Now that spring break is officially over, I have been really itching to get down to the beach. We live about 3 hours away from Gulf Shores and about 4 hours from my favorite beach – Destin! This warmer weather has been calling my name. We weren’t able to go to the beach very much last year and it made me so sad. I love being there and I’m pretty sure I was born to be a beach girl. I love the feeling of sand between my toes and the soothing sounds of the waves. Nothing says relaxing like a comfy beach chair and my latest novel.

I have been getting flooded with emails lately from one of my favorite brands – Lilly Pulitzer (thank you for tempting me, ladies!). I normally only buy one or two pieces a year because they are so expensive and I love to wait for their end of season sales to really save money on their clothes. I don’t own a ton of LP, but what I do have, I love. I have been obsessing over their new arrivals this week and kind of want one of each. A girl can dream, can’t she? I love their clothes because they are so bright and cheery! They make me happy when I wear them and that’s what clothes should do, right? So, while my sister laughs at me for loving these crazy patterns so much, I’m going to keep on dreaming of owning more of them! Here are just a FEW of my favorites:

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Romper: Gap via ThredUp // Vest: Old Navy // Birks // Kendra Scott Cuff: Nordstrom // Bag: TJ Maxx (similar here)

Our cooler weather didn’t last very long. It is back up in the 90’s and I’m back to rompin’ around in my jean vest. Oy Vey. So, last week in our small group, we went around the circle and told what are peaks and pits of the week were. I thought it would be fun to do the same this week because it has been filled with lots of ups and downs.

Pits:

Our house has been on the market for a year and a half now. We have lowered the price several times and continue to update it. It has been a really frustrating process. A couple of weeks ago we noticed a spot on Hampton’s baseboard in his room that looked like the wood had been warped. We had someone come out and look at it on Monday and, we have termites. Wonderful. While you may be thinking, “oh, it’s fine because I’m sure you have a bond”…no. We don’t. Or, we didn’t. Our bond expired a couple of months back and we had not renewed it. I’m not even going to tell you what our bill is costing us. Just know, our bank account is crying harder than that guy who loves Britney.

Sophie’s “acid reflux” has been awful. She isn’t gaining hardly any weight and it is really upsetting me. I feel like she is throwing everything up that she eats and then some. She should be growing and getting chunky, but instead she looks skinnier to me. We are going to the doctor later today for her 4 month check-up and I’m hoping she can give me new advice that will help. I’ve been so desperate that I even tried to give her formula but she still screamed the entire time I tried to give it to her. Any advice, moms?

Peaks:

While the termite thing was awful and hurt our bank account a little bit, we are so thankful that we caught it pretty early and have everything fixed now. It could have been a lot worse if we had waited or not noticed it.

Hampton has had a really good week. His behavior has been so much better and he has been so sweet with SR. I started decorating for fall/Halloween this week and he has loved seeing all of the “punkin’s” all over the house! He is definitely my little pumpkin baby! I hope he loves Halloween as much as I do!

Monday night we celebrated Ryan’s great-grandmother’s 92nd birthday! She told me she is now shooting for 100! I bet if anyone can make it to 100, it’s her! She is so precious and uplifting to be around. I love listening to her stories and being around her is such a calming influence. She has the kindest spirit.

My sister is coming home this weekend and I can’t wait to see her! Her and my mom offered to keep my kids so that Ryan and I can go out on a date! I am so excited! We have been out on one date since SR was born and that was over 2 months ago! With all of the traveling he has been doing, I am definitely ready to have a date with my hubby!

P.S. One of my best friends started a blog and launched it yesterday! Check her out over at Stroll Through the South! You will love her!

What was your pit and peak of the week?

It’s no secret my entire family went on a cruise last week. All 33 of us (minus my brother and his wife who stayed home to have my niece). The weekend before we left, I battled in my head over what to wear on the cruise. You go from one extreme to the next between laying by the pool in your swim suit to formal dinners in fancy dresses. You feel like you have to bring your entire closet. That is just simply not the case.

I obviously grabbed a couple of swim suits and cute cover ups, shorts and tank tops and then it came down to what to wear to dinner.

I decided dresses were obviously the way to go. They are comfortable and super easy. I took one pair of nude wedge sandals that went with all 4 of my dresses. For the casual nights, I wore what I would call sun dresses or cocktail dresses. They were dresses I would wear to church.

On Formal night, I went with a super comfortable and flowy maxi dress. It is actually called the “Resort Maxi!” Perfect for this vacation. It was great because it also hid my growing food belly. All. That. Food.  It’s what I like to call a win-win. 😉

Check back tomorrow for my Cruise Packing Checklist!

Have you been on a cruise? What did you wear to formal night?

I can’t believe tomorrow is my birthday! I will be a whopping 27 years old! I’m super excited to be spending my birthday weekend in one of my favorite cities – Jax Beach – and with my family who I don’t get to see very often. My husband spoiled me with some goodies from the Nordstrom Sale, but he REALLY surprised me with this Lily Pulitzer romper! I love LP but it is so expensive. I couldn’t believe he bought it for me even after I thought he was finished with my gift… or technically gifts. He is way too good to me. I am wearing this little number on my birthday tomorrow for sure! What better place to wear it than Florida?

And now, we will be cruising away and vacationing for an entire week! I couldn’t be more excited and this could not be a better time. I just wish my little man were feeling up to it a little more. We will still have a good time and spoil him with a lot of quality one-on-one time. He definitely needs it right now.

I’m off to celebrate my birthday weekend, so peace out for now! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

How is everyone feeling about this tank top weather? I’ll be honest, I am kind of over it and ready for fall. If you think I’m nuts, you obviously don’t live in Alabama. Seriously, it is SO hot. It doesn’t help that I have been running in this 95+ degree weather every other day trying to lose weight for our cruise next week!

I have been living in tank tops and shorts and I am still hot 99% of the time. This tank has been one of my favorites because of the message it spreads. I am a Christian first and foremost and always want to represent Christ in everything that I do. I fail more times than not, but if I can turn someone’s head by the shirt I choose to wear and make them google a bible verse or ask me a question about my faith, I am going to take that chance to minister to someone. Even if it is in a really small and subtle way. After all, that is our purpose, isn’t it?

I am so excited for our cruise next week and honestly can not believe it is finally here. This trip has been planned for a year (before I ever even knew I was pregnant) and while it felt like it took forever to get here, these last couple of weeks have definitely snuck up on me. I am hustling trying to get packed and ready to leave. This tank is definitely coming with me. It is perfect for throwing over my bathing suit in the Bahamas!

Once we get back from our cruise, I am going to be ready for fall weather. Unfortunately, that doesn’t come here until around late October. It is my favorite time of year and I can’t wait for some heat relief!

If you noticed on Instagram, my baby boy broke his ankle over the weekend. He was jumping in the kiddie pool I bought for him (which has been renamed “the pool of broken dreams”) and he twisted his ankle and landed on it really funny. He immediately grabbed his foot and stated screaming. It was one of the worst moments as a mother. I did remain calm because I didn’t want to scare him or make things worse, but it was not a fun night. After 5 hours in the ER, we got home around midnight and he couldn’t sleep. He was hurting so much. It was awful. I really hate he is going to be in a cast in this miserable weather, but even more so because of our cruise. It is breaking my heart. I keep reading this verse and it is comforting. I am praying for healing for my sweet angel and I hope he will feel much better by the weekend.

Do you have any last minute vacations planned before school starts? Have you ever broken any bones?

My favorite trend this summer has been Flamingos by far, however, pineapples are definitely my second favorite trend. I snagged a pineapple necklace a while back from one of my favorite Etsy shops and I wear it all the time! I love small accents of pineapple! I also happened upon some #LilyforTarget pineapple sandals one day which was super exciting! I included a couple of items for babies as well because I love dressing SR in pineapples. One of my favorite rompers that she owns is from H&M and is covered in pineapples which was my inspiration for this post.

Here are a few of my other pineapple favorites:

Scarf
Swimsuit
Bucketfeet Sneakers
Straws
Bangle
Ice Cube Tray
Headband
Pillow
Garland
Tumbler
Dope Tee
Onesie
Gray Tee
Shorts
Earrings
Monogrammed Sticker
Necklace
Banner

What are some of your favorite summer trends?

Partying Here

What is your favorite current trend?

Watch Fireworks


Grill out or BBQ


Hang out by the pool, beach, river or lake


Wear Red, White, and Blue

We are a very patriotic family. My husband works in politics (womp womp I know) and honestly I never really understood what all goes into making this country run and how stressful it can be. How many people are involved in making these decisions and how much passion these people have for our country. Sure, no one, and I mean no one agrees on politics. Every one has their own opinion because no two people think alike. But that is what makes our country great! Sometimes, politicians can get a bad reputation. When I tell people my husband works in politics, they always have a smart comment to make or simply look down and nod. I get it, because I used to be the same way.

Oh, how my views have changed. Not only do I support my husband in his work, I love meeting others who have such a strong passion for our country and who are willing to step out to try to make a difference and try to make the United States run smoothly and continue to be – united. That isn’t an easy job, especially when you are constantly in the spotlight.

When special holidays roll around where we celebrate our country, we like to go all out. We decorate our house in red, while and blue, my mom always throws a July 4th party, and we of course dress the part. Honestly, I wish we dressed patriotically year round. Not just 2 or 3 weekends out of the year.

I have a great respect for all of the people who protect our country, pass laws that keep us safe and all of the volunteers who help out in any way they can just because they love their country.

How do you celebrate the 4th of July?

I don’t know about where y’all live, but it has been HOT and humid here is Alabama town! Whew. It’s that time of year where you step one toe outside and start sweating. Showers become nothing more than a pointless habit because you immediately start sweating again right after you hop in your car to go any where. Maybe I’m exaggerating slightly here. About the showers, not the sweating. That part is unfortunately true.

Trying to run in this weather is just miserable. I picked a really bad time to start running again. haha Oh, well!

One of my favorite things about summer is the fact that it is socially acceptable to wear lots of color. I love color. This yellow dress is probably my favorite maxi. It is so comfortable and easy to dress up or down. Yellow is a great color this time of year It’s just so happy. You can’t not smile when you see bright yellow! This dress is great for those hot summer weddings, a night on the town or even church on Sunday morning. It is so light and diverse.

I loved pairing this maxi with my tassel necklace from Lemon Sweet Jewelry and my Guess wedges. It was a really comfortable outfit but I still felt semi-dressy!

I’m so excited to partner with Oakleigh Rose to bring you this amazing giveaway to win a $50 store credit!

They have so many adorable things. I am loving these cute shorts and this fun casual dress! You will love shopping on their site! Also, check out their VIP list to get the latest updates from their shop and be sure to stop by their Instagram for their newest arrivals!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lemon Sweet Jewelry is offering my readers a 20% discount code “LOGANCAN” for a limited time! She has the cutest jewelry! You should definitely check out this adorable pineapple necklace and these druzy bangles!

What is your summer go-to color?

Dress: c/o Posh Boutique // Sandals: Giani Bini (Old)

My main job is a Stay at Home Mom. Sure, I work part time and blog pretty much full time, but to me, my most important job of all is being a mother and being present for my babies. I am so blessed to be able to stay home with them, but with that comes limited time for yourself and therefore endless top knots and sweatpants. Mamas, you know what I’m talking about.