July Currently

craving: Adventure!! I have had a thirst for adventure recently like it's nobodies business!! I have had this itch to pack it all in and hit the road. However, since logical life must continue, as my ever logical husband is so quick to remind me, we have come to an agreement on possibly (minuscule in his mind, gigantic in mine haha) looking in to getting a camper to adventure around Florida with on our off weekends! First though, he has asked me for a list of all the places we would go so that we can weigh the length of the list with how much we might use said camper. Oh love his heart! So I am currently working my way through wonderful places to see in the sunshine state. Any other Floridians or Florida lovers that could share some of your favorite off-the-beaten-path spots? 

grilling: Finally got to grill up my favorite summer yummy! Tuna steak burgers (just season and grill tuna to your liking) then top with avocado and egg salad and place between a bun. I know what you're thinking, it doesn't necessarily sound like the best combination. Oh, but it is!! It is!! I don't even like egg salad on it's own, but these things are close to perfection I tell ya. And so light and wonderful for a summer dinner al fresco! Here is the original link to a post on this yumminess from quite long ago (at the very bottom of post) that includes more pictures and details. Also, it is really strange to read stuff from so long ago and hear the kind of mind set I was in at the particular time, the tone just seems so different to me. 

listening: With my thirst for adventure always in the back of my mind, I have had Jake Owen's 'Anywhere With You' on replay through my brain. I have also been jammin' out to some of summer country and listening to the wonderful Beth Moore talk about what it really looks like when we learn to Love Well. 

planning: 1.) My list of the all Florida places! and 2.) The plans for this upcoming weekend. We are headed to the New Smyrna Beach for the weekend to watch the fireworks on the beach. I have all kinds of plans for adventure-seeking. I found this great new preserve and am hoping I can get Babe to go hiking one morning before with hit the sun and sand for some Cornhole and Jam Bucket! 

decorating: The guest bedroom. Our guest bedroom has been a place of transition for a while. First it was my brother-in-laws room and since then it has become my nieces room for when she sleeps over. Yesterday I found the cutest quilt on sale at Steinmart and have decided to make that a new project. Finger's crossed!! 

What's currently transpiring in your world? 

Linking up with// Anne and Jenna

My 5 Cruising Essentials

Going on a boat, going on a boat... 

The excitement in our house is building!! Or at least mine is. Babe is currently doing his typical 'clean-the-house, going-on-a-trip' prep. I won't mention the fact that I actually cleaned (alert the media) on Tuesday and though he was proud of me, he was apparently not that impressed, because he is cleaning everything I already cleaned. I think it calms his nerves. I don't get it, but I guess that's what makes us work. He's the ying to my yang, what can I say? So while I do my nails and finish the rest of what I consider actual cruise prep, he is prepping the house (ok, I get it, people are staying here while we are gone. But they are family and the house looks great... in my opinion). Since I am currently stuck at the computer while the floors dry I figured I would finish up my 5 cruising essentials. 

1.) Devotions!- I love my devotion time on a cruise! There is so much more of it. At home I read Jesus Calling each morning. I always intend to do more, to at least jot down some of my 1000 gifts. But the time just goes so quickly in the morning. I know I need my one-on-one God time, but God doesn't seem to mind that most of it happens while I shower. As soon as they invent a waterproof book and pen set I will be golden!! I started keeping a list of my own 1000 gifts right before our cruise last year. I am now up to 200. At home this seems to get neglected. I will sit down every so often and put down ones I had been trying to keep track of in my mind. But with all the time I have in the mornings to sit in the sun, eat my grapefruit and loaded down plate of pastries, I am able to write down all the little ones that have gotten past over in the rush to get out the door: "I will miss yous" from Makaylin, sister time, best friends, fires on a cold night... I am also SOOOOOO so very excited that The Jesus Storybook Bible is going to be part of my mornings on this trip. I have been wanting to read it FOR-E-VER and figured this was the perfect opportunity!! 

2.) Sun Basking Reading Material!- This is a crucial point as I plan to be doing a whole lot of nothing! But I can not do nothing without a book. I have been wanting to read Harry Potter on a cruise since we started cruising a few years back, so I am going to be one excited reader on this trip. Reread the entire HP series again form start to finish and it couldn't have fallen at a better time! 

3.) Sunless Tanner- I love my Sunless Tanner from Rodan and Fields! I never believed in sunless tanner before I found this. I tried multiple tanners and nothing worked, so I gave up. I gave it another try when a friend put me onto Rodan and Fields. This is my jam!! It started with just my legs and then when I saw pictures with my legs looking like I lived in Hawaii and my body looking like I lived in Forks I braved doing my arms and was so satisfied with how streak-free it came out that I did my face the next time. It was great! No splotches, sun-baked-skin and no harmful, wrinkling rays! The perfect companion for cruising! 

4.) Face Protection- I love my MBS hat!! I may be biased, but I think it looks pretty spiffy and it keeps the sun out of my eyes while I read. So very proud of my Daddy and the men behind Mind, Body and Soul Surfing Company.

5.) Bucket List Check-off plans!- When we cruise we don't go through the ship for our excursions. Yes, it can be a little more risky. But...

a.) It saves money, a lot of it usually. The cruise gets a nice cut of the money for the excursions you book through the boat. They often use their own guides and they set up all of the arrangements. It also insures that the boat will not leave you if something happens during the tour (hopefully this will never come back to bite us in the fanny). 

b.) You get a more local, off-the-beaten-path experience. This can also be risky, but totally worth it. The cruise ship excursions all tend to be packed with people from any number of cruise ships docked at the same port. The beaches they may take you to are so full you can't find a spot for your stuff. We like to research where we are going and see if there is any thrill seeking, local, hidden spots we can find. This trip? Cliff diving in Curacao and/or the Dominican Republic, swimming in the natural pool in Aruba and lighthouse exploring in Grand Turk!! 

Any other cruisers out there? I love hearing tips about cruise experiences or any excursions that people would recommend. 

Linking up today with the lovely ladies of the 5 on Friday! 

5 Summer Happies!!

Hey, there! It's Friday and it's a good day! The sun is shining, my "to do" list is not that long and I plan to soak up some of this last bit of summer goodness!!

I can't believe summer is close to it's end. The flexibility of more free time has been really nice, but I am excited for this upcoming school year and the new adventures it is going to bring (more on that soon). So I thought in all of the lingering summer glory, I would share with you 5 of my favorite summer happies!!

1.) Disney!!

Moments of stolen splendor on summer nights, like in yesterday's post, make my heart so light and happy! And mostly I am loving my MagicBands!! So much so that the other day, I wore two!! Our new customized ones had just came in, so we had brought both in case the new ones hadn't linked yet. Well they had, so I rocked them! Think I might set a new Disney trend! If you are a Disney fan like myself, and live close enough that evening trips are possible, I highly recommend getting an annual pass of some kind. You are probably thinking - just like I did- that the price is to ridiculous, but if you know you will go, it practically pays for itself. It is one of the best Christmas gifts I have ever gotten.

2.) A good book!!

This is a summer essential!! Perfect for sitting outside (or in on a rainy day) with a sweet tea in hand, getting drawn into another world. I am currently reading through the Beautiful Creatures series and I couldn't recommend it more. More on my summer reading list in upcoming weeks, because I have read some great ones (Unwritten was one of my favorites). Next up on my list: The Book Thief. Reviews?

3.) Sunshine and sweet tea!!

So I know this technically 2-in-1, but it is the perfect combination!! I have not been able to make it to the beach much this summer, but I love to be outside (even in the muggy Florida heat), just as long as I have something to keep me cool! I am loving the new Arnold Palmer Coolatta from Dunkin Donuts, but I think my favorite cool down drink is still Starbucks shaken green tea and lemonade, sweetened of course!! I love that my Starbucks knows what I am coming in for and many days you can find me sitting outside in the sunshine, sipping my green tea and reading my book. It's a nice little break in my day!!

4.) Sunless tanner!!

Because I haven't made it to the beach as much as I would have liked, this body of mine is nice and pasty. The Rodan and Fields sunless tanner has become my new friend!! I have tried other sunless tanners in the past and they never worked. They were streaky or looked orange and so I stopped using them. A friend gave this to me to try and I was hooked. So much so, that I now use a lot of the Rodan and Fields products. I usually use three coats (top picture is 2 coats) as I like that color tone the best, one coat will just make a slight difference. I also recommend if you are using it for an event, like a wedding, that you use it on your arms too. Otherwise, you will wind up like me the first time I did it, with super tan legs and a white upper body. Lesson learned (see below)!  

5.) Trip time!!

I love our summer trips!! I look forward to them all year long!! They aren't extravagant, some aren't all that restful, but they are perfect!! We have already been to Tennessee; that's our 'rest-and-renew-and-catch-up-with-wonderful-family' trip. Pretty soon we will be leaving, with 3 kids in tow, for a week in the mountains of North Georgia. This trip is not so restful, but it is wonderful in it's own right. I can't wait for time with my 3 loves (4 I guess, if you count Babe haha), adventures and fun!!

And here is a little happy for you! I ended up with two copies of The Book Thief. I am a book hoarder!! And figured there might be one of you out there who, like me, hasn't gotten to see much sun this summer! So enjoy a little giveaway for your Friday! We can be book reading buddies! 

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