Five on Friday - Pop Toys, Bingo Set, and an Easy Way to Tidy Floors at the End of the Day

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Hey, y’all, happy Friday!  Well, we made it through another week of summer with a kid in a cast, and Monday is supposed to be the day that the cast comes off!  Woo hoo!  We’re keeping our fingers crossed that everything goes as planned, and until then, here are some favorites to kick off the weekend!

O N E – Outpouring of Love

My very favorite of the week, by far, has been the outpouring of love we’ve received for our sweet girl since she broke her elbow.  So many of you reached out to let us know that you have been thinking of her and praying for her, we can’t even tell you how much that means to us. 

Olivia also received a few happies in the mail to cheer her up and help her pass the time as she heals, and we are grateful for each and every thing – a coloring book with a fresh new set of markers, a color by number book, a unicorn pop toy, a Bingo set, and the sweetest t-shirt from Magnolia in Waco. 

All of these things have been keeping her busy and bringing her joy while she can’t play outside, and we are humbled and grateful for all of it.  We will be paying forward all of this kindness that has been shown to us for sure. 

 

T W O – Pop Toys

Speaking of pop toys, have y’all seen these things yet?  They are absolutely everywhere right now!  They are so satisfying – even more satisfying than bubble wrap, in my opinion – but these are better because you can flip them over and pop them over and over again.  I’ve always had fidgety fingers, so I think I may just grab a mini one for myself.  Haha.  Our kids love them.

 

T H R E E – Bingo Set

This is the Bingo set that Olivia received, and we have been having so much fun with it as a family!  It even comes with the old-fashioned ball cage which makes it even more fun!  This is definitely something that we’ll hang onto for years to come.

 

F O U R – Clean Bedroom Floors

I mentioned this easy peasy solution for keeping the kids’ bedroom floors clean in my Instagram stories a while back, and I don’t think I ever mentioned it here on the blog.  In our house, we constantly run into the issue where the kids will have a whole toy setup in the middle of their bedroom floor, and when it comes time to tidy up at the end of the day, they don’t want to destroy what they created.  Because of that, both kids constantly had toys in the middle of their floors that they never wanted to put away, and their floors were always a mess.

To solve the issue, I bought a large piece of foam board from Hobby Lobby for just $5.99 (and even less if you use their weekly 40% off coupon) for each kid, and at the end of the day, when it’s time to tidy up, they can just put their creations (or whatever they’re playing with at the time) on their foam board, and slide it under the bed.  That way, their creations can stay in-tact, but the floors can also be cleared at the end of the day!

We’ve been doing this for several months and it has been a huge favorite!  It’s a win-win for everyone!

 

F I V E – Tree Growth

We planted two baby oaks in the back right corner of our back yard a few months after we moved in to our house in fall 2009.  Both babies were only about a foot tall when we planted them, and they were free because we pulled them up from an undeveloped side of our neighborhood before everything was bulldozed. 

Well, they have grown and grown since then and now they’re both huge.  I didn’t realize just how fast they were growing until this picture showed up in my Timehop.  Here’s what they looked like four years ago:

And here’s what they look like today!  If I had to guess, I’d say that they’ve grown by about 15-20 feet just since that picture was taken four years ago!

We planted them with the hope that one day they’d be the perfect distance apart to hang a hammock, and I’m excited to say that they were, indeed, perfectly placed for a hammock!  Now we just need to buy one!

 

Friday Funnies

It's true.  B and I keep having conversations that start with, "Last year..." and we're both always referring to 2019.  2020 basically didn't exist.  Haha.

The struggle is real when you share a community fridge at work!

Hahahaha. 

On the Blog This Week

 2021 30A Summer Beach Trip - Days 4 & 5

Amazon Prime Day Deals (Three of My Faves)

Our Week - The One with Summertime, Week 4 (Camp and Father’s Day)

 

Happy Friday, y’all!

*Linking up with A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites.

Our Week - The One with Summertime, Week 4 (Camp and Father’s Day)

Hey, y’all!  Today I’m recapping last week, our fourth week of summer, and I’m also including the previous Sunday since it was left out of the beach recaps.

Sunday, June 13

Sunday was spent doing laundry, cleaning the house, and getting settled back in after our trip.  We had a cheeseboard for lunch since there wasn't much else in the house, and then I spent a good chunk of the afternoon working in my office to catch up on some blog stuff and sort through the hundreds of pictures and videos I’d taken on our trip.

Olivia had been begging to see my parents and Mama Cass because she wanted them to sign her cast, so we got together with them for Sunday dinner at our house and everyone just picked up takeout.  My momma and daddy had new windows installed all around their house, so their house was still in shambles and she couldn’t cook.  I hadn’t been to the grocery store, so I had nothing to cook, so takeout it was!

We spent the evening around the table in our dining room – no more outdoor dinners for a while because the heat has officially kicked in – and the kids filled them all in on our trip.  Olivia also got her cast signed by one and all and she was a happy camper.  Mama Cass also checked her loose tooth, but it wasn't ready yet, much to Olivia's dismay.  ;o)  

Monday, June 14

Monday morning, the kids headed off to science camp!  Every summer, their school has summer camp and each week is a different theme.  Now that I no longer work a corporate job, I’m home all the time, and can therefore stay home with them.  However, they always love to see their friends during the summer, so B and I let them each pick a week of camp to attend. 

Jacob chose science week and Olivia chose water week this year, but obviously water week is a bust now because of her arm.  Her cast will technically be off by then, but I don’t know if it’ll be okay for her to be doing the slip and slide and jumping in inflatables right after the cast comes off, so we told them they won’t be doing that one.  The camp director assured me that they could accommodate Olivia and her big ol’ cast at science camp, though, so we decided it was probably fine to let them go ahead and attend that.

We were all up bright and early Monday morning so we could get them there to enjoy the full day, and we rolled up to the school at about 8:15 to drop them off.  When we pulled up, Jacob’s best friend was getting out of the car to head in, too, and they were both so excited to see each other. 

I got them both checked in, and then I spent the whole day grocery shopping, catching up on blog work, and doing all of the laundry that I hadn’t finished over the weekend.  Before I knew it, it was time to pick them up.  Camp is from 7:30 AM to 6 PM to accommodate working parents, but we can drop them off and pick them up whenever we want.  The kids had asked me to pick them up around 3-ish, which is the time they’d normally get out of school, so I did just that, and neither of them wanted to leave.  Haha.  They asked if we could stop by my momma’s office on the way out, so we did pop in and say hi to her.

The entire drive home, they were both talking nonstop about all of the fun they’d had and all of the snacks they’d eaten.  Hahahaha.  Our kids love a snack!  I had been worried about Olivia since she couldn’t go to the playground at all, but her camp director told me that her BFF, Rebecca (who’s in her class at school), didn’t leave her side the whole day.  She said that Rebecca helped her when she needed help with anything and she stayed inside with Olivia during recess to keep her company since she couldn’t go out.  Y’all!  That just made my heart so happy!  Olivia was also thrilled because she’d racked up on tons more signatures for her cast.  ;o)

When we got home, both kids were both exhausted, so I let them play video games for a bit while I finished up my work.  Just as I was about to head down to cook dinner, we had a random afternoon thunderstorm, and the power went out at our house.  Sigh.  B checked the status, and Georgia Power said it wouldn’t be restored until 7:45-ish, so we started thinking of alternative plans for dinner.

I busied myself with putting away groceries and getting everything ready for the next day, when the power popped back on!  Whew!  I was able to cook dinner, and we just ate later than we normally would due to the delay.  The kids showered while I cooked (and I helped Olivia with her bath in between cooking), and then after dinner we all watched two new episodes of Breaking Bobby Bones.  I also squeezed in a stair stepper workout while we watched.  After the kids went to bed, B and I started catching up on The Bachelorette, but we didn’t make it far before we decided to go to bed, too.

 

Tuesday, June 15

Tuesday was day two of science camp, and the kids had already asked me to pick them up later in the day, around 4, so they could have a little bit of extra time.  After I dropped them, I ran to Target and Fresh Market, and then I headed back home for a bit to get some work done.

Brian had to be back in the office to work on Tuesday for the first time in 15 months, so I had the whole house to myself, which was weird after 15 long months of somebody being home all the time.  As of right now, his company is staggering the days, so he’ll work from home Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and he’ll only report to the office on Tuesday and Thursday.  So right now, he’s getting the best of both worlds!

The kids and I had our semiannual dental checkups Tuesday morning at 11, which was unfortunate since they were scheduled the same week as camp, but we schedule them six months in advance so there’s no way to know what’ll be going on that far down the road. 

Therefore, I picked the kids up at 10:45 from camp, whisked us all over to the dentist, and then whisked them right back to camp by noon for lunch.  All three of us were in the no cavity club, and it was a great checkup for one and all!

The rest of my afternoon was spent working, and then I picked the kids up at 4 as they had asked.  We headed straight home and I got the dishwasher unloaded and prepped everything for the next day, and then when B got home from work, I headed to the funeral home for a rosary and visitation for one of my oldest, dearest friend’s step-dad who passed away from cancer. 

I sat with my momma and then afterward, we chatted with two of my friends and their moms as well as our priest who was there to do the service.  It was so nice to see my friend Jen, but it was unfortunate that it was under those circumstances.  Please keep her and her momma in your prayers as they grieve the loss of one of their favorite people. 

By the time I got home, B had already fed the kids, and they were getting ready for bed, so I made myself a light, quick dinner, and then we all settled in at 8 to watch Lego Masters.  I got in another workout while we watched, and then B and I caught up on some TV before heading to bed.

 

Wednesday, June 16

Wednesday was another day of camp for the kids, and I had a busy day of work and appointments.  I also got a jump start on back-to-school ordering, and I ordered all of Olivia’s jumpers, skirts, and tops for the upcoming school year.  They all have to be ordered from a specific uniform company, and sometimes their shipping is slow, so I didn’t want to risk waiting too late to order.  Fortunately, all of Jacob’s tops still fit, so he’ll just need some new shorts and pants (which we can get from anywhere… we love Old Navy or Target for those) and he’ll be good to go. 

I picked the kids up from camp at 3:45, cooked dinner, and the evening was spent at home cooking, playing, and catching up on America’s Got Talent.

 

Thursday, June 17

Thursday morning, I dropped the kids at camp, and then came home to an empty house again since B was working in the office again... well, empty except for Maui.  ;o)

I spent the whole day working on the blog and I also ordered a few more back-to-school items like socks, undies, bows, etc.  All that’s left is Jacob’s shorts and pants, cartwheel shorts for Olivia, new shoes for both of them, and they’ll be all set!  Patting myself on the back for knocking this out so early in the summer.  ;o)

I grabbed the kids from camp Thursday afternoon and then we headed straight home so I could start cooking.  B had a tennis match Thursday evening, so I had dinner on the table at 5 so he had enough time to get ready and get there on time.  While he was gone, the kids and I went for a walk around the neighborhood.  Camp has made them come home overtired yet WIRED every day, so they needed to walk out some of that leftover energy. 

When we got back home, we all tidied up the house… much needed considering we still had remnants from the last day of school sitting on the stairs.  They’d been legit sitting there for almost a month and they were driving me crazy.  That was all going to be taken care of the first week of summer, but then Olivia broke her elbow and things got a little crazy.  Sigh. 

After tidying, the kids got showered/bathed.  Olivia is loving these baths… I don’t think she misses showers one bit.  She likes to be pampered.  Lol.  Then afterward, we hung some window clings on Olivia's bedroom window and worked on our Disney Princess puzzle some more.  We started that a few days before we left for the beach and got like 80% of it done, but it sat, neglected, the first few days after we got home.

After the kiddos went to bed, B and I settled in for the Handmaid’s Tale season finale and, Y’ALL, OMG!!!!  Has anyone else watched?!  My mind was blown, I was shocked, it was so satisfying – but crazy and disturbing – and it was seriously some of the best TV I’ve ever seen.  The writers, directors, producers, actors, etc. of this show all need to win all the awards.  Seriously.  Also, could I love Nick more?!  SWOON.

 

Friday, June 18

Friday was the last day of camp for the kids, so I dropped them off bright and early just after 8, and then I spent the rest of the day crossing things off the list so I can have a more leisurely week with them at home this week. 

After camp, we swung by the library to drop a book, and then we ran my Telluride through the car wash.  It was filthy after our beach trip – that salty, humid air always makes for a mess! – so it was much-needed.  The kids always love the car wash, so they were excited.

Friday evening, B picked up barbecue from our favorite local spot and that, paired with a beer, was the perfect way to end the week.  We finished our princess puzzle, and then we all sat down together and watched Luca, the new Disney Pixar film.  I tried with all my might to stay awake because I’d been looking forward to it, but I fell asleep about 45 minutes into it because I just couldn’t get into it.  I didn’t find the movie to be on Disney/Pixar’s usual level, but maybe I need to just go back and watch it again??  Have you seen it?  I’d love to know what you thought.

Saturday, June 19

Saturday morning, Tropical Storm Claudette started making its way through, so it was rainy all day long, and we were pretty lazy all day.  I did manage to get a few loads of laundry done, and I got in a cardio workout, but other than that, it was pure laziness.  We played some Bingo with the kids’ new Bingo set, we had a light lunch of leftovers, and the afternoon was spent catching up on some things and hanging out in my office while the kids played video games.

We celebrated my father-in-law for Father’s Day Saturday evening, so B’s fam came over.  Our original plan was to grill burgers, but with all of the rain, we knew that wouldn’t happen and we opted for pizza instead.  We ate dinner on the back porch and hung out all evening, and by the time everyone left, it was time to get the kiddos in bed.

B and I watched the last episode of Little Fires Everywhere and I loved it.  I already put the book on hold at the library so I can finally give it a read.

Sunday, June 20

Sunday was Father’s Day, and by the time I got up and went downstairs, the kids were already down there making Father’s Day cards.  I helped them wrap their gifts before B came down, and then they hid their gifts for him to find. 

After gifts, we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and watched church virtually.  We had planned on going back to church in-person this weekend, but since we did Father’s Day with my FIL Saturday evening, we decided to wait one more week.  Saturday evening mass is always the least crowded, so we’re aiming to do that one, but we couldn’t make it with everyone coming over Saturday evening. 

The rest of the morning was lazy… it was still raining, so I enjoyed a cup of hot tea and then did some yoga, and then we had a light lunch at home.  The afternoon was spent baking a cake for Sunday dinner with the kids and then doing some work in my office while B and the kids played video games, and then we headed to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner.  

Olivia had asked me to wear my new shirt so we could be twins.  I'll happily twin with her forever as long as she'll let me!  :o)

Daddy had requested mom’s spaghetti (sounds like an Eminem lyric, hehe) for dinner, and we brought over the bottle of wine we’d brought back from the beach along with the cake that we’d baked, and it was a nice evening celebrating the fathers! 

Towards the end of the evening, though, Jacob started feeling bad, and by the time we got home, he had a low-grade fever and a sore throat.  I felt terrible since we'd just been at my parents' house... everything is just so cringe-y right now with Covid floating around.

Happy Wednesday, y’all!

Amazon Prime Day Deals (Three of My Faves)

Amazon Prime Day is halfway through, and I thought I’d just pop in really quickly today to share a few of my favorite Amazon finds ever that just so happen to be included in the sale today! 

CRZ Yoga Leggings

Original Price: $26.00

Prime Day Deal: $20.80

First up, are these leggings!  They are my most favorite leggings of all-time by far… I own four pairs and bought them all during previous Prime Day sales.  Each pair is 1-2 years old and they’re still like new, even after tons of washes. 

The fit is perfect, they’re soft and buttery, they don’t ride up or down, and honestly, they’re so good you don’t even feel like you’re wearing anything.  I guess that’s why they’re called “Naked Feeling leggings.”  Haha. 

They come in 44 colors and patterns, and right now they’re all 20% off.  With 22,916 ratings and 4.5 / 5 stars, you know they’re that good.

 

Turtleneck Tunic Sweater

Original Price: $35.99

Prime Day Deal: $28.79

Second up, is this tunic sweater!  It’s my most favorite fall/winter fashion purchase on Amazon ever, and it’s currently 20% off.  The sweater is the softest thing you can put on your body and the quality is top-notch, so good, it feels like something you’d buy from an upscale department store. 

It comes in 13 colors, and it runs large, so size down one size!  I typically wear a small, but the XS is just right for me for this one. 

 

Ring Spotlight Camera

Original Price: $199.99

Prime Day Deal: $149.99

Finally, are these Ring Spotlight Cameras.  We recently installed them all around our house, and we LOVE them.  You can see the live feed from each camera in the app on your phone any time of day or night.  The cameras alert you when any motion is detected (and you can customize the sensitivity and snooze them any time if you want).  Each camera has built-in spotlights that turn on at night when motion is detected, and the cameras have two-way talk as well as a siren alarm that can be activated with the push of a button. 

You can see all cameras at a glance in your app, and you can zoom in on each one as you please.  You can also go back and view the history of each camera as well. 

They’re $50 off EACH today, so if you’ve been thinking of purchasing one (or more), today is the day to buy!

Amazon is also offering deals on thousands of other products, and you can click here to shop today!

 

Happy Tuesday, y’all!

2021 30A Summer Beach Trip - Days 4 & 5

I recapped the first three days of our beach trip last week, and today, I’m recapping days four and five. 

Tuesday, June 8

Tuesday was supposed to be gorgeous weather-wise, so we knew it would be the perfect day for our first full beach day.  We had leftover donuts from Donut Hole for breakfast, and then after lingering over my hot tea for a few minutes we all got ready for the beach.  Getting a family of four down to the beach is always a process since we have to sunscreen everyone and lug so much stuff down there… add in a broken arm in a cast, and it took even longer since we had to wrap Olivia’s arm in a trash bag to keep it protected from the water and sand.

Brian had gone down to the ocean first thing after waking up to claim our spot for the day.  If you want to be front row by the ocean, you have to be down there around 7 AM during peak season to get a spot, otherwise you’ll miss out!  He always sets up our chairs, umbrella, and wagon and that’s enough to claim our little area for the day.  That also frees up his arms to help carry the rest of the stuff down when we all go down there. 

We spent a couple of hours at the beach, and Brian and I took turns holding Olivia’s hand by the ocean so she could get her feet wet.  

At lunchtime we all headed to the condo to take a little break from the sun.  We made lunch in the condo pretty much every day while we were there – sandwiches, chips, fruit, yogurt, and some days, leftovers from the previous night.  After lunch, everybody was ready to head back to the beach, and we spent a couple more hours out there before calling it a day. 

Tuesday was Olivia’s first full day wearing the trash bag on her arm, and she did fantastic!  Once it was on, she never thought about it again, and it worked like a charm keeping the water and sand out of her cast.  She was truly a trooper during this whole trip!

When we got back to the condo, we all got ready and then headed out.  We wanted to spend the evening in Seaside, and Seaside is the most touristy beach area of all of 30A, so it gets busy, especially at night.  On this trip, we wanted to try a couple of new restaurants (we usually tend to stick with the ones we know and love) but it’s hard to get into some of them. 

I’ve wanted to go to Great Southern Café in Seaside for years, but it’s impossible to get a reservation.  They release all reservations for the week at a specific time at the beginning of the week, and they fill up super fast.  Since we don’t plan out our trip day by day, it’s hard to know which evening we’ll want to be in which beach town, so we never know which evening to make the reservation.  We tend to be more laid back on vacation, and surprisingly, I’m not one of those people who plans out an entire itinerary before the trip.  It’s the one time in life that I’m more spontaneous.  I know, I’m surprised, too.  ;o)

Anyway, we wanted to try to get into Great Southern Café Tuesday evening, and B and I both refreshed their reservations page all afternoon, hoping that someone would cancel a reservation.  At one point, a 5:30 reservation opened up and I tried to snag it, but someone else beat me to it.  That’s how hard it is to get one, y’all! 

Since we couldn’t get a reservation, we decided to try a different approach.  We arrived in Seaside just after 4 PM CST, and went straight to Great Southern Café to put our names on the walk-in list.  The last time we tried to do that, the wait was still two hours so we didn’t bother, but this time, we lucked out and the wait was only an hour.  That gave us just enough time to walk down to Duckie’s (the famous toy shop in Seaside) so the kids could pick out souvenirs. 

Duckie’s was still limiting the number of people inside to ensure everyone could social distance, so we had to wait about 15 minutes to get inside.  Once inside, the kids were in heaven as they always are, and they wanted to browse every single shelf.  We spent a while in there waiting for them to find the perfect thing.  Jacob opted for an ocean-themed Lego set (what else?  Haha), and Olivia picked out a couple of Twisty Pets.  If y’all haven’t seen those yet, they are the cutest little things.  They’re jewelry (mostly bracelets) that twist into toy figures that kids can play with.  Olivia discovered them at Duckie’s on our last trip, and she loves them so much! 

By the time we left Duckie’s, we’d killed a big chunk of our wait time for dinner, but we still had a few minutes to go, so I got everyone to take some pictures… their favorite thing.  Haha.  By the time we finished taking a few pictures, I got a text from the restaurant saying our table was ready, so we had timed everything perfectly.  We were seated by 5:15 CST which is 6:15 our time, so we didn’t even end up having to eat too late.  Our table was outside, and there was live music on the stage on the green, so it was just perfect!  Seaside hasn’t had live music in over a year (there was none last summer or during spring break because of Covid), so to see that again was just the best thing!  After a year of weirdness, it’s nice to be back to almost-normal again.

Great Southern Café is famous for their mojitos, so of course, B and I had to try.  They had at least 10 or 12 different ones, so I opted for the cherry mojito, and B opted for an orange one with Tito’s.  They were both good, but not as good as we’d hoped.  We’d asked the waitress which ones she recommended and neither of us went with her recommendations, so maybe that was the problem.  Lol.

Great Southern Café is also known for their delicious Southern food, and they had so many options that sounded amazing, so it was hard to choose.  By that time, we’d been on vacation for a few days and we’d eaten a lot of junk, so my body was craving something healthy.  Therefore, I opted for the grilled chicken sandwich and green beans for the side and it didn’t disappoint.  Their green beans were amazing… so fresh and tender with just the right amount of crunch.  And the grilled chicken was so flavorful and good.  I ended up pulling it off the bun and eating it with the homemade mustard they’d provided on the side.  So delicious.    

B opted for the veggie plate (which was my second choice), and he got green beans, fried green tomatoes (YES, MA’AM!), fried okra, and gouda cheese grits.  To answer the question that probably just popped into your head, YES, grits are a dinner food, too, here in the south!  Many of the fine dining restaurants in our area make the best grits you’ll ever put in your mouth, and they’re just as good at dinnertime as they are at breakfast.  I sampled B’s fried green tomatoes and grits and they were both amazing, so next time we go, I’ll probably get a veggie plate!

We were all stuffed by the time we were done, but the kids wanted ice cream (of course they did – haha), so we let them get their usual, and B and I opted out.  While the kids finished up, I ducked into The Seaside Style shop really quickly just to see if, by chance, they had any of the pink Seaside sweatshirts in stock and I was so excited because they did!!!!  They discontinued them a few years ago and I was never able to get one, so I was thrilled!  I love my purple and turquoise ones so much, so it’s nice to finally have one in my favorite color. 

We were all beat by the time the kids were done with their ice cream, so we headed back to the car and made the short drive back to the condo.  

When we got back, we watched an episode of Breaking Bobby Bones and part of Lego Masters to wind down, and then it was bedtime.

Wednesday, June 9

Wednesday started with cereal and eggs in the condo followed by my usual cup of hot cinnamon tea and some reading while the kids watched cartoons.  

We had slept in a bit, so when B got up to take our stuff down to the beach, all of the front row ocean space was full.  We need to be right by the ocean with two small kids, though, so we can monitor them in the water, so we looked again, and there was a gap right in front of our condo that was just big enough for us to squeeze into. 

A lot of people set their stuff up early in the morning to claim their spot and then don’t come out until late afternoon, so it’s rare that people are there right next to us at the same time, therefore we weren’t worried about overcrowding too much. 

When we arrived at our spot, our chair neighbor was sunning in front of our chairs, but she hopped right up when she saw us coming down, and then she and I struck up a conversation and ended up chatting for a while.  She was super sweet, and later in the morning, she snapped some pictures of the four of us with her phone while we were all standing by the water, and she was kind enough to text them all to me.  

We ended up staying down at the water for a couple of hours, playing by the water and finding shells.  30A is not known for having a lot of shells, but for some reason, there were more than usual washing up on the shore the week we were there. 

Around noon we headed to the condo for lunch, and then after lunch, we headed back down, a couple of beers in hand.  We all played on the beach for the rest of the afternoon.  Brian buried both of the kids’ legs in the sand while I read, and then we found some more shells.

  

Jacob spent a ton of time in the water Wednesday afternoon, and B and I took turns holding Olivia’s hand by the water so she could dip her toes in, but she did have a moment of sadness when she couldn’t go in the water with Jacob.  I took her back to our chairs and spent some time playing in the sand with her to try to distract her from the fact that she couldn’t go in the water.  She wanted to bury my legs in the sand, and that cheered her right up!  She gave me the sweetest little mischievous smile when she was done… she was so proud of herself.  Haha.

We headed up to the condo mid-afternoon to get ready, and then we drove to The Hub for dinner.  It’s one of our favorite places in all of 30A and it’s just right down the street from our condo, so it was easy.  The Hub is a big outdoor area surrounded on all four sides by different restaurants, vendors, food trucks, and shops, so you can pick up something different for dinner for each family member and then take it out to one of the tables in the common area outside.  They have different entertainment each night – DJ dance parties, live music, family movie nights, etc. – and there’s lots of shade (so important in the Florida heat) and twinkle lights everywhere, so it’s very picturesque and fun.  I wish we had a place like that at home!  If you’re ever in the 30A area (especially with kiddos), The Hub is a MUST!  We love it so much that we often go twice!

All four of us opted for dinner from Duo’s – burgers for B, Jacob, and me, and peanut butter and jelly for Olivia (anyone surprised? – LOL) – and I grabbed a couple of IPAs from the bar for B and me.  Their burgers and fries are so yummy, and they all come with the best pickles ever!  It’s such a simple meal, but it’s always one of my favorites and I was a happy camper. 

After dinner, we all had to get ice cream – B and I had skipped dessert the past two nights so it was time – because they have one of the unique flavors that you can’t get anywhere else… Pirate’s Bounty!!  It’s Oreos and M&Ms crushed into caramel ice cream, and my goodness, it is so delicious.  B took the kids to grab the ice cream while I held down our table because, by that point, it was busy in there and all of the tables were full.

When we were done with our ice cream, we headed back to the condo.  The family movie night didn’t start until 7 PM which is 8 PM back home, and we were all too tired to stay out until 10.  That Florida sun and beach time will wipe you out every time!  On the way back to the car, though, we did have to take a little peek into Luke Bryan’s cigar bar, Shore Thing.  He’d been in town a few days prior for a concert, and Olivia was just dying to see him.  No such luck, though, as we stalked him on Instagram and discovered he was in Nashville for the CMT Music Awards. 

When we got back to the condo, we watched the rest of Lego Masters and a little bit of the new episode of America’s Got Talent, and then it was lights out for everyone!

That wraps up part 2 of my trip recaps, and I should be back next Monday with the last part!

Happy happy Monday!

*Linking up with My Glittery Heart, The Other Side of the Road, and The Sirois Family for Hello Monday.