Boating Around Atlanta: A Getaway From Your Everyday

This post is sponsored by Discover Boating but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

One of our very favorite things about summer is boating.  We have spent years on the water and all of our kids grew up on boats.  Living in Atlanta, we are lucky to have so many different lakes to choose from.  No matter what direction you head from the city there is a lake just waiting for you.

There are SO many things we love about boating, but the one that ranks near the top of the list is the fact that it feels like a mini-vacation every weekend we are out on the boat. It doesn't matter if we are less than an hour from home.  Being on the water just feels like a getaway from your everyday.

It's the one activity that we can do as a family that gets everyone involved. We're all together, outside, and enjoying each other's company.

No one is on their phone or iPad because they are worried about them getting wet so it is really just good old fashioned family time.

We love listening to music, cruising around, jumping off the boat, swimming, finding an island to explore, wake-boarding, tubing, fishing and just about every other thing that comes along with being on a boat and out on the water!

Boating is also one of our favorite things to do with friends.  It's a great way for parents to be able to hang out and catch up, a great way to keep the kids entertained, and it's a sure way to make sure everyone has FUN!!!!

We have regular lakes that we go to, but most of our vacations over the past 4-5 years have also involved boating in some way or another.  We love exploring new lakes and living where we do, we are lucky that there are SO many so close to us.

Did you know you don't have to be a boat owner to go boating?  There are tons of options for renting a boat and the Discover Boating site has a boat finder tool where you can just put in your zip code and it helps you find rentals near you!  Wouldn't that be a fun Father's Day surprise for your special guy?

If you are looking to buy a boat, the Discover Boating site has lots of tools to help you find the perfect boat for you and they also have such great info like how to teach your kid to wake-board, information on different water sports, essentials and must-haves for boating, and even tips on how to dock a boat.  Discover Boating is pretty much has it all.  Even as seasoned boat owners, it has helpful tips that we've used!

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Summer Fun with Old Time Pottery {Giveaway!}

Thank you to Old Time Pottery for sponsoring this post. All thoughts, opinions and summer fun are our own. 

The unofficial start to Summer is here and we are so ready! School is out for most of the Mini Magnolias, and we are ready to spend the next few months soaking in all the Summer we can. With pool and lake time on the schedule from now until August we made it our mission this week to stock up on all the summer essentials.

I don't know about you, but by the end of each season we seem to lose about 90% of our pool toys. We end up with a mis-matched set of dive toys, a handful of water guns who lived their best life and only work on occasion, and our goggles are hanging on by a sad rubbery little thread.

When your crew and their band of pint sized friends tend to Marco-Polo/mermaid/water wrestle/race/dive/cannon ball/Category from sun up to sun down, you learn pretty quick to not spend a ton of money on anything they are going to be playing with at the pool. Pool toys tend to get thrown into one big splash fest, and floats get passed around and serve about sixteen different purposes. That's the magic of Summer - everyone is blissed out on all that Vitamin D and the unlimited possibilities that a large body of water can provide - no one cares (for the most part) whose is what. But all that magic doesn't have to break your budget.

This week we made our way to our local Old Time Pottery to stock up on all the summer things. Old Time Pottery always has a great selection of high quality seasonal items for more than affordable prices.  Over the years they have become one of our favorite go-to places for re-stocking our summer fun stashes.

| Patio Umbrellas | 

They always have a ton of great items on hand, and their shelves are always fully stocked. So when you need to buy five identical pink mermaid sand toys (because apparently not all sand toys are created equal) they have your back.

Old Time Pottery covers all our summer fun needs. From portable chairs to plush towels to toys and everything in between - we love that we can walk in knowing we will be able to find everything we need to get us ready for summer. 

| Spyderball | Life Sized Dice | 3-in-1Sport Target Toss | 

This year was no exception. Usually it is the kids who I have to limit from going crazy, but this year I was having a hard time showing restraint. There were just so many fun things on every shelf you looked. We make our way to the beach in a few weeks with our extended family, and we love playing games on the beach. I was so excited to stock up on a few fun new ones! 

The kids found plenty of fun, unique new toys of their own too. And most were under $5! You can't beat that! 

But their favorite had to be the selection of pool floats they have on hand. Every kind of pool float you can image! The kids thought this pizza one was hilarious. Most floats are under $20 - even for the large "instagram-worthy" ones. 

Stocking up on the essentials is easy too. I grabbed a stash of new goggles because this seems to be the number one thing we tend to lose or break each summer. It's also nice to have a few extra pair on hand in case any of our pool guests need a pair too. 

The minute the girls spotted these mini collapsible chairs they wanted one. As certified soccer siblings they spend a ton of time on the sidelines cheering on their brother. They were so excited to see a "soccer chair" just their size, I couldn't say no. Especially for only $6.99! I grabbed a few for our crew and then grabbed one to wrap up as a part of a gift for a summer birthday party we have coming up. 

Beach shovels, sand toys, pool floats, splash balls, water guns, beach chairs, towels...you get the idea! We left Old Time Pottery totally stocked and ready!

The kids can't wait to play with all their new stuff, and the excitement that we all have for the summer ahead is almost bursting out of us. 

We are so excited that we just can't keep it all to ourselves. We have a little summer fun surprise for you too! 

 SUMMER FUN GIVEAWAY! 

We want you to go into summer just as prepped! We are giving away a $100 gift card to Old Time Pottery to one lucky reader! 

To enter just answer the question below in our comments! 

WHAT FUN DO YOU HAVE PLANNED THIS SUMMER? 

Winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Friday, May 31, 2019. Winner must 18 or older and a resident of the United States. Winner be required to claim prize in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. 

Happy Summer everyone! 

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Our Summer THING

A few months ago I shared our love for a new fruit juice and how it was so perfect for our crazy busy life of sports.  Each of my kids' have really found the thing they love doing most and during the summer they are still involved one way or another with their sports, but it is a toned down version, thank goodness.  For the past few years our summer thing has been swim team.

Every year I tell myself we won't sign up for swim team again and here we are in the middle of our 3rd swim season.  (I just revisited my thoughts on swim team last year and I have to say not much has changed.) This is the first year that my little Boo-Boo has been old enough to swim on the team.  He could swim, but swimming strokes is a whole other ballgame.  I was worried about how he would do after seeing him struggle at the first practice, but he has definitely won most improved swimmer and come such a long way in such a short time.

I kind of have a love/hate relationship with swim team.  My kids love it and I, well don't.  I can't say I really hate it, but it isn't my favorite kid activity. However, I've learned how to deal and manage the early morning practices and the weekly evening meets.  Rookie's might not know this, but the concession stand is one of the weaknesses for all parents at swim meets.  Sure, I love supporting the team and buying food at the concession stand, but beyond the food is the junk.  So much candy and sugary drinks that the kids just beg for because all of their friends are getting it.  I got smart and started packing our own cooler of drinks and snacks for the meets because if I didn't, they ended up with a sugar overdose and a blue mouth to prove it.

After they've eaten their concession stand dinner I now I let them buy one candy item each and that is it.  For the rest of the night they can choose from things I packed and Fruit Shoot® is always in our cooler.

It's perfect for meets because nothing can get consumed in one sitting during a meet.  Regular juice boxes or pouches would be all over the place and such a mess.  The kids are constantly up and down to either swim their own events or cheer for their friends who are swimming and there are kids EVERYWHERE.  It's organized chaos, but mostly just chaos.  With Fruit Shoot®'s resealable lid, the kids can sip on it when they want and close it back up to prevent spills until after they are done swimming.  An added bonus is the fact that Fruit Shoot® has no artificial flavors and no high fructose corn syrup.  So much better than a crazy blue candy mouth!

Swim team has been great for my kids because they love the social aspect of it and it really does make them such stronger swimmers.  However, as much as they have fun with it, we also love the days when can just relax by the pool and swim for fun.

No races, no volunteering, no need to worry about events and heats and what lane to be in...just good old fashion summer fun.

Fruit Shoot® has been our go-do drink of choice for those days, too.  It's rare they will consume an entire juice box or pouch in one sitting so being able to close the lid and bring the rest home with us is perfect for our lazy pool days.

It never fails that another mom sees my kids drinking a Fruit Shoot® and asks about what it is.  Then the kids notice the fun bottle and want some. I always have extras, but the moms are always curious where to find it.  Fruit Shoot® has been a very popular juice drink for kids in the U.K. and they are making their way to the U.S.  While it is not available at all retailers, I've found it at my local Kroger in the juice aisle and you can find a retailer closets to you HERE.

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