5 yr old is currently loving the Frog and Toad audio books. We listen to them in the car and at home and he asks for them a lot! I even use audiobooks as a bribe to get in the car!! He also liked Curious George on audio and I'm waiting on Cat in the Hat, which I know he'll love. (I get these all through our library). As far as classic books..he loves Richard Scarry and Cat in the Hat.

    Reply

  13. E says

    My favorite books as a kid were Yummers, The Little House, and Gus and the Baby Ghost. My 3 year old has recently been requesting Yummers over and over. I had to buy an old library binding on Amazon to get my hands on a copy because I believe the hardcovers are out of print.

    Reply

  14. Lauren @ Oh Hey! I Like That! says

    I used to LOVE Tikki Tikki Tembo! I'm going to have to get the book for our little girl!

    Reply

  15. Katie Witt says

    We LOVE good books in our house! With littles ranging from age 1-6 we read all types of books! Some of our favorites include:Dragons Love Tacos, The Circus Ship (currently our #1), Finding Winnie, The Goodnight Train, any of the Fairy books by Tim Bugbird, The Book with No Pictures, LIttle Blue Truck, The Very Fairy Princess books, Randy Riley's Big Hit, Snowman at Night, and If I Built A Car

    Reply

  16. Sarah Wartenberg says

    No kids but as a former Barnes & Noble employee one of my absolute favorites is Itsy Mitsy Runs Away, it has the cutest illustrations and is just the sweetest story. Hope you have a fabulous time in Florida!

    Reply

  17. Lindsay Bononno says

    My daughter gets night terrors sometimes, too. It's always scary because she doesn't really respond to me (since she's technically still asleep). Usually if I hold her for a few minutes she lays down on her own and is back to sleeping. Hope it ends soon for you! Thanks for the laugh on #5!https://hotmesscoolday.wordpress.com

    Reply

  18. Sara says

    Night terrors are scary. My son used to get them when he was around 2 and though his eyes would be open he was unresponsive besides shrieking. To snap him out of it we would put on the TV. It would almost instantly snap him out of it and then I could calm him down and put him back to bed where he would go right back to sleep. I'm sure that isn't doctor recommended but it did work for us. He also outgrew them after a couple of months and we haven't had them in years. My husband also has night terrors and well it's absolutely terrifying to see an adult go through it. His are specifically triggered by lack of sleep. What I found doing research is that it could be hereditary. Hoping that Caroline outgrows them soon. Have a great weekend in FL.

    Reply

  19. Kelly Entzel says

    My favorite childhood book was "And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street". So good. Also…two of our current favorites with our son include "Hello Ninja" and "The Little Blue Truck". 🙂

    Reply

  20. Toni :O) says

    Goodnight Gorilla is tons of fun as there is no words so you make up the story for the pictures as you go along. My hubby and I loved reading this to our littles. Another one is Guess How Much I Love You-a favorite!! The Kissing Hand is so precious. I highly recommend those three. Dying over your last photo. Sorry about the night terrors, zero fun and thankful I didn't have to deal with them. Safe travels to Florida.

    Reply

  22. Lindsay at Lindsay'sSweetWorld says

    OMG that last picture. Hilarity. Have a safe trip and enjoy your time with your family!

    Reply

  24. Ashley Stewart says

    Check out "The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear". This was my favorite book as a little girl and my kiddos now love it too!

    Reply

  25. Sunkissed and Southern says

    Benadryl gave our toddler night terrors! FYI random side effect we didn't know about until we put two and two together!

    Reply

  26. Jackie @ My (Sort Of) Adult Life says

    Oh my gosh, I've never seen Disney tickets like that, it's amazing they never expire! And those home made Mickey waffles are perfect!

    Reply

  27. Sara Elizabeth Miller says

    OMG. I still have those Disney tickets, too!! I hope you guys have a fantastic family weekend… despite that wrong turn snafu this morning. 😉

    Reply

  28. Mrs.Grits says

    Favorite children's books: Where the Wild Things Are, Gregory the Terrible Eater, Katy and the Big Snow, and Madeline books. 🙂 We are currently getting into some of my childhood favorites and I love it!

    Reply

  29. Jillian Manesh says

    that's so cute that he saved the disney tickets (and AWESOME they dont expire!) as for the night tremors im so sorry! that sounds terrible. as for books i loved "the giving tree" but now reading it as an adult it's got me thinking the boy in the book is pretty greedy! ah well Vi loves it. xo jillian – cornflake dreams

    Reply

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Five on Friday!


Another insane week y’all. Sorry for scraping up some photos from my phone but this is all I’ve got…

one. I snapped this picture on our way out the door for church last Sunday. Thomas is wearing 9 month pants because he’s outgrown all of his non-jeans church clothes. I can’t keep up with clothes and shoes for these kiddos. They’ve almost outgrown their entire winter wardrobe but I can’t bring myself to buy more cold weather clothes with spring right around the corner! They are growing like weeds!

two. One of the kiddo’s teachers is going through a difficult time, so in lieu of a card we brought her a jar of Chocolate Hugs and attached a note. With Valentines Day around the corner I wanted to share this idea because it could also serve as a cute but low effort (and inexpensive) teacher v-day gift.


 

three. Last weekend Matt and I snuck away for our first date night of the year. We decided to try a new place for Restaurant Week and decided to go with Fran’s Filling Station. This was probably the best Restaurant Week experience we’ve ever had — the food was delicious, the service was excellent and it was a great deal too! All 6 courses were amazing but I still can’t stop thinking about the bacon wrapped tater tots.


four. Matt is very opinionated about the candles we burn in the house so I had to share the Endless Weekend 3-wick from B&BW which is his (and my) new favorite. It makes our home smell so fresh and clean despite the piles of dirty clothes, full diaper pails and crackers smushed throughout the house. The soap is pretty darn awesome too.


five.  Thank goodness for HelloFresh otherwise we would have lived off of cereal this week. Our favorite meal of the week was the Rapid Beef Stir-Fry (because, um, RAPID!!), but I’m sharing my second favorite because it’s a simple and inexpensive meal you can easily create at home — Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos. This is such a delicious twist on taco night! The avocado crema is insanely good and I loved how the sweet potatoes are glazed with honey!!! Make these tacos next week and thank me later!

**Want to try HelloFresh? Use promo code MG8GKD for $40 off your first box!






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  1. Brenda @ Chatting Over Chocolate says

    Happy Friday! What a sweet pic of your adorable kiddos! Chocolate is always a good idea. 😉 I'm sure that teacher appreciated and enjoyed it! Hooray for your date night! Hope the weekend to come is just as fantastic for you! xo – Brenda // ChattingOverChocolate.com

    Reply

  3. Emily Krause says

    I'm in the same boat with my kids' clothes! It's times like this I'm grateful for Florida weather. It's warm all year round, so I don't have that awkward time between seasons and sizes like I did when we lived in Minnesota. Also, those tacos look amazing!

    Reply

  4. Donna Hicks says

    Totally agree with you on keeping up with the kids' clothing. So hard with 2 littles! My 7 month old is outgrowing 12 month clothing and I really don't want to restock winter weather clothing for such a short amount of time!

    Reply

  5. Jacqui German says

    I looooooooooooove endless weekend! I use it pretty exclusively at the beach house all summer so whenever I pull out my travel size for weekend trips it takes me right back to the shore 🙂 Definitely going to buy that candle! Happy Friday to you 4!!

    Reply

  6. Lisa says

    Your kids are so cute and love how your little girl is pointing at the camera for the selfie. B&BW candles are the BEST!!! Thanks for sharing Endless Weekend…we need a few new ones. Fresh Balsam is my all time fave❤️. Happy Friday!

    Reply

  7. Kristi Griedl says

    I love that candle – smells so yummy! I bet having date night refreshed your week 🙂 Your kiddos are so cute!Happilyevergriedlscom.wordpress.com

    Reply

  9. Elenie Counts says

    Beautiful family! Love the mason jar of with hugs, may need to borrow that idea. Y'all have a great weekend. ?

    Reply

  10. Leslie says

    Those meal suggestions sound great! I also love the jar of Hershey hugs; such a sweet idea! Hope your weekend is a little calmer. 🙂

    Reply

  12. Lindsay at Lindsay'sSweetWorld says

    I love B&BW candles, but I haven't tried that one! I'll have to remember to check it out next time I'm there!

    Reply

  14. Jennifer Pabst says

    Love the jar of hugs, cute teacher gift!Oh my gosh- bacon wrapped tater tots?! Yes, please.I will have to check out that candle from B&BW. I love almost every scent from that store.Jenjpabstfitness.com

    Reply

  16. Katie {Miss Dixie} says

    Love the teacher gift idea, I'm definitely stealing that for Valentine's Day! You almost have me convinced to start hello fresh- literally, almost! Haven't pulled the trigger yet. 🙂

    Reply

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Five on Friday!

Happy first Friday of 2017! I am so very excited to continue our Five on Friday link-up in 2017 with two of my best blog friends — April and Natasha! We are so grateful for all of you who link up with us each week and for all of you who stop by to read!

Want to join us for the Friday fun? All you have to do is…

1.) Write your post about five things you’re lovin’ this week (or any five things you want to share!).
2.) Share the logo on your blog and link back.
3.) Link-up at the bottom of the post so some new readers can check out your five things and say hello!

Let’s dive right in…

one. Matt pulled off a pretty amazing Christmas present for me. He consulted with one of my girlfriends to pick out the perfect pair of duck boots. And you know who was just as excited as me when I opened them? Caroline. I had just purchased a pair of duck boots on Black Friday for her and she couldn’t believe we now have matchy matchy boots.

two. My sister is super picky when it comes to athletic wear. So when she texted me to say she finally found an (affordable) sports bra that she really liked I drove straight to Target and picked a few up. I love the strappy racerback style and the removeable cups. For those of you with fitness goals, I highly recommend stocking up on this C9 sports bra right now during Target’s buy 1 get 1 50% off sale!

three. A few months ago I picked up the cutest shawl vest for my sister from one of my favorite boutiques, Ivy & Leo. And ever since I’ve wanted one for myself! And then I waited too long and all my favorite colors sold out. So when Ivy & Leo contacted me and asked if I wanted to review one of their new spring colors I jumped right on that and picked the sage shawl vest. I love this piece so much because you can style it dressy or casual, it’s only $29 and it comes in 9 colors. Also, this vest showed up to our Christmas gift exchange and was stolen three times and fought over big time. So hurry and pick up your spring shawl vest now from Ivy & Leo! PS – my shoes are also from Ivy & Leo but I think they are sold out online now.

So cute!

four. We took a break from HelloFresh over the holidays but are back in the swing of things so I started our deliveries back up. I forgot how much I love the convenience of coming home from work and not having to wonder what I’m going to make for dinner. And because I think HelloFresh missed me, they gave me a promo code to give FOUR of my friends a FREE box of HelloFresh meals! I’d be happy to send the first 4 readers to leave their email address in the comments a free week of HelloFresh to try! 

Want to try HelloFresh? Use promo code MG8GKD for $40 off your first box! That means you can try out HelloFresh for $29 and then cancel after your box arrives or keep on going.

five. POLL! I have a random question for you. Do you run your dishwasher every night or do you wait until it’s full?




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Comments

  9. Alicia Rowland says

    Omg those boots.. too cute!!! If you're looking to resale caroline's, remember your tiny tot friend here in Concord!! Haha currently just growing out of some size 5 at 2.5yrs lol

    Reply

  11. Life as the Mrs. says

    That shawl vest is ADORABLE! I need that. And I totally run my dishwasher every night. It's almost always pretty full, so I need to. But there's just something about checking that off my list every night that makes the OCD person in me a bit calmer. 😉

    Reply

  13. Rachel Emily says

    I love that shawl vest so much!! Last time you post about it they didn't have any colors I liked yet, I'll have to go see if that changed! We run our dishwasher when its full but now that you mention it, every day sort of makes more sense in my mind!

    Reply

  14. Heather @ Heathers Hurrah says

    We run our dishwasher when it's full 🙂 Which ends up being about every second day. Cute duck boots – love that they match! That vest is gorgeous on you, too!

    Reply

  15. Jen says

    I love the duck boots…so cute! I love the shawl vest so much I just bought the Indi. Peach one!! 🙂 We run our dishwasher when it's full but ours is generally full every night! Happy Friday!!

    Reply

  16. LHWinstead says

    Happy Friday!! I am loving the coordinating duck boots – too cute! I saw your Insta post on that shawl – might need to scoop that up, love it!

    Reply

  19. Amanda says

    We usually wait until the dishwasher is full – which is generally every other day (1 year old and 3 year old over here)!

    Reply

  20. Lauren @ Oh Hey! I Like That! says

    If I had it my way, we'd run it every night, but typically we wait until it's full 🙂

    Reply

  21. Donna says

    Those matching boots are adorable! I don't have a dishwasher but I do wash the dishes almost as soon as they're dirty! I hate a sink full of dirty dishes!

    Reply

  22. Christina says

    I LIVE in those bras. They are so so comfy. Love the duck boots. They're essential up here. Yall will look adorable in them.

    Reply

  25. Hanging with the Hirsts says

    Love those duck boots and so adorable y'all are matching! We run our dishwasher when it's full but it's also just me and my husband. When my parents come to town it's full about every day!

    Reply

  26. Robbin Writes says

    We run ours once or twice a week since there are just two of us. Usually we'll run it on my "cooking nights" (aka non leftover/eating out/I-don't-feel-like-cooking-so-popcorn-for-dinner nights). Otherwise, we handwash. That said, we don't have two little ones using up lots of dishes 🙂

    Reply

  28. Crystal says

    I run mine 1-2 times a day, when it's full. We go through a lot of dishes! I found the Columbia sports bra on Amazon. it's $7 and I've ordered 3! They are low impact but I do full body workouts and hold up my B cups nicely! 🙂 Very comfy!

    Reply

  29. Jenny says

    We run our dishwasher every night so it's ready to be unloaded first thing in the morning. It's usually full or close to.

    Reply

  32. Sara Elizabeth Miller says

    I wait until the dishwasher is full, usually! That sports bra is adorable… and I love you and C in your matching boots!!

    Reply

  33. Jessica says

    I wait until the dishwasher is full! With just my husband and I, that makes the most sense. Growing up, my mom ran hers just about every night because with a whole family it filled up quickly! 🙂

    Reply

  34. Laura Darling says

    Love the boots, and so cute that you two match!! We run out dishwasher only when it's full, but then again, there's only two of us and no kids yet, so we don't have a ton of dishes!

    Reply

  36. Owen Davis @ Davis Duo says

    Girl those Target sports bras are my absolute fav!! I've had mine for years and years and they hold up so well! We wait until ours is full to run it but with a new babe coming in 9 weeks I think it will be daily for sure!

    Reply

  37. Chelsea and Jon says

    We used to run our dishwasher only when full, but then would somehow end up with half a loaf stuck in the sink waiting for the dishwasher (or to be washed by hand), so we try to run it each night, and it's almost full (I stopped washing sippy cups and bottles by hand to fill it up).

    Reply

  38. Lauren {at} Life.Love.Lauren says

    I wait till it is full, but then again, it is just my husband and I which makes a difference. I may have to explore that sports bra! I am a DD and I can't seem to find anything great that is affordable! Happy new year!

    Reply

  39. Melissa says

    With a three year old and 1.5 year old twins…we run it every single night! Excited to take a look at that vest…thanks!

    Reply

  41. Babina868 says

    We run ours when full. Which is often twice a day. But I'm home all day with a 3 year old and an 8-month-old baby on formula and I cook a lot. When I worked full time we ran it about every other day.

    Reply

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Five on Friday!


It’s FRIDAY! I flew to LA yesterday for work and am en route back home this morning. Someone pass the coffee…and then the wine when I finally land tonight. Since I had a late night event and am 3 hours behind in sleep, you get Four on Friday!

one // My friend McKinsey hosted the girls at her house for a photography class last weekend! The photographer who taught the class was SO good and even had a PowerPoint Presentation followed by lots of guided practice! I am so pumped that I finally know how to change some of the settings on my camera to shoot in manual. Now if I can find some time to practice…

two // Last weekend we filled our freezer with a large batch of delicious chili. Caroline was so excited to “help” dump all the cans into the pot for me so naturally she needed a pic with her masterpiece.

three // Something really awesome happened to me in the Instagram world. Charlotte Parent recently published an article on 10 Charlotte Moms and Dads You Should Be Following on Instagram and listed ME as #2!!!! Never in my life did I think I’d be ranked next to GREG OLSEN! EEEEP! 

Pleated Twead Dress on major SALE // Flannel Shirt — HALF OFF! // Toms Desert Wedge Booties — on SALE

four // Matt and I recently went on a shopping spree at J.Crew Mercantile. We brought the kids with us which meant we had exactly 12 minutes to shop, try on clothes and check out before getting kicked out of the store. For this trip we decided to divide the kids and conquer. I was assigned to Caroline which I thought was the better end of the deal until she decided she wanted to pull every sale sign off the shelf, unfold every cardigan within reach and  run between the mannequin legs. Oh, and at one point I intercepted her trying to slip a necklace into my purse. So anyway, I did something out of desperation – I just grabbed an outfit straight off a model in the window and called it a day. And I couldn’t be happier. Honestly, I would have never created this outfit myself but I love it.

Happy weekend!

***To link up this week, visit Natasha or April’s blog!






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Comments

  1. Lizzie Simantz says

    I literally laughed out loud at the having 12 minutes to shop when with your kids! Ha ha that is soooo true!! Very cute outfit!

    Reply

  5. Allison Mica says

    Way to go C! You are the best person to follow on all of social media. Loved seeing your sweet sister this past week. XO

    Reply

  7. Hanging with the Hirsts says

    Congrats on your instagram shout out!! That's so awesome!! That photography class sounds like a blast!! Have a great weekend 🙂

    Reply

  8. E Hayes says

    Awesome about the feature and thanks for sharing it! I just moved to the Charlotte area at the end of September and have been trying to follow more local bloggers to get the low down on all the things there are to do/experience around here. Congrats!

    Reply

  9. Sara Elizabeth says

    What an awesome week despite the crazy work schedule/madness!! You're definitely one of my favorite blogs to follow… and I'm not in Charlotte! 😉 Love that dress on you – it's perfect for fall!!

    Reply

  10. Laura Darling says

    A photography class sounds like such a fun idea! And what a crazy work trip. I hope you can relax this weekend!

    Reply

  11. Courtney says

    That photography class is a great idea! Learning with friends seems much less intimidating than going to a classroom with strangers.

    Reply

  15. Longwell Kort says

    What a great pair of running tights. Finding a quality pair of work out gear that are not between forty and fifty dollars is very hard to come by. Then finding cheaper tights that will hold up for run and run let alone the first ten minutes is even harder.

    Reply

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Five on Friday!

Happy Friday!

{supper cluuuuuuuuuuuub}

one. Last week my friend Meghan hosted Supper Club in her pretty home! All the ladies had a great time!

two. These two minis…always, always playing together. Throughout the past few months at daycare drop-off and pick-up Caroline has been super territorial over her Thomas. Her classmates love baby Thomas and always run over to say hello and Caroline makes it very clear that he is all hers. I also love that they’ve been playing together on the playground.

Note: hands in pockets. Kills me.

When I receive these pictures from their teachers I literally want to pack up my bag and sprint to daycare and hug them.

three. Check out our Ikea table makeover! Just kidding. This is my good friend McKinsey’s latest DIY. She took a plain Ikea Children’s table and gave it an incredible makeover!

 

I so wish our table and chairs looked this good. The reality is our set is completely stained with food and marker. But McKinsey’s tables make me want to break out my paint!

four. Earlier this week I rallied five of my mama friends for a play date to go see Bad Moms at Studio Movie Grill! We all agreed the movie was definitely a must-see for mamas and it had us all laughing the entire time. We also agreed SMG was the best theater venue for the movie so we could order appetizers, dinner, dessert and cocktails throughout the film.

A huge thanks to SMG for providing me tickets to Bad Moms!

Yep, we partied like moms!

 

five. Next month I turn 30! It’s hard to believe this milestone is already upon us because I’ve been planting a seed for a 30th birthday destination vacation since I turned 28 (ha!). Matt took note and is whisking me away to Jamaica in a few weeks for FOUR nights! We booked our vacation forever ago in January and now that it’s almost here I need to start thinking about things to bring.

So here’s where I need some help — the last time we spent this much time together was our honeymoon! The only thing I know for sure we’re bringing so far is lots of adult, two player games including Uno, Table Topics, Phase Ten, Skip Bo and Bananagrams!

So tell me about your favorite:


2. A strong mosquito repellent with deet to avoid Zika! Wipes? Bracelets? Spray?

3. Beach reads! I haven’t read a book in 25 months sooooo…

—-

Wanna join April, Natasha and I on the Friday fun? You can link-up on any of our four blogs every Friday! All you have to do is…

1.) Write your post about five things you’re lovin’ this week (or any five things you want to share!).

2.) Share the logo on your blog and link back. 

3.) Link-up at the bottom of the post so some new readers can check out your five things and say hello!

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG


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Comments

  1. PicturealmostPerfect says

    Love it! I turn 30 next year and my husband has been hinting towards me to escape! Too funny! Jamaica is awesome so excited for you! Also I haven't read in longer unless a textbook counts so no help there. Happy Friday!

    Reply

  2. Amanda Bullard says

    Oh my I feel so old! I'll be 35 this year and I doubt I'll go anywhere LOL! So why can't my little town (Winston-Salem) have a great theater like that?!? I have a GNO date next week to see that movie but of course we lack in good theaters. Love the pride Caroline has in her brother its precious! And the cool part is it sticks! xoxoxo

    Reply

  3. Alexis Fetterman says

    As soon as I bought our kids ikea table I instantly gave it a makeover to avoid good, crayon, and marker stains. It really is easy. I stained it and use wrapping paper under plexiglass for the chairs and table top. We switch out the wrapping paper every so often. ?

    Reply

  5. Bekah Walsh says

    Jamaica is amazing—you'll have a great time! I actually didn't notice many mosquitoes when I went, so hopefully it won't be a problem for you guys. Bookwise, Varina Denman's mended hearts trilogy is amazing (Jaded, Justified, Jilted)—the best I've read in Christian fiction in a long time!

    Reply

  6. LHWinstead says

    I love that you do a supper club with your friends!! I want to get one started with mine – sounds like a blast!! Jamaica?? Yes, please!! Hope yall have a fantastic time!

    Reply

  9. Olivia - Parton the Interruption says

    Have so much fun!! We took an anniversary trip to the Dominican Republic a few weeks ago and it was amazing. I am loving all books by Liane Moriarty (The Husbands Secret, What Alice Forgot, Big Little Lies). They are all so so so good. I took Off Deep Woods and we sprayed after you put on sunscreen, I just googled when to apply if applying both. No bugs at all! Resorts are spraying but I didn't want to take any chances. We went to Jamaica on our honeymoon a few years ago and also used an Off clip on repeller. It's like a mini fan that has filters with repellent in it. It was perfect!!!! I highly recommend getting off deep woods and the off clip on repeller. Again, have so so so much fun!!

    Reply

  10. April of A. Liz Adventures says

    Every single one of your girlfriends is BEAUTIFUL … good gracious! I love that y'all got out to see that movie. I can't wait to see it! (single serve wine bottle, here I come)

    Reply

  11. Sarah Wartenberg says

    Ultrathon 34% DEET insect repellent (found at sporting good stores), I went on an African safari and this is the repellent they advised we get. It's a little stinky since it's a higher concentration of DEET but I got zero bug bites. As for good reads I just finished Sweetbitter (Stephanie Danler) and it was amazing, I would also recommend Modern Lovers (Emma Straub)!!! Hope you have a wonderful trip!!

    Reply

  12. S LZ says

    Repel Insect Repellent Sportmen Max 40% Deet is my go-to this summer. I've only gotten bitten when I wasn't wearing it….ugh. I bought it on Amazon (with Prime) and there is also a travel size for flying! It smells a bit, but I find all high Deet products do. For books – I just finished Mary Kay Andrews newest book The Weekenders on my vacation a few weeks ago! Have fun!

    Reply

  13. furmangirl08 says

    So I'm a big believer in Consumer Reports and I bookmarked this article from a few weeks ago because I'm going to the Dominican Republic in December and Zika is also active there! http://www.consumerreports.org/insect-repellents/mosquito-repellents-that-best-protect-against-zika/For beach reads – I love Me Before You and After You by JoJo Moyes (both are AMAZING reads but a bit controversial) and The Husband's Secret and Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. Every book by Sophie Kinsella are also great beach reads (Shopaholic series, etc.) and you can typically get most of her books in bargain paperback form so they're cheaper, smaller, and easier to carry to the beach!

    Reply

  14. Zelle B. says

    WE just got back from the Bahamas and I read three pretty good books – The Rumor and Silver Girl (both by Elin Hildebrand) and then Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger – liked the Hildebrand books the best but Everyone Worth Knowing was okay too! Hope you enjoy your trip!ZelleSouthern Style

    Reply

  15. Georgia Glam says

    I'm taking note of everyone's book recommendations, I too haven't read a book in forever! I have read that all OFF brands protect against zika. Also, OFF makes a TSA approved size!! We're going to Mexico in October for our 1 year 🙂 and we're attempting to do just carry-ons since its a 4 night trip. So I have done tons of "tsa approved" research!

    Reply

  16. Penny Struebig says

    Don't forget to take Yahtzee! The last trip my husband and I took to Cancun we played on the side of the pool while sipping an adult cocktail. So fun! And I just finished reading Before the Fall. Loved it!

    Reply

  18. Lindsay at Lindsay'sSweetWorld says

    First Comes Love by Emily Giffin, and Me Before You and After You by JoJo Moyes. I've read all three this summer and loved them all!

    Reply

  19. Mary Leigh says

    The hands in pockets does it. And hooray for a 30th trip! I might need to start planting similar seeds soon!

    Reply

  20. Caley-Jade Rosenberg says

    The hands in the pockets – absolutely killing me!!! You look so gorgeous friend and I am so excited for your 30th trip… yippee yay! I have a few book reviews on my blog – have read some amazing books lately x

    Reply

  22. Unknown says

    Christina- so jealous and intrigued of supper club! We live a super small town that my husand grew up in but I'm totally new to. I know you were once new to Charlotte too! How'd you organize supper club/ meet so many girlfriends?! Please share the deets with all of us envious but hopeful ladies! XO.

    Reply

  24. Alysa Friesen says

    I'm so curious about your supper club! How does it work? How often do you do it? Is it just your girlfriends? It looks like so much fun!

    Reply

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Five on Friday!

We have one heck of a celebratory weekend ahead! Today is Matt’s birthday and Monday is Thomas’ birthday!

one. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MATT! I LOVE YOU!

 

two. My sister got promoted at work! To celebrate I sent a Piñatagram to her office. How fun is that colorful piñata!? And it is filled with…wait for it…CANDY! I just discovered pinatagrams and think they are the coolest surprise ever to receive in the mail. The piñata arrives outside of a box with a custom message and is the happiest little gift.

three. I confess I have a bit of an obsession with delicious smelling hand soap. I usually stock up on soaps from Bath & Body Works when they run ridiculous sales. Anyway, Matt could care less what our soaps smell like so I thought it was worth mentioned to you all that he recently declared he has an all time favorite hand soap scent – Sea Salt Citrus. Normally I don’t go as far as fruity or citrusy soaps but this one, oh man, it really is THE best scent of ALL TIME. And for Matt to notice, that says a lot! It’s on sale at B&BW for $3.25 right now but if you miss the boat or want this soap within the next two days you can find it here too.

four. One of my favorite things to share on the blog is new products! I recently received a coupon to try out Johnsonville’s new chicken kabobs. I actually had no idea that Johnsonville made more than sausage so I was interested to see what their new chicken kabobs were all about. The flavorful line includes four varieties including lemon and herb, teriyaki, sweet BBQ and sweet chili lime. I picked up the lemon and herb flavor for our 4th of July grill out! The convenience of purchasing marinaded kabobs just a few hours before our party was so nice! We threw them on the grill with some hotdogs and everyone was really impressed with how tasty they were! I am definitely going to try out the other flavors next!

“I naughty” – Caroline Grace (during a conversation about her recent bed time bad habit)

five. HELP! We have been going through a new ummm “phase” with Caroline recently that I am desperate for some advice on. On a good night we get Caroline to bed around 7:30 pm’ish. Most nights she will stay up for almost two hours singing to her dolls, playing with her stuffed animals, asking for water, screaming “I looooooove yoooouuu” and so on. All that is fine and we just ignore her until she falls asleep, usually around 9 pm. However, things have taken a turn for the worst the past few weeks. Once Caroline has run out of things to do in her crib she’s been stripping herself out of her pajamas and removing her diaper. She thinks it’s hilarious until she needs to potty and pees in her crib. Then she cries and screams for us until we go in, strip her bed, redress her and tuck her back in. Talking to her about it in a calm (or not so calm) voice doesn’t phase her, zipping her up backwards in onesie jammies didn’t work and I don’t think she’d care enough about a reward system by the next morning. Has anyone else gone through this and have any tricks or advice? We are not above creative bribery! HELP!

—-

Wanna join April, Natasha and I on the Friday fun? You can link-up on any of our four blogs every Friday! All you have to do is…

1.) Write your post about five things you’re lovin’ this week (or any five things you want to share!).

2.) Share the logo on your blog and link back. 

3.) Link-up at the bottom of the post so some new readers can check out your five things and say hello!

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG


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Comments

  1. Rachel Emily says

    Pinatagrams sounds like the most fun mail, ever! And only $20?! What will they think of next? I'm sorry you're having a rough time with Caroline right now. I've never parented a toddler so I've got zero advice BUT I do have encouragement so hang in there mama! This stage won't last forever and you'll find a solution!!

    Reply

  2. Kathleen says

    Both my kids did that. Who knows why. My daughter wore zip up pjs. We literally duct taped the top of her pjs and duct tape her diaper. It sounds crazy but it prevented her from getting the pjs and the diaper off. Good luck. This too shall pass. I promise.

    Reply

  4. Danielle Siero says

    First off… whats a pinatagram!? I want one!! <>. Second sorry to hear about your bedtime woes. Have you tried using a cloth diaper cover over the diaper? One with snaps? While it won't prevent her from stripping… it may at least keep her diaper on? Good luck!!

    Reply

  5. Megan says

    Loving this piñata gram thing!!!!! Cannot wait to send one!!!! And who knew Johnsonville had chicken options – so great! As for Caroline, I nannied for a family a few years ago in the same situation. Their sweet little girl was the same age as Caroline and did the same thing – so, it was duct tape to the rescue. Duct tape the diaper and little fingers can't grab the tabs. The backwards pjs helped as log as they still had the button clasp over the zipper part because she couldn't unbutton, only unzip. Good luck!!!!

    Reply

  6. Brittney Coburn says

    My daughter is two weeks younger than Caroline, and we just moved her bedtime from 7:30-8 to 8:30-9. She kind of told us she was ready for a later bedtime. She's reasonably pleasant leading up to it and then falls asleep much quicker when we do put her in her crib.

    Reply

  7. Liz Jo says

    You know from the very beginning our child has always been an easy sleeper. HOWEVER, she has gone through phases where she decides what she wants to do instead of going to bed, and like Caroline one of it is the singing (or talking), and playing with toys. One thing that I've found works best for getting my daughter to sleep better is to wear her out. Sometimes we go over to the neighbors house to swim, sometimes it's crazy jumping/dancing for 15 minutes, something!Then another thing we've tried is "favorite clothes" She can pick out whatever combination of garish clothing she wants and wear that to bed, and usually she is more inclined on keeping it on. Although that ended up not working as well as I hoped, since now she wants to wear them ALL THE TIME! So we have to have back up favorites too. With the favorites clothing she is less likely to take them off.We've also pushed bed time back as well. My usual guide is 12 hours after she's woken up for the day, regardless of nap time, unless nap time didn't happen then it's usually about 10 hours. And that has helped with the reduced amount of time that she's up in her crib.Does it matter what diaper Caroline wears to bed? We tried for one night to switch Sophie into pull ups instead of diapers so they wouldn't rip as easily when she tried to open them (and then she refused to wear diapers, good thing we're potty training). I found those were really helpful in stopping diaper openings.could reducing the amount of toys and babies she has in there help? Or having soothing music play? We've always rocked our daughter before putting her in the crib and then playing her nighttime song and sometimes that helps…sometimes.All in all, I hope some of these work for you. And sorry for writing a novel!

    Reply

  9. Hanging with the Hirsts says

    Happy Birthday to Matt and Thomas!! Can't believe Thomas will be 1! Those pinatagrams are so adorable 🙂

    Reply

  12. Christina says

    that picture of caroline is too cute! and i'm so glad you posted about the pinatagram. amazing idea!

    Reply

  14. Sara says

    Love the pinatagram. How cute! And Happy Birthday to Matt and Thomas!On the bedtime issue, have you tried maybe cutting her nap down or even out completely? I know that sounds crazy, but my oldest did this around 2.5. We cut out his nap and he went to bed much better because he was so tired from the day. Even now (he's 7), he requires less sleep than anyone in our house. We call him the Energizer Bunny because he.never.stops. I also agree with wearing them out before bedtime. Maybe have Caroline run races with you when y'all take your evening wagon stroll?? Or dance along side you as you pull Thomas in the wagon?? I also noticed with my kids that they seemed to get a huge burst of energy after their baths. No idea why. But, we moved their bath times up and it helped as well. Good luck! It's amazing how many "phases" kids go through…. 🙂

    Reply

  15. Kate says

    I can't believe I'd never heard of Pinatagrams – I just sent one to a friend for her birthday. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  16. Genevieve Hughes Graham says

    How cute is that sweet picture with the bow bigger than her?! Love. it! Also, hunting down that soap!Have a great weekend! Genevievewww.makinamama.com

    Reply

  17. Cupcakes and Curls says

    We have that soap in our kitchen and I've already bought more just in case it disappears! I have no advice for the sleeping drama but I'm loving the suggestions for duct tape. My daughter is Caroline's age and LOVES to whip her diaper off and run around peeing on the floor when I take my eyes off her for two seconds. So glad I'm not the only one with diaper drama! Her pouty picture is just precious.

    Reply

  18. Vanessa says

    Hope yall have a great weekend celebrating! And I've had several friends who have resorted to duct taping their little's diapers on. Sounds crazy, but it works! When Arden started staying up in her room for hours, we eventually moved her bedtime back a little and that definitely helped. Good luck!!! 🙂

    Reply

  19. Caley-Jade Rosenberg says

    How cute is that pinatagram?? Oh no friend, I would be at a complete loss with little Caroline?! I am so sorry!! x

    Reply

  20. Unknown says

    When my kids started doing this…being awake far past when they normally went to sleep…it meant they were outgrowing the need for an afternoon nap. Some of my kids were 3-4 and still needing a nap, and others were around age 2 that they stopped napping.

    Reply

  22. Loren Lately says

    I was going to say try the pajamas on backwards but if that didn't work… YIKES. I am not sure. Good luck and keep us posted how things turn out.

    Reply

  23. Julie @ Just the Joy's says

    Piñata gram is so fun! Thanks for sharing! I'm sorry to hear about the new bed time phase with Caroline. Although that picture is adorable! 😉 I haven't experienced such a thing (yet) but I'd have to agree with the duct tape suggestion and/or a later bedtime! Good luck! Happy birthday to Matt and Thomas!

    Reply

  24. cekharris says

    Have you tried a sleep sack? I know it seems crazy, but we kept our oldest in one until she was almost 3. I swear it helped her not try to climb out, and she never got the opportunity to take off her diaper! When she got crafty and could wiggle her foot out of it, we put it on her backwards! Good luck!

    Reply

  25. Amanda Goins says

    First off, Happy Birthday to Matt & Thomas! Secondly, the diaper thing, we are going through the same thing with our Son, 18 months. We have started potty training (no real success yet) him, just accustoming him to the potty, sitting still, etc. I would highly recommend starting her now and getting her interested in a potty, with stickers as a reward.

    Reply

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Five on Friday!

I haven’t been this extra excited for a Friday in a looooong time! Tomorrow Caroline turns TWO and we have the very best weekend ahead. This morning we off for our annual birthday breakfast with Caroline at her favorite place for pancakes – IHOP! And this afternoon I am surprising her with cupcakes for a little class party too. She totally understands it’s her birthday weekend. All week she’s been walking by the dining room table which is covered in party stuff and pointing and squealing “Caroline’s birthday party!!!!” She’s also telling everyone she is SIX. I have no idea where she got that from but we are working on “two.”

Also exciting, Lindsey, Ryan and Jackson are surprising Caroline for her birthday and arrive this evening! I am even more excited that I get to spend Lindsey’s first Mother’s Day with her.

In non-birthday news (since I’ll be flooding my blog with all things birthday next week), we had a really fun week, despite Thomas being down with a little bug and staying home from school one day with a  fever.

one. This past weekend we trekked out to Davidson with some of our best friends to have dinner at a restaurant that’s been on our bucket list for quite some time – Kindred! We made our reservation six weeks in advance so the countdown had been going on for awhile.

Our double daters – John & Lisa!

two. I am pretty impressed with how long my spray tan I got for May’s wedding has lasted. The pictures above are from day 10!! It’s starting to fade pretty fast now but I’ve been able to touch it up with my favorite sunless tanner – Tanwise! If you’re like me and have zero time to sunbathe (sigh, those were the days) I highly recommend trying this amazing product. The picture below is from my first application last year and you can see the huge difference. Also, for easier (and cleaner) application, I really love Tan Towels but I go through them too quickly and they can be pricey.

three. One of my very, very, very best friends came to town this weekend and I was able to snag TWO dates with her to catch up and see her little man, Wells! She always refreshes me in a way I can’t describe, she’s just so good for the soul and I’ve missed her every day since she moved from Charlotte.

four. I’m always the last one to the makeup party but thought I’d share my favorite new eye brow pencil discovery – Anastasia Brow Wiz! It comes in several colors and has been a good switch up from my old faithful – Benefit Brow Zings. Without the help of a pencil, my eye brows are pretty patchy and light so penciling them in is a must for me! I also grabbed an extra pencil for a small Mother’s Day treat my sissy.

five. Last but not least, this week I had the opportunity to try out instacart, a really awesome same-day grocery delivery service! I was really impressed with the store options in my area. From Costco, BJs, Publix, Whole Foods, Food Lion and Harris Teeter, there are lots of grocery stores to shop from. The groceries are more expensive (in my opinion) than I would pay in store, but for a quick two hour turn around I will definitely use this on days I’m stuck home with the kiddos and am out of our staples.

I used instacart to pick up some hot dog bar party supplies and drinks for Caroline’s party!

Wanna join April, Natasha and I on the Friday fun? You can link-up on any of our four blogs every Friday! All you have to do is…

1.) Write your post about five things you’re lovin’ this week (or any five things you want to share!).

2.) Share the logo on your blog and link back. 

3.) Link-up at the bottom of the post so some new readers can check out your five things and say hello!

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG


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Comments

  1. Amanda @ A Brownie World says

    Love that she is telling everyone she is 6! My son tells everyone he is 4 and he is 3! I want to check out that spot in Davidson too, I love that little town, very cute! Yay for lunches with a bestie – they are the best 🙂 Happy birthday partying weekend.

    Reply

  3. Ashley Carole (Sweet Carolina Belle) says

    Oh two hour delivery is spoiling me! We have been using Amazon Now and I feel so extravagant having ice cream and cookies delivered to our door. Hope you have an amazing Mother's Day weekend!

    Reply

  4. Hanging with the Hirsts says

    Have so much fun celebrating Caroline's 2nd birthday and Mother's Day!! That is so special your sister and BIL will be able to come and surprise Caroline!!

    Reply

  5. Jo says

    We did hot dog bar for Lawter's Mickey party last weekend too! Fan favorites were the coleslaw and banana peppers. Have a great party weekend!!

    Reply

  6. Leslie says

    I hope Caroline has a wonderful birthday! I think it is hilarious how she is saying she's going to be six! Also, great to know about that self-tanner. I am so pale that I will have to check that out!

    Reply

  7. Caley-Jade Rosenberg says

    You look gorgeous my friend – with this brows and the tan!! I hope you are all having the best birthday weekend x

    Reply

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Five on Friday!

I’ve been meaning to write a “life lately” post to share some of our most recent happenings but instead I’ll condense it into the top 5 today!

– one – I am happy to report we are still sticking to our new year’s resolution to escape from the kiddos for a monthly date night. Last Friday we tried a new restaurant, Comida, that I’d been dyyyyying to try in one of our favorite neighborhoods. It was somewhat difficult to get a reservation since it’s only been open for two weeks so we gladly accepted an early dinner. It was sooooooo good. The margaritas were served on snow cone ice, we enjoyed some yummy nachos and the taco choices were unreal. We will definitely be back! After dinner we decided to walk down the street to a new bar, The Workman’s Friend, for a fancy prosecco cocktail for me and a whisky drink for Matt on the patio. Our last stop of the night was at our old stomping grounds – Whiskey Warehouse. Apologies if you were still viewing my snap chats at this point. Ha! It was a super fun night out!  

– two – We celebrated Supper Club at Lisa’s house this month on St. Patty’s Day! She is the best hostess!

For dinner she made quinoa stuffed peppers and pear salad. She’s made this exact meal for my family after Thomas was born and it is super duper delicious. For dessert she baked a homemade hummingbird cake too!

– four – In bittersweet news, I am saying goodbye to my beloved Jetta. After some fun years of whipping around the city in my compact ride we are turning it back in. We leased this car three years ago thinking we might be pregnant or have one munchkin towards the end of the lease. Ha! Two kiddos later my backseat is at max capacity with two ginormous car seats and a trunk just big enough to hold my stroller. And with the exception of daycare drop-off and pick up (half a mile from the house), we don’t normally take my car anywhere with both kids. True story, I’ve put less than 8K miles on my car in 3 years! We know VW makes really safe cars too (which is why we originally picked the Jetta) but after Matt’s accident we just prefer to tote the kiddos around in his monster truck. 

We really weren’t sure what to purchase for our second car. Would we bite the bullet and get the inevitable minivan? Or would we still try and pretend we’re cool for a few more years? We just didn’t know! And seriously, minivans are so dang expensive!!! Anyway, it was perfect timing that Matt’s parents were getting ready to purchase a new car and they offered to sell us his mom’s car at a suuuuuper incredible deal that we quickly said “YES!!!!!!” to. We are so grateful and will absolutely be driving my sweet new ride until the wheels fall off.

– five – We just started our HelloFresh deliveries back up! We skipped a few deliveries while my mom was here post-surgery and while things were a little wild. I’m technically still not supposed to be doing much in the kitchen but Matt is a super hubby and does most of the work. So here is my recent most favorite HelloFresh meal – Fiesty Fiesta Fish Tacos with grapefruit, avocado and cabbage slaw! And you can make them yourself! Just search for the recipe on their website!

Want to try HelloFresh? Use promo code MG8GKD for $40 off your first box! That means you can try out HelloFresh for $29 and then cancel after your box arrives or keep on going.

Also, I received another promo code to give my friends a FREE box of HelloFresh meals! I’d be happy to send the first FOUR people to leave their email address in the comments a free week of HelloFresh to try!

– bonus – Couldn’t stop at five! A few weekends ago I got to celebrate April’s little babe on the way! Her shower couldn’t have been any sweeter and April looked gorgeous. I absolutely cannot wait for this baby to arrive!

Wanna join April, Natasha and I on the Friday fun? You can link-up on any of our four blogs every Friday! All you have to do is…

1.) Write your post about five things you’re lovin’ this week (or any five things you want to share!).

2.) Share the logo on your blog and link back. 

3.) Link-up at the bottom of the post so some new readers can check out your five things and say hello!

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Comments

  5. Courtney says

    I'd love a free box! Also, I'm in Charlotte for work for two weeks and have been using your blog as my guide to the city. Loved going to Cowfish last night – so glad I heard about it from you!

    Reply

    • Carolina Charm says

      What is your email? LOVE COWFISH!!!!! Hope you can go to Cabo Fish Taco too while you're here. One of my favorites! 🙂

      Reply

  7. Amanda says

    Ah! I was too slow to get the free box, but I'm thinking I'll have to use the code to try a box for 40 dollars off! Do you know if there are any limitations on where you live? I live in (far) northern Maine (like actually situated on the Canadian border), and am just wondering if they only ship to more populated areas?

    Reply

  9. Jess Deisher says

    Yay for the new car. I'm fairly new to your blog so I went and read about the accident and I'm so glad everyone was okay! I was in a head-on collision with someone who was texting and driving a few years ago. Scariest moment of my life for sure. Happy weekend girl!

    Reply

  11. A Carolina Mrs. says

    Happy Friday! Your supper club meal looks delicious. And what perfect timing on getting a new car! I bought a super sporty compact sedan last may and then found out we were pregnant two months later. Here's to hoping I can cram the stroller in the trunk for a couple more years.

    Reply

  12. Leslie says

    So exciting about your new car! I have a VW Beetle and a five month old…we are hoping to make it work until/if we have a second child. After that it won't work safely! Also, I will have to try those recipes!

    Reply

  13. Just Jess says

    I just got my first box of Hello Fresh so I'm excited to make those tacos this weekend! Jess at Just Jess

    Reply

  15. Rachel Noyes says

    I couldn't imagine two kids in my old sedan. My double stroller seems like it takes up 3/4 of my SUV trunk. I bought a used SUV before we had kids and kept telling the dealer it had a funky smell. No one else smelled it. Little did I know I was pregnant already and my super pregnancy nose was already working!

    Reply

  16. Jacqui German says

    so i've only been reading for 5/6 months, but i'd read about caroline's incident before (and holy crap i am petrified to have kids.. thank god she's okay) but i hadn't read about matt's accident yet! WOW. your family has certainly been tested AND blessed! thank you for sharing those stories with us – they must have been hard to re-live and write about! sending love for your weekend 🙂

    Reply

  17. Samma says

    I have an Audi wagon, so I get to zip around but still have room for the double stroller. However, I know my time is coming near for something bigger. Just not ready yet.

    Reply

  18. Mary Leigh says

    LOVE the new ride – what perfect timing! I'm driving a civic with just one car seat in the back and am really debating what our next car will be (but hoping to postpone until the wheels fall off of the current ride because car shopping – yuck!)

    Reply

  19. Sparkles and Lattes says

    I would love to try the Hello Fresh box. [email protected] your new car. So happy that you have something safe and big enough for your family. Love date nights and snow cone margaritas sound amazing.

    Reply

  20. Georgia Glam says

    Snow cone margs?? Girl you are speaking my love language! I can't wait to hear your review on your new Mercedes SUV – I've got a c-class and we have been thinking about upgrading to an SUV (potential baby seats and all) and we've been looking at either the M or the GLK! Have a great weekend!

    Reply

  21. Evelina says

    Congrats on your new ride! We will be car shopping very soon as well and are also in that "will be having kids soon but don't know how soon" stage. So… what to buy? Ah. I don't know. Evelina @ Fortunate House

    Reply

  24. Leah Garry says

    I'd love to try the hello fresh meals!! With 3 little girls ages 6 and under I could see this becoming something my husband and I could do together in the evenings after bedtime – at home date nights?! 🙂 [email protected] Leah Garry

    Reply

  25. Caley-Jade Rosenberg says

    I haven't been in the blogging world for a few weeks so just catching up now and sending a quick hi and sending love to you all sweet friend x

    Reply

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Five on Friday!

Our house is recovering from the stomach flu earlier this week. It’s been terrible. Thomas couldn’t keep anything down all last weekend so we took him to the doctor on Monday morning and found out he also has a double ear infection. He is so pitiful and will only sleep cuddled up on top of me or Matt, which is terrible timing considering my recovery. By Tuesday mom came down with the same thing and ended up pushing her flight home to this afternoon so she doesn’t expose dad to our virus. But we are finally on the mend and are looking forward to a healthy weekend ahead!

one. Now that we have an extra hour of sunlight and the weather is warmer we are starting our wagon ride routine back! There is something magical about the wagon that makes Caroline eat 80% more of dinner so I usually pack up her finger foods in a tupperware container and by the time we get home she’s finished her dinner (although a few pieces usually get thrown overboard). 

And because we have a long history of being too impatient to save gifts for the holidays, here are a few of our favorite Bella Tunno Easter basket items for the kiddos…

Hope Frog / Dream Bunny /  Orange Dinosaur Blanket / Pink Flamingo Blanket / Happy Knees / Animal Parade Bodysuit / Paci Clip

two. Last week my mom made us the most delicious Zesty Lime Fish Tacos (pre-stomach bug!!) and they were so awesome I have to share. Also, I think the key ingredient here is the taco shells…they are actually made with a biscuit! In fact, I am pretty sure this recipe won a Pillsbury bake-off competition. Anyway, MAKE THEM! Zesty Lime Fish Taco recipe here.

PS – my picture doesn’t come close to showcasing the deliciousness of these tacos.

three. Aunt Lindsey was here this week! The kiddos had the very best time with her too. She surprised them by picking them up from school and Caroline went absolutely crazy when she spotted her from across the playground and sprinted into her arms.

four. Charlotte friends! My good friend Sara just opened a super cute monogramming business that you need to check out. Her work is incredible and her prices are reasonably since she doesn’t have the overhead costs of a store-front (or ahem, rude employees…looking at you *&*!) and her turnaround time is super quick. She has weather proof drop off and a pick up bins on her front porch in Cotswold and “store hours” by appointment so you can take a look at all of the goodies and fonts up close. I’ve already had many items monogrammed in the last few weeks including this adorable shirt (provided by her) below, tops for both Thomas and Caroline, towels, seersucker shorts and just dropped Easter items to her.

Find Sara here: Facebook // Blog // Email

Quick Pricing Guide
3 inch and under $8
4 inch $10
5 inch $12

five. Thank you to all of you for checking on me this week! I am doing really great this recovery and my ta-tas are looking more normal each day. A bra-less (woo-hoo!) pic before heading out to St. Patty’s Day Supper Club…

Wanna join Darci, April, Natasha and I on the Friday fun? You can link-up on any of our four blogs every Friday! All you have to do is…

1.) Write your post about five things you’re lovin’ this week (or any five things you want to share!).

2.) Share the logo on your blog and link back. 

3.) Link-up at the bottom of the post so some new readers can check out your five things and say hello!

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG


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Comments

  1. Leslie says

    I am so sorry that you all were hit by the stomach bug, but glad that everyone is starting to feel better. Poor Thomas, he has had such a tough time of it! I love your Easter basket goodies. I had never heard of Bella Tunno, but now I have several items on my wish list! Have a wonderful (and healthy) weekend!

    Reply

  3. Kristen says

    I just love the way you dress your kids. Have you ever done a post about where you get most of their clothes? Inquiring minds would love to know. Hope you're all on the mend, sick babies are so sad!

    Reply

  5. Liz Jo says

    Sophie loves to eat in her stroller! She takes most of her meals there and it's great to get outside and walk and eat for both of us.They are so adorable! I love how they look so similar but different at the same.liz @ j for joiner

    Reply

  7. Jessica (The Newly) says

    Oh, girl. We had some stomach stuff going around last week, mid-move. I feel you. Hope you are all back to normal now! And is it weird if I say your ta-tas are looking great?!? Lol! So happy you are in the final part of this journey. You go, girl!

    Reply

  8. Elise @ Her Heart and Home says

    Girl. YES! I'm kind of pumped about Sarah over L&M!!! Thanks for sharing her FB page and website! xx

    Reply

  9. Evelina says

    Glad to hear everyone in your house is feeling better! The stomach flu is no joke and it seems like it's everywhere lately! Evelina @ Fortunate House

    Reply

  10. Jenuine Happiness says

    Looks like lots of good family time. That photo of your sister looks a lot like you. You're looking wonderful and so glad your are finishing up the last big part of the journey. Hope you all continue to feel better and get the rest you need this weekend!

    Reply

  11. Diana Me'chelle says

    so glad that everyone is feeling so much better! being sick is never fun! and those tacos look amazing!..dianawww.dianamechelle.com

    Reply

  12. Jackie Knoebel says

    Glad you all are feeling better! The same virus went through my husband and I, and all 6 kids…it waa horrible!You look great!

    Reply

  13. Caley-Jade Rosenberg says

    Glad you are all on the mend sweet friend, nothing worse than a sick family! Those ta-tas look amazing – and braless?! Wow! Those Easter gifts for the kids are too adorable… x

    Reply

  14. Alexandra Bee Blog says

    Those wagon pictures are the sweetest…what a fun springtime tradition. Also can't wait to try out those fish tacos!

    Reply

  15. Meghan says

    I made these tacos tonight and they are really good. Just used regular tortillas but followed the recipe otherwise. I love the recipes that you post!

    Reply

  16. شركة ثراء الخليج says

    شركة مكافحة حشرات بالعقيقشركة مكافحة حشرات بالباحةشركة مكافحة حشرات بجازانشركة مكافحة حشرات بابو عريششركة مكافحة حشرات ببيش وصبيا واحد المسارحةشركة مكافحة حشرات بجدةشركة مكافحة حشرات ببريدةشركة مكافحة حشرات بالرسشركة مكافحة حشرات بابهاشركة مكافحة حشرات بخميس مشيطشركة مكافحة حشرات بالدمامشركة مكافحة حشرات بالرياضمكافحة النمل الابيضشركة مكافحة حشرات بعنيزةشركة مكافحة حشرات بحائل

    Reply

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Five on Friday!

It’s been a wild week so let’s get right down to it!



one. I want to thank everyone for the prayers for my dad this week. On Monday he had a procedure done in an attempt to remove the fluid in his lungs. The doctors were astonished that they were able to extract almost a liter of fluid! After the procedure we had a bit of a scare as dad couldn’t breathe all of a sudden. Mom was rushed out of the room and a storm of medical staff rushed in and sedated him and put him on a breathing tube for the next few days. So that was scary but on Wednesday they successfully removed the tube and he is slowly getting better! They are constantly monitoring his vitals (right now he’s on oxygen) but we are making progress and hope to find out the status of his lung infection soon! Again, thank you all SO much for your support and prayers. I honestly couldn’t have gotten through the day without your sweet comments on my Instagram post!


two. This was my first week back in the office. On Monday morning I woke up to a sweet note from the hubs wishing me a good week back. It’s been crazy at work (and home) too and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon so you may see a dip in my blog activity. BUT, I am loving Snapchat, so you can find me there posting little unedited snippets of our life more often! Follow me at carolina_charm.

three. I have been using the heck out of my crockpot this week! It’s seriously been a lifesaver! One night I made a new crockpot pork tenderloin recipe and it was soooooo yummy. The night before I threw all of the following ingredients in a ziploc bag to marinate overnight. The next morning I threw it in my crockpot for 8 hours and came home to the most tasty and tender pork that even Caroline loved.


Crockpot Pork Tenderloin Marinade: 
 1⁄2 cups olive oil
1⁄3 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1-lb. pork tenderloin


Also, I’ve mentioned this before but it’s worth bringing up again for any mamas who struggle with hungry toddler meltdowns before dinner. We quickly cool down Caroline’s food using the toddler/baby food CoolIt Plate. We received another set for Christmas and are now stocked! For this crockpot dinner I literally just pulled the pork out of the crockpot and scooped it right onto the rapid cooling plate and served it to her. No tears. And she ate it. A huge victory. 

four. It’s been 8 days since our trip to the ER with Thomas and he just isn’t getting better. This poor little man is coughing up a storm all night still and throughout the day too. It’s so bad that he vomits up anything in his stomach during a coughing spell. No fevers, thankfully, but after a week we just couldn’t take it anymore so I brought him to the doctor yesterday for another checkup to rule out pneumonia, bronchitis, etc. Our doctor wasn’t concerned about the cough and said it unfortunately has to run it’s course but his ear infection has worsened and is now a DOUBLE ear infection. So after 8 days of amoxicillin we are tossing it in the trash and he’s on a new, stronger medication. I’m hoping this works and we can all get some sleep finally!


five. Big weekend ahead! Tomorrow a group of us our showering one of our favorite mamas-to-be! I couldn’t be more excited. Instead of the usual shower with appetizers, cake and present opening, we opted to reserve a nail salon for 17 of us to get pedicures, followed by lunch at a really fun restaurant together! Everyone, including mama, is really excited for a girly day! I cannot, cannot, cannot wait to shower my bestie!


We also have our first date night of the year on the books for this weekend! I am serious about our New Year’s date night resolution!






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Comments

  2. Meghan says

    A cooling plate sounds awesome! My son is obsessed with saying everything is hot (even when it's just warm). And that crockpot pork looks great!

    Reply

  3. Kelly Crusenberry says

    1) Glad to hear your dad is doing better. After starting my first clinical rotation in the hospitals this week I can definitely empathize, I always just want to hug my patients and tell them its going to get better! Praying for your family. 2) Your husband seriously sets a great standard. I hope to find someone who cares like that someday, love notes are my jam!3) I must try this pork tenderloin now! I love following you on snapchat, it always brightens my day. 4) Hope little Thomas gets to feeling better soon. Theres nothing sadder than a sick baby. I actually found out I was allergic to amoxicillin this week, lucky me! ha! Hope his ear infections turn around soon!!Have a fun weekend! sounds like a BLAST!

    Reply

  4. Michelle A says

    glad to hear your father is doing better and sending good thoughts for thomas!also, if you dont already, you need to look into crockpot liners! reynolds makes them and in my grocery store they are by the oven bags (along with the saran wrap/tin foil/ziplock bags etc) they will make you fall in love with your crockpot even more since they practically eliminate the clean up!! <3

    Reply

  5. Caitlyn {Home Sweet Ruby} says

    Aw I'm so sorry to hear about Thomas! We went through 4 double ear infections with my son in two months, one of which he got while he was finishing amoxicillin for the last ear infection (HOW?!), and he needed the antibiotic shot in his leg which was terrible so I really hope it doesn't come to that for your baby boy! Good luck, you will all get through it friend!

    Reply

  6. Life as the Mrs. says

    Double ear infections are the WORST! I'm sorry!!! We are going to have to order those plates for our two-year-old who uses, "Hot!" (even when it's not anymore) as an excuse to not eat his dinner. Yet another invention I wish I was smart enough to come up with!

    Reply

  8. Unknown says

    My friends little boy just had a double ear infection. He went in two antibiotics and it did nothing. She took him to the ENT who said that in order for the infection to be treated the medicine needs to actually touch the ear. Liquids and pills won't have an effect. Just FYI! Hope he feels better

    Reply

    • Carolina Charm says

      UGH! I am so hoping we don't go down that road. Caroline had soooooo many ear infections her first year.

      Reply

  9. Hanging with the Hirsts says

    So scary what happened with your dad but so very thankful he's on the mend!! Poor Thomas – I hope he gets better soon! I love watching your snaps – the kids are so adorable!

    Reply

  10. Adelyn V says

    Praying for your Dad and for Thomas. I really hope everyone is feeling better super soon. I'm sure they already checked for this, but did your doctor screen Thomas for RSV? My daughter had it really badly last year and ended up hospitalized. Before we knew what she had, she had this horrendous, croup-sounding cough. She was also retracting which I didn't realize at the time but now know to recognize. Unfortunately, the RSV has damaged her bronchial tubes and now every time she gets a cold her cough sounds really bad.Anyway, I super hope everyone is feeling really better soon! You're a strong mama. Enjoy the shower tomorrow–very creative idea!

    Reply

    • Carolina Charm says

      YES! We had that same concern. Doctor said after listening to his lungs that they are clear and he doesn't have any RSV concerns, although it (and bronchitis and pneumonia) are going around like crazy!)

      Reply

  11. Carrie C says

    Ugh-I hate the dr visits where they tell you "not much we can do." So frustrating. My two year old went through the same thing over the holidays and we found that the infant vicks on his chest, back and feet actually seemed to help. We forgot it one night and his cough was worse. You might already be trying it-but if not its an inexpensive additional thing that might help. We had to wean our little boy off og it-he loved the routine of having it rubbed on his belly and feet-now we rub him with Vaseline. He has the smoothest toddler feet in town;)

    Reply

  13. Maureen says

    Amoxicillin has NEVER worked for our baby boy (now 17 month old) – we ALWAYS end up getting something stronger, so now we even refuse to use that nasty pink stuff! Hopefully Mr. Thomas starts feeling better soon!

    Reply

  14. Paige says

    Prayers for your family. I'm sure it's difficult to go back to work and juggle everything, but I hope it brings you some happiness to have things back to a "normal" routine again. My son is on amoxicillin for his first ear infection and we learned from my first son to always give a probiotic when on a antibiotic (bc of tons of dirty diapers and diaper rash). Did your dr tell you about that? I'm so impressed that you're making dinner each night. I think if I were you my family would be living on pizza and take out for a while!

    Reply

  15. Cassie says

    The crock pot has saved the day over here too. I love the nail salon idea. Hope the little guy gets better fast!

    Reply

  16. Cari says

    I'm so happy to read that your dad is doing well and that you're surviving and thriving your 1st week back! Crock pots are the best for this non-mom so I can only imagine how great they are for a busy, working mom!

    Reply

  17. Justine Ciemny says

    Such a fun twist on the traditional shower! Prayers for your dad :)Justine @ Charm City Ciemny'swww.lifeasabaltimoregirl.blogspot.com

    Reply

  18. Jess Scott says

    Ah, poor Thomas and you!! So glad to hear he's on a stronger medicine and that your dad is doing well. You are SUCH a positive person with so much going on!!! Crock pot dinners SAVE ME! What do you do about dinners that call for just 4 or 6 hours? I hate to leave it sitting in there for another 2 – 4 hours! Have a great weekend….that sounds like the BEST shower!

    Reply

  19. Leslie says

    I am so sorry to hear about Thomas, and I hope he is feeling better soon. Also sending well wishes for your dad Ashe recovers. The shower and date night sound fun, so at least you have some happy things to look forward to.

    Reply

  20. Natasha says

    i'm REALLY praying for your sweet daddy and for Thomas to get to feeling better friend… I know you guys need some dose of "normal" and I am sending you big hugs. And Ummmm, how did I never know about that plate?????? GENIUS

    Reply

  21. Kristy @ Rejoice and Repeat says

    Our little N went through the same coughing thing (minus ear infection). I never thought he'd get over it. It lasted on and off for about 3 months and he's finally not coughing. He has a junky nose but I'm so glad he can eat without throwing it all up. I feel ya!

    Reply

  22. Caley-Jade Rosenberg says

    Praying for your Dad and a very speedy recovery my friend, and for poor little Thomas. After watching our little EN struggle for the whole of 2015 with double ear infections, bronchitis, sinusitis and tonsillitis – I know and feel your pain. It is so heartbreaking watching them so sick… EN is only better now after doing her tubes, adenoids and tonsils (even so young!) and now she is like a new babe x

    Reply

  23. Amanda @ A Brownie World says

    Rule of thumb (from this old mama) bad coughs in the winter 9/10 times lead to ear infections. And unfortunately they cannot cure a cough. With my first baby I would worry over coughs and then when my second one came along I had learned the territory. It still is no good to have a little one who sounds bad. Fabulous report on your father! May God's mercies continue to blanket him. Way to go on getting back to the routine so quickly! That is a gift! Happy celebrating a new mama to be! xo Amanda

    Reply

  24. Sara Elizabeth says

    I'm so glad your dad is on the mend. Prayers for a continued recovery!! Proud of you for sticking to date night! Enjoy your girlie day!! 🙂

    Reply

  25. Unknown says

    Prayers for dad's continued healing! As for Thomas's cough, have you tried Vicks on the bottom of his feet, covered by socks? And have they ruled out whooping cough? Prayers all around!!!

    Reply

  26. Kristen [Playground Prepster] says

    So very glad to hear about your father!!!! You guys have been in my prayers! I'm so sorry Thomas isn't getting better- I hope the new meds work their magic. I hope the second week back at work is going well!

    Reply

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Five on Friday!

Lots of fun festive stuff to share today so let’s get right down to it.

one. I love this little surprise Minted dropped off on my doorstep. So pretty!

two. Christmas cards have been filling our mailbox all week
and I couldn’t be happier. The past few years I’ve displayed all our
cards using ribbons (post here)
but they don’t hold enough and I end up clipping them in front of each
other. So, I need a new idea for displaying all of them at once! Help!

three. Looking for a festive appetizer to bring to your next
holiday party? I have a few super easy ideas for ya!

Grinch Kabobs: My friend Mel makes these every year for our cookie swap and they are always such a hit!

Veggie Christmas Tree Platter: Because sometimes it’s nice to eat a tomato in between too many sugar cookies.

Ho Ho Punch: 1 bottle of chilled champagne, 1 bottle of chilled ginger ale, and 2 packages of frozen strawberries, partially thawed.

Pineapple Pecan Cheeseball: Lastly, you must make the most delicious cheese ball ever at least once this season!


four. Caroline’s teachers have been teaching her class about the nativity story and Jesus. I know she’s still so young but she is such a sponge these days so I’d like to think some of the lessons are making an impression on her. Last year one of my favorite gifts Caroline received was the Fisher-Price Little People Nativity Set. It may be just another toy for her this year but I am excited for her to grasp the true meaning behind the nativity story in years to come.

Side note: If you’re looking for another Christ-centered gift for the toddler in your life, Caroline also loves the Plush Noah’s Ark Set.

five. We’ve been deck, deck, deckin’ the halls over here this week! The tree is taking forever to finish because Caroline is obsessed with removing and then hanging the ornaments over and over again. Plus I can’t reach the top of my tree to put my bow up yet. Anyway, two of my favorite festive items this season are from the CoraLee Boutique Christmas line! First up is the Monogrammed Juco Skirt. I have been searching for the perfect tree skirt for years and this one is perfect! And below is my new Christmas Tree Wooden Monogram! Matt made a wreath for our front door with our tree scraps and my wooden monogrammed fit perfectly in the center.

Also, because Courtney of CoraLee Boutique is super sweet and generous, she is offering all my readers a 25% discount on all monogrammed items! Just use the promo code CAROLINACHARM25 at checkout! Make sure to place your orders by December 15 to guarantee delivery by Christmas.

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Comments

  2. Sarita @ it's my girls' world says

    All of these tips are really putting me in the mood. Look at you all strong and spirited after major surgery! AWESOMENESS!!

    Reply

  4. Lizzie Simantz says

    I need some tips on hanging Christmas cards too because I also use the ribbon method and it's not working! I'll be checking back through the comments later 🙂 Great food ideas and I love that monogrammed tree!

    Reply

  8. Hanging with the Hirsts says

    I love that Caroline's day care is teaching them about the Nativity story already! Her little Nativity scene is so adorable! Your tree skirt and wreath are so adorable and festive!

    Reply

  9. Lizzie Somerset says

    love every single one of your five! The pop out picture for me is the broccoli christmas tree which is genius! What a way to make veggies look appealing to my littles too! Thanks for hosting I've linked up to Five on Friday xo #fiveonfriday

    Reply

  10. Jess Scott says

    LOVE the decorations!!! And I totally just pinned al of our appetizer ideas for our Christmas party…I love tasty food, but when it's cute and easy, too, I have to try it!

    Reply

  12. Justine Ciemny says

    Oh I need to make those grinch kabobs this year!!Justine @ Charm City Ciemny'swww.lifeasabaltimoregirl.blogspot.com

    Reply

  14. Karli | Sept. Farm says

    girl. i got the same surprise package from minted! i thought it was the most thoughtful, beautiful little package. i felt so special! my farmer was like…why are you so excited? he doesn't get it. anyway…thanks for the punch recipe. i'll be making that for christmas eve!

    Reply

  16. Sarah Walters says

    Love that her teachers are sharing the story of the birth of Christ! You've found s special place! Loving all your decor ?

    Reply

  18. Sara Elizabeth says

    Love your monogrammed tree skirt!! I love seeing everyone's cards, but I usually just cover our fridge in them so I'm no help, lol!

    Reply

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Five on Friday!


I am excited to pop in with a five on Friday today!


 

one. I am the last person to the coloring party and recently I’ve had SO MANY friends ask if I have already received one or if I would want an adult coloring book. Apparently this is a new trendy craze for adults and is even marketed as a stress reliever! I feel like this is the type of project I’d get really excited about, spend too much money on nice pencils and books and then never actually use it. Would love to hear your thoughts! I think this coloring book is really pretty though!

two. In a panic to get all of my holiday to-dos done before my surgery I actually got our Christmas cards done super early. Like record breaking early. They’ve been piled up on my dining room table for over a week now stuffed, addressed and stamped but since I keep forgetting to ask Matt to drop them in a mailbox I’ve literally been pinning the max my paper clip will hold (about 8 cards) to my mailbox each day. So it’s taking me forever to get my cards out (since I can’t drive to the post office). I’m excited to show y’all our 2015 card next week and even have a great giveaway lined up! In the meantime, here is one of the pictures from our shoot! As you can tell, someone is obsessed with “baaaaayybeeee ‘omas”

three. Thomas is finally getting over his first cold which lasted for weeks. Thankfully he never had a fever but he was incredibly stuffed up and had the hardest time breathing. However, Boogie Mist has seriously been a lifesaver. This saline mist works like a charm to instantly relieve his nasal congestion and is easily one of our top 3 baby products of all time (#1 is the Dohm Sound Machine and #2 is Triple Paste Diaper Cream)! As we enter cold season, I highly recommend stocking up!

four. I came across a post on 200 Things to Throw Away Today and can’t believe how many of these items I am guilty of keeping around too long.

My top five would be:
1. expired makeup
2. socks without mates
3. stretched out hair ties
4. old party supplies and
5. recipe books you don’t ever use.


Would love to know which of these items you’re most guilty of!

five. There is nothing worse than pulling bottles out of the diaper bag at daycare to find them all tipped over with caps full of milk. Finally, after one too many spilled bottles it hit me that I could use a six pack container to transport the bottles inside the bag. This has been a total game changer for us so I wanted to pass it along for other mamas struggling with soggy bottom diaper bags!


Wanna join Darci, April, Natasha and I on the
Friday fun? You can link-up on any of our four blogs every Friday! All you have
to do is…




1.)
Write your post about five things you’re lovin’ this week (or any five things
you want to share!).

2.) Share the logo on your blog and link back. 

3.)
Link-up at the bottom of the post so some new readers can check out your five
things and say hello!

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Comments

  1. Brenda @ Chatting Over Chocolate says

    Thanks for linking the 200+ Things to Throw Away Today post! Looking forward to clicking through as I can always use an excuse to declutter a bit more! Have a beautiful weekend! xo – Brenda // Chatting Over Chocolate

    Reply

  2. Brittany says

    The adult coloring this sounds like so fun!! And yes to de cluttering :)Brilliant six pack idea too- will use for next baby! Happy Friday!!

    Reply

  3. Chels says

    OMG! I am loving the six pack idea. Sheer genius!I need to browse through the 200 things to throw away as well!Happy Friday!

    Reply

  4. Jessica (The Newly) says

    Love the six pack idea! Wish I would have known that back when Caleb was in daycare – especially since I was sending breastmilk, and used to cry when unused portions would spill since it was so hard for me to make enough! Crying over spilled milk is a real thing;) Can't wait to see more of your family photos. The one you shared is gorgeous!

    Reply

  5. Jess Scott says

    You are a genius to think of how to carry bottles! I use a mini reusable shopping bag, but if I don't put it down right, the bottles spill everywhere! LOVE THIS! And thanks for the recommendation for the boogie mist…I've always seen it but never gotten it. Louise is a little stuffy, so I am definitely going to try it! I can't wait to see your Christmas cards! I hope your recovery is going well. xo

    Reply

  8. Beth says

    i LOVE adult coloring books. I event got my mom addicted. I have that exact book as well. It's a really good one. I don't know if it necessarily relieves my stress, but it's def addicting. just be warned your hand will be numb by the end of one pattern. and my suggestion is to use sharpie fine point markers. they are the best! i've been using my set for months and they have yet to run dry. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0003WN0CA/ref=s9_hps_bw_g229_i14

    Reply

  9. Karli | Sept. Farm says

    that's it. i'm throwing away 200 things…or at least the ones i'm guilty of. (including expired makeup.) i hate throwing it away though! it's like…i spent good money on that stuff! oh well. happy friday!

    Reply

  10. Laura Wyatt says

    1. your hair looks SO long in that christmas pic! can't wait to receive my carrrrd – it'll definitely be the first of the year! 2. does that mean i need to get rid of ALL of my recipe books? you know we only use pinterest nowadays 3. that bottle trick is genius and would totally give andrew incentive to buy more beer [yknow…because that old carrier is getting so worn out, laura!] xoxox

    Reply

  12. Jackie says

    Oh.my.goodness! The 200 Things to Throw Away. I'm honestly scared to look! P.S. That is the sweetest picture of your babes! LOVE!XO,Jackiewww.parentingtheateam.com

    Reply

  15. emily - beauty blether says

    I have to check out the adult coloring book! I've heard of them a couple times now :)Immediately going to that list of things to throw away, there is nothing I love more than a good cleaning purge! haha xx

    Reply

  16. Hanging with the Hirsts says

    That picture from your Christmas shoot is SO adorable!! Can't wait to see what your card looks like this year! I am guilty of your top 5 list of things to throw away… I never think of it and I always keep that stuff "just in case"

    Reply

  21. Shayna @ The Fancy Yancey says

    Just no to the coloring book. I would not have time & I feel like it would be one more thing on my list and stress me out. Lol! We don't have the issue with bottles but that's s great idea!! I def need to look into the 200 items to toss!! We are doing Christmas card pics tomorrow- crossing my fingers they go well!

    Reply

  23. Courtney says

    So glad to see you're feeling well enough to blog! That list of items to toss couldn't have come at a more perfect time – I'm planning a weekend of purging and cleaning, thanks for sharing it.

    Reply

  25. Jo says

    I've read a bunch of aricles like that clean out one recently in an effort to make room in this house and have thrown away TONS of stuff just like that! It's amazing all the junk I have stashed around the house that's on that list hah! Do your bottles not come with the lid discs? One medela ones had them to prevent spillage! Nice work on the cards! I need to get on that. Happy weekend!

    Reply

  26. Elizabeth Birenbaum says

    I had no idea about that boogie mist stuff! We used to use the boogie wipes all the time but the mist would have been so helpful. Now my favorite thing, albeit gross, is the NoseFreida. It sucks those buggers right out and is SO helpful! It's kinda gross because you do the sucking, but there is a little sponge like thing that catches the boogers so nothing goes in your mouth, but it still grosses me out!

    Reply

  28. Sara Elizabeth says

    I know I've already loved on your Christmas card tonight, but I have to say it again!! Love this! I saw one of my friends doing the adult coloring book thing… and I feel like I'd be right there with you… but you know, sometimes, you just have to embrace the whimsy. 😉

    Reply

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Five on Friday!

Happy Friday! Phew! I’ve made it one full week back in the office! It’s been hard dropping Thomas off at daycare each morning but I am looking forward to our pajama parties next week while I work from home during his recovery! I thought it would be easier to transition back to work since I’ve done it once before (and wrote about it here) but it’s actually been a million times more difficult. So let’s focus on five awesome things today…


– one – My seester is like 2 centimeters away from giving birth. Earlier this week she had a false labor alarm and so now the whole family is on the edge of our seats awaiting the call that Jackson is on the way. I am so, so, so excited for another little man to join our family!

Isn’t she the cutest?!

– two – Last weekend Matt and I celebrated (maybe a little too hard) my birthday with the most delicious dinner at Dogwood Southern Table & Bar. I had been wanting to try this new restaurant for awhile and was so happy it lived up to the hype! From the moment we arrived we had impeccable service, the food (all locally farm raised) and cocktails blew us away and the ambiance was absolutely perfect. Shortly after we were seated the bartender came by with a bottle of sparkling rose (and hilarious poem) from our friends who had called earlier and arranged the surprise! So awesome. From there we received a delicious surprise from the the chef (sliced pear with whipped goat cheese) before scarfing down baked pimento cheese dip, duck breast (for Matt), pan seared scallops (for me), succotash and the very best homemade (by the owner’s mom) birthday cheesecake I’ve ever had. During dinner Matt surprised me with some awesome birthday coupons – a weekend away in the mountains, a dinner out (babysitter and restaurant reservation coordinated by him), a weekend of no mom responsibilities (haha) and more. The expiration dates were 2211, so I guess I better get on that pretty soon.

– three – Did you see my DIY mummy costume post yesterday? 

I had plans to make Caroline’s costume too (I reaaaaallllyyy wanted her to be this cute little kitten) but while running around Marshall’s she spotted this hilarious duck costume and would not let us take it off of her. So the cashier just scanned the tag and let her walk out of the store in it. She was hamming it up big time the rest of the day as we ran errands and grocery shopped with our little duckling. Hopefully she still likes this a few weeks from now…

How do you say no to that? 

– four – So, the most stressful part of the day is easily the time between walking in the front door after pick up until Caroline is happily eating her dinner. In those 25 seconds I am frantically trying to whip up a bottle for Thomas and find something semi-healthy for Caroline to quickly eat while she impatiently melts down in hunger. You all sent me the most incredible suggestions (from this post) and I’m happy to report we’ve successfully expanded her dinner options. However, one thing that has helped so, so, so, SO much in expediting the microwave to hi chair process is reducing the time it takes to cool down Caroline’s food using the toddler/baby food CoolIt Plate! This rapid cooling plate is worth every penny and saves so much time and tears in our evenings. Now that I know this works, my next prime purchase is going to be the Quick Cooling Dish!

– five – Our October is absolutely slammed with fall festivities, surgeries, events, parties and more. This weekend is no exception – we are venturing to the pumpkin patch (weather permitting) and I’m excited to see how different of an experience it will be this year with Caroline.  

Last year‘s sexy little pumpkins…

Wanna join Darci, April, Natasha and I on the
Friday fun? You can link-up on any of our four blogs every Friday! All you have
to do is…



1.)
Write your post about five things you’re lovin’ this week (or any five things
you want to share!).

2.) Share the logo on your blog and link back. 

3.)
Link-up at the bottom of the post so some new readers can check out your five
things and say hello!

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Comments

  1. Kristy @ Rejoice and Repeat says

    I'm finding it is SOOOOO much harder to leave them this time too! Ugg! Btw she's the cutest little chicken.

    Reply

  2. LHWinstead says

    You and your sister really favor each other!! How exciting she's about to have her baby 🙂 Your Birthday weekend looks like it was a blast! Loving your mummy onesie idea, too!! Happy Friday!

    Reply

  5. Laura Wyatt says

    Lindsey's pictures turned out so super gorgeous! I need some tips from her 🙂 So proud of you for making it through this week! BUT It's finally Fridayyyy! Send me your weekend plans! xoxo

    Reply

  6. Paige says

    love your sister's pictures and those sexy pumpkins!! Hope the weather cooperates for some pumpkin fun this weekend, it's on our agenda too!!!

    Reply

  7. Ashley Carole (Sweet Carolina Belle) says

    Love that little mummy costume and Caroline is just adorable in her ducky outfit!

    Reply

  8. Jess Scott says

    Your sister is adorable!! So exciting. 🙂 I hear ya on celebrating a little too hard…My college roommates were in town last weekend, and I didn't even drink THAT much, but I swear I didn't fully recover until Thursday (from going out on Saturday). Non-sleeping babies didn't help the recovery, but still. And SO CUTE on the coupons!! I am totally stealing that idea for Chad's birthday!! 🙂

    Reply

  9. Karra says

    Those sexy pumpkins haha, so cute! I'm all about a no mess pumpkin decorating! and that cooling plate… GENIUS. We always stick Rae's plates in the freezer while we fix our plates.

    Reply

  10. Amanda June says

    Your sister is gorgeous! That duck costume is ADORABLE!! So so so cute!! Your birthday sounds like it was a blast and what a sweet treat from your hubby for arranging all of that for you. Have a great weekend!!

    Reply

  11. Kate says

    That duck outfit is the absolute cutest! Thanks so much for sharing and happy Friday! :)xoKatehttp://www.kateisgreatblog.com

    Reply

  12. Alicia Rowland says

    Ok definitely going to be ordering that plate. We are in the same boat at dinner with an impatient child. She sees the food on the plate and melts down until it's in front of her. So dramatic! Haha is that high chair from Ikea? I swear I find myself ordering cheaper, more practical items as the months go on. If I only knew 15 months ago.. Ha! I love how it can be lowered to the ground!

    Reply

  13. Bekah Foley says

    Your sisters maternity pictures are amazing! I have to ask where she got that dress because I'm kind of in love. Also i think that's the cutest little duck i've ever seen! Little kid costumes are the best thing ever haha

    Reply

  14. Trista @ The Classy Chaos says

    I totally understand that time for stress. Ours occurs from the time I pick them up until we walk in the door. Both are so overjoyed to be home they finally relax. Little L will sometimes cry the entire 35 minute drive home… Shew! I'm so hoping he grows out of that phase soon! Happy Weekend!

    Reply

  15. Jo says

    oh interesting- I've never seen that cool plate. We just have a constant stream to microwave to fridge/freezer rotation happening in our house at mealtime, I'll have to check that out!

    Reply

  16. Shayna @ The Fancy Yancey says

    Aww your sister looks gorgeous!! So exciting!! That mummy costume looks so cute!! I want something simple for Jack this year because He can't actually trick-or -treat & he'll probably fall asleep early LOL! & Caroline in the duck costume… sooo cute!!

    Reply

  17. Liz Jo says

    Caroline is too crazy!! So cute. I bet she'll love that outfit for Halloween, she's the cutest duckling I've ever seen. Your sister is just glowing, such an exciting time for her! Happy Belated Birthday!liz jo @sundays with sophie

    Reply

  18. Sara Elizabeth says

    Those pics of your sister are gorgeous!!! You guys look so much alike!! That picture of Caroline as a duck is DARLING! Definitely can't say no to that face!!

    Reply

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  23. Hanging with the Hirsts says

    Your sister looks beautiful!! So excited for your family! Dinner looks like a blast – what a super way to celebrate your birthday 🙂 And oh my word Caroline is wayyy too cute in that duck costume (the kitten costume is super adorable too)!

    Reply

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Five on Friday!


Hi friends! It’s Friday and I could not be more excited! You know what else I’m excited about? These five things…


 






– one – Playdates! We’ve been squeezing in so many playdates lately. Yesterday we fed the ducks, had a picnic lunch and played on the playground with our friends April and Camille! Today we are heading back to another playground too with some other friends! I wish maternity leave would never end!




– two – Since we’ve been on a low carb fix, I have become obsessed with zoodles. I bought a spiralizer a long time ago but went a little too cheap and ended up hating the one I purchased. After lots of research and recommendations from others I decided to get the magical Paderno spiralizer and love it. There is just something so awesome about eating veggies in curly fry shape.


One of our favorite zoodle recipes lately is Zucchini Shrimp Scampi!


– three – Dropbox! Friends, I have been terrible about backing up all of my photos for years. If something were to happen to my computer I would literally lose my college years, my wedding day, Caroline’s first year of life and SO much more. So one of my maternity leave projects was to back up ALL of my files and pictures. I went with Dropbox to do it because not only is it FREE but I can also sync all of my cell phone photos to my dropbox! Don’t delay – back up your photos! You can sign up (here)!


– four – Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for $125 credit to Minted!


– five – This song: First by Lauren Daigle. So good. So, so, so good.




Wanna join Darci, April, Natasha and I on the
Friday fun? You can link-up on any of our four blogs every Friday! All you have
to do is…



1.)
Write your post about five things you’re lovin’ this week (or any five things
you want to share!).

2.) Share the logo on your blog and link back. 

3.)
Link-up at the bottom of the post so some new readers can check out your five
things and say hello!

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Comments

  1. Caitlyn {Home Sweet Ruby} says

    I had to do the same thing with all of our photos too! If you're an Amazon Prime member you can get free unlimited storage and use their app for your phone photos once you meet the limit on free Dropbox storage! Have a great weekend! 🙂

    Reply

  2. K says

    Speaking of pictures, have you heard of Groovebook? You upload 100 pictures every month and they send you a book with all of the pictures printed (not amazing quality, but they are legit the ONLY pictures every printed of Baby John) and it's $2.99. All done from your phone! It's amazing!!!

    Reply

  3. Not A Mom says

    I desperately need to back up my photos, thanks for the recommendation! I have been wanting a spiralizer for a few months now, so I may have to do some purchasing! Linds @ Not A Mom

    Reply

  5. Natasha says

    would have LOVED to come to that playdate yesterday!!! hope you guys had an absolute blast.. and little mister's birth announcements are PERFECT in every way 😉 OXOX

    Reply

  6. LHWinstead says

    I love Dropbox too— I filled up the free account super quick though lol It does make me feel so much better since I have my entire life on the computer too (with no other back up!) I love that yall got the girls together to play – so so sweet!!

    Reply

  8. [darci @ the good life] says

    Isn't Dropbox a GAME CHANGER???????????????? So glad you love it! I've used it for about 5 years now and even talked my company into signing up (we're fairly small).And cheers to fun play dates — squeeze as many in as you can. Gahhhh, so excited for maternity leave too!! Ps – I'm going to have to order that spiralizer because Lord knows I will soon need a low carb diet. Teach me ALL THE THINGS about losing weight post babe. It was relatively easy w/ J, but I have a feeling that might not be the case this go around.Hugs to you, mama…. love Thomas' announcement, by the way!!

    Reply

  9. Katie {Miss Dixie} says

    totally bought a cheap spiralizer too and was so disappointed with the sub-par results! guess I need to hop back on the bandwagon- I could really use low carb these days!

    Reply

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Five on Friday

No post today friends. The stomach flu came back to our house with a vengeance this week taking out all 3 of us since Tuesday. Months ago we purchased overpriced flights to Orlando for a great weekend of bachelorette festivities for one of my best friends, 36 holes of golf for Matt, a much needed pool day with my sister and 2.5 days of Caroline time for my parents. So while I should be hugging my dad around the neck for the first time since Christmas we will instead be parked on the couch with saltines and pedialyte. It’s been a pretty terrible week filled with cancelled plans, friend guilt, mom guilt, a nasty ear infection, 3 nights of cleaning up vomit (x3), 345435 loads of laundry and severe sleep deprivation. Oh, and to top it all off, I passed out at Caroline’s emergency doctor’s appointment yesterday morning. I guess that’s what happens when you forget to take care of yourself for a few days.

Sorry for the depressing post.


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Comments

  1. Bailley says

    Saying prayers for your sweet family! What an awful week and I'm so sorry you are missing your weekend:( praying you all get well soon!!

    Reply

  10. Jessica says

    You poor thing! Stomach bugs are the absolute WORST! So sorry you are going to miss seeing family and friends this weekend, but getting all 3 of you (and Thomas!) back to good health is more important! Get well soon!!!

    Reply

  11. Sydney @ Raising Southern Grace says

    Oh no. So sorry to hear everyone isn't feeling well and that plans had to be changed. Hope the weekend brings health.Sydney

    Reply

  12. Amanda Bullard says

    🙁 This makes me sad. I pray for quick healing and a happy weekend even though it didn't go as planned.

    Reply

  15. jilliandanielle says

    I sorry to hear this… I hope you are all better soon! My poor husband spent all of Easter weekend in bed while I went to the family's by myself. It is so disappointing when you have to cancel plans! Rest up. 🙂

    Reply

  19. Caitlyn {Home Sweet Ruby} says

    Oh mama I'm so sorry its been such a rough week for y'all! Praying it gets better and you can enjoy your trip home!

    Reply

  23. Paige @ An Uncomplicated Life Blog says

    After Henry had his first bout of the stomach flu (caught from dad) my friends all told me "You're not a mom until you spend all night cleaning up your kids vomit!" Welcome to the club, sister!(That doesn't make it any better and I'm so sorry for the terrible timing!)

    Reply

  27. PolkaDottyPlace says

    I'm sorry to hear about your awful week. Hope y'all are on the mend now and can reschedule portions of your trip. It's so disappointing when fun plans get cancelled. Thinking of you!!

    Reply

  28. Hannah says

    I'm so sorry to hear you are all sick! I hope you all start feeling much better very soon and that you get your much need rest.

    Reply

  30. Meg ~ Chasing Pink Fireflies says

    Oh no this week sounds miserable! Feel better soon and do take extra care of yourself and that baby boy!!

    Reply

  31. Lauren Kauffman says

    Hang in there girl – and don't be too hard on yourself! Life happens. Wishing you a quick recovery:). -Lauren

    Reply

  34. Kelly Crusenberry says

    Feel better my friend, and to your family! Lifting you up. and sending tons and tons of virtual hugs!

    Reply

  36. A Simple Southern Life says

    Oh my word- The stomach bug hit my house a little over a month ago and took out two of us- with no baby. I can't even imagine… I'm so sorry!! Feel better soon!!

    Reply

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Five on Friday!






Earlier this week I shared some fantastic news on Instagram. For all of you who have been praying alongside of us, I just want to let you know that the Lord has heard our prayers and answered in the form of a miracle! On Tuesday Dad went in for his third round of chemo and the doctor went over the results of his recent CAT scan. The tumor in his lungs has shrunk from 6.7 to 2.4. This is truly the very best news we could have received – an answer to prayer. We still have a long way to go but we are incredibly thankful that dad has been feeling great (embracing the shaved head!) and are all so optimistic that we are all going to get past this. So I want to thank you all for your continued prayers and for not forgetting about us during this time. Please don’t let us fall of your prayer list. We are so thankful for you!

For those of you who are new, you can catch up on this journey (here).

We have a really busy, exciting weekend ahead! On Saturday night we will be attending the 4th Annual Casino Night benefiting the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte. Matt’s firm is sponsoring the event and we are so excited for a fancy night out! Also on the books is my favorite consignment sale of the year which we will be getting up bright and early for tomorrow. Then on Sunday my sister arrives for a few days!

I guess we should get on to the Five on Friday, right? Now that we are officially into March I have spring on my mind…

– ONE – Last weekend I crawled into the attic and pulled down some spring stuff, including Caroline’s Easter basket! I
cannot wait to fill her basket up with goodies this year.
Earlier this week I dropped by the dollar spot at Target and hit jackpot
for Easter basket items too! I know it’s early for shopping but I couldn’t pass up the deal so I grabbed some sunglasses, a plate, sippy cup, bunny ears, bubbles and more! Now all I need is to add a few snacks and some Easter books! Here are a few of the books I’m deciding between for Caroline…

Duck & Goose, Here Comes the Easter Bunny // The Berenstain Bears and The Easter Story // Guess How Much I Love You // God Gave Us Easter // Happy Easter, Mouse // The Donkey Who Carried a King // Llama Llama Easter Egg // The Runaway Bunny // The Easter Story

– TWO – Speaking of Easter, every year I whip up THE BEST CARROT CAKE EVER. No really, it is the BEST. It’s a lot of work but so worth it. Anyway, I cannot wait to make this cake soon. You can find the recipe (here).

 – THREE – One of my favorite springtime activities planting tons of new flowers, plants and my herb garden! I am really hoping our hydrangeas we planted last year are going to pull through and bloom this year.

– FOUR – Time to put away the dark polishes and bust out the light pinks! I love springy manicures! Lucky, Lucky Lavender is one of my favorite OPI colors for spring.

– FIVE – I am anxiously trying to use up the last of my fall hand soaps and candles so I can get to my favorite fresh scents of the season.



Wanna join Darci, April, Natasha and I on the
Friday fun? You can link-up on any of our four blogs every Friday! All you have
to do is…



1.)
Write your post about five things you’re lovin’ this week (or any five things
you want to share!).

2.) Share the logo on your blog and link back. 

3.)
Link-up at the bottom of the post so some new readers can check out your five
things and say hello!

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG






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Comments

  1. Laura Wyatt says

    1. Runaway Bunny is one of my all time favorites – I remember reading it at my Nana's house when I was little 🙂 2. Save me a piece of that carrot cake. It really is THE best! Y'all have a busy weekend ahead of you! Let me know what goodies you find at the consigment sale! xo

    Reply

  2. PolkaDottyPlace says

    I am right there with you shopping for Easter basket goodies right now. Target dollar spot has TONS of cute options – the pink bunny ears, Spring plate and bubbles came home with me. Llama Llama is always a favorite at our house and any books with flaps to lift. I have three blue hydrangea bushes in my backyard and I cannot wait for them to start blooming. I'm going to attempt an herb garden for the first time this year – wish me luck!! I love carrot cake so I really do need to give your recipe a try. Hope you have a great weekend.

    Reply

  4. Elizabeth says

    Runaway Bunny! I LOVED that book when I was little. I think I may have even forced my little brother to listen to me read it to him… hahaha! #nostalgia 🙂

    Reply

  5. Jillian says

    congratulations on the wonderful news about your dad!!! and i reallllly want that carrot cake! it's my favorite 🙂 xo jillian – cornflake dreams

    Reply

  7. rachel says

    Praise God for the news on your dad!!! I just love all those Easter books and definitely snagged plenty of Target Easter goodies for the boys. 🙂 I just wish I had your green thumb. 😉 Happy weekend!

    Reply

  10. Shelby @ Making Waves says

    Wonderful news about your dad! I've been trying to burn the last of the winter scents I (over)indulged in back in September, so I can run over to Bath and Body Works to finally grab some fresh light scents for Spring! Sundress is my favorite, and is our wallflower of choice for this time of year!

    Reply

  11. Jessica says

    So glad to hear the good news about your dad. Will be continuing to think about him and pray for your family, sweet girl! We put God Gave Us Easter in Caleb's first Easter basket last spring, and loved it! Such a sweet book, and love the message. I'll be looking through some of the other books you shared to get some ideas for his basket for this year though:) The Target Dollar Spot has KILLED it this spring. I've spent probably $30 or more in dollar items in the last week, lol!:)

    Reply

  12. Life as the Mrs. says

    That's amazing news about your dad! Praise the Lord! I'm doing the same thing this weekend: pulling all of the spring stuff out of the attic! I also bit the bullet and purchased Walker's Easter basket stuff. The Target $1 aisle is the best!!! I got a plate from there, too. 🙂 Happy Friday!

    Reply

  13. April of A. Liz Adventures says

    Yay yay yay for great updates on your Dad … I am SO happy and thrilled for you guys!

    Reply

  14. ItsTheNewTwenty says

    I am so happy to hear things are looking up for your dad! I also love everything about this post. As I sit here all bundled up staring at the snow piles that need to be shoveled outside, the spring inspiration is exactly what I needed to warm up my day!!

    Reply

  15. Brenda @ Chatting Over Chocolate says

    So happy to see this update on your dad! Rejoicing with you in the goodness of God!! 🙂 Have fun at the consignment sale tomorrow morning, getting all dolled up tomorrow night, and welcoming your sister for a visit on Sunday too!! What a perfect weekend! 😉 xo

    Reply