Over the next few days, I'll be sharing bits and pieces of our epic road trip to the east coast. It was 13 days filled with joy, sibling fights, a bazillion rest stops, one major meltdown on the side of I-10, great memories and lots of hugs with awesome people. Oh, and we saw a ton of cool stuff, too. You can read all about it by city: New Orleans, LA; Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Washington, D.C. and Knoxville, TN. The drive from New Orleans to Atlanta was easily the absolute worst of the trip. Everyone was still settling into the close quarters, we hit Alabama beach traffic and it rained, rained, rained. It's stretches like that when Scott and I wonder if we are legit bananas. One … [Read more...]
East Coast Adventure: Easy Living in NOLA
Over the next few days, I'll be sharing bits and pieces of our epic road trip to the east coast. It was 13 days filled with joy, sibling fights, a bazillion rest stops, one major meltdown on the side of I-10, great memories and lots of hugs with awesome people. Oh, and we saw a ton of cool stuff, too. You can read all about it by city: New Orleans, LA; Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Washington, D.C. and Knoxville, TN. Here. We. Go. Because our sweet, reliable, amazing Honda Odyssey was hovering close to 230,000 miles on her, we opted to let her sit this 3,700-mile road trip out and rent a van. What was originally supposed to be an 8-seat capacity Suburban turned into a 12-passenger … [Read more...]
Dear First-Time Mama of a High School Senior
I know, I know. You looked at yourself in the mirror this morning and asked, "How, how do I have a senior in high school?" Then you either a) started hyperventilating, b) teared up, c) swelled with pride or d) all of the above. I'm sure moms who have gone before us are already smiling, reaching out their arms to embrace our conflicted hearts. But, I suspect while this letting go thing may get easier, it will never get easy. Can I get an AMEN?! I feel like we are bombarded with something called the "oh sh*t" list. As in, "oh sh*t" I didn't know we had to do that. And so it goes. It's quickly followed by a "I guess we'll scramble and figure it out" list. Followed by a list of … [Read more...]
A First Communion Bash
When we sacrament, you can bet there will be a party. Luke's First Communion was a MAJOR cause for celebration. After the big day, we hosted friends and family back at the house. I think there were 30-ish?! A few weeks ago, I shared an Instagram Live about how I prepare for parties and how I believe anyone can be a hostess. It's true! I do! But the main message is this: don't let the size of your house, your budget, your personality type or your fear hold you back from opening your home to people you love. People come to see you, not how clean you keep your toilets. #truestory We cooked fajitas for the main meal and had those (almost) ready when folks arrived. Mama forgot … [Read more...]
Sacramental Gift Ideas for Baptism, First Communion & Confirmation
Disclosure: A few of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you click through and place an order. It's an email I get at least once a week - people in search of the "just right" gift for the "just right" kid for a multitude of sacraments. Since we've celebrated six baptisms, five (almost!) first communions and one confirmation, we've seen and been recipients of some of the most meaningful and beautiful gifts. So I decided to dish - in one place - the best ideas I've got. And, please, if you're a business owner and you aren't mentioned here, leave your shop link in the comments! If you like winning free things, visit me … [Read more...]
