Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Game Day Style & Tailgating Essentials with Casabella

We're just a few short days away from the start of college football and here in the south it's a really big deal. Friendly rivalries go up against deep rooted loyalties. You'll find traditions of tailgating and game day gatherings no matter what team you are rooting for.  We popped in Casabella, one of our favorite local shops, last week to check out all they had to offer and couldn't wait to share it all with you!  

Game Day Style 

If you are heading to the big game Casabella in Marietta has you covered for game day style.  From the orange and blue to the red and black, they've got lots of fun jewelry, clothing, and so many cute accessories to help you show off your team pride!  




A lot of stadiums have moved to a clear bag policy, but never fear, cute bag straps are here!  


We are OBSESSED with these beaded straps in your favorite team's colors.  In fact, a few came home with us last week. They are great to put on regular bags if you don't need a clear one, but they also jazz up clear bags and somehow even manage to make them look cute!  






They also carry a lot of clear bag options and have cute straps with each team on them! 


Tailgating Essentials 

Tailgating in the south is a stand alone event!  



You might be tailgating near the stadium before the game or maybe you are watching on TV and hosting some friends at home. Regardless, Casabella has your tailgate needs covered. The cutest platters and boards, themed napkins and cups, and everything in between! 


They've also got a great selection of tailgate snacks that is sure to make your pre-game party a tasty one.  We love the idea of putting together a little gift with some delicious snacks to take to a friend's house when you've been invited over to watch the game. 



If you are anything like us we go all out this time of year and love showing our team pride with flags, pillows, and decor on our porches.  This cute pillow may or may not have come home with us!  


Obviously, we are Georgia girls, but we don't hold a grudge if you cheer for another team and neither do our friends at Casabella. In fact, they've got a great assortment of things for all big schools here in the south and our local schools, too!   







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Thursday, August 11, 2022

4 Books To Add To Your Summer Reading ASAP!

 This post is sponsored by HTP Books. 


If you are like us, Summer isn't really Summer unless it involves sunshine,  the scent of sunscreen mixed with faint hints of bug spray, the sounds of splashing children, and a stack of books lounging next to a sweating drink (preferably one that's frozen with a cute little umbrella in it). Summer reading was ingrained in us as children, and is something we look forward to each and every season. 

We love a good beach read, but really during the Summer anything goes. We like to mix it up with a variety of genres. From nail-biting thrillers, to sexy rom-coms, to time hopping historical fiction and everything in between - the best part of summer reading is  just getting the chance to slow down and enjoy it all. 

If you need a little summer TBR help - we've got you covered! We could share suggestions all day long, but want to put these four GREAT reads from some of the world's best selling authors on your summer reading radar! 


4 Books To Add To Your Summer Reading ASAP!


BEACH HOUSE SUMMER by Sara Morgan
This is the perfect read to toss in your beach bags and read with a side of ocean breeze. If you don't have access to said breeze, Beach House Summer will be sure to transport you one mentally. In the wake of a tragic car accident involving a celebrity chef on the Pacific Coast Highway, two women's lives are thrown together in the midst of the media circus that follows. Joanna, the ex-wife who endured a 20 year marriage filled with infidelities and heartbreak, and Ashley, the 19 year old pregnant passenger of the crash. Making a pact of privacy, they head to Joanna's beach house to lay low amidst the chaos. Drama, secrets, and the California Coast all jam packed into one you "won't want to miss" summer novel. 


THE GERMAN WIFE by Kelly Rimer
If you need a little something more serious for your poolside reading, then The German Wife will be the perfect pick! 

Sophie is devastated to see how her home city of Berlin is falling under Nazi control. Hitler's popular views are swaying those around her, but she and her husband resist as long as they can. Sophie soon learns that she must sacrifice morals for the safety of those she loves the most. 

In the States, Lizzie lives with her family in Texas and is feeling the full effects of The Great Depression. As her brother leaves for war she marries a scientist and settles into her new role as a housewife. 

This historical fiction novel is centered around a fictional version of the real life event of Operation Paperclip; a controversial U.S. intelligence program that rehabilitated Nazis during WWII. An emotional narrative written in dual timelines, you learn how two women from opposite ends of the war collide years later. 



THE HONEYMOON COTTAGE by Lori Foster
What's summer with out a little romance? Lori Foster delivers a little meet-cute heat with The Honeymoon Cottage. Yardley is a popular wedding coordinator who is a pro at creating a happily ever after for everyone but herself. 

In a small town, and at the ripe old age of 31, she is starting to give up on her own romantic dreams. But then Travis enters her life. The handsome older brother of her latest client and Yardley find their relationship has the backing of the quirky town locals. Could this be their own happy ending? 


THE CODEBREAKER'S SECRET by Sara Ackerman
Set along the beaches of Hawaii, The Codebreaker's Secret introduces us to Isabel who has been sent by the U.S. government to decipher the seemingly unbreakable Japanese naval code. While tasked with the impossible in Pearl Harbor, she takes it upon herself to also begin investigating the details of her pilot brother's December 7th death. 

Years later a journalist named Lu is sent to The Big Island to cover a new resort opening when a celebrity guest goes missing. Lu teams up with a veteran photographer to solve the mystery, but stumbles upon other secrets along the way.

Written in dual timelines, this historical fiction novel with a murder mystery twist was unputdownable. Pack extra sunscreen for this sizzling page turner! 


WHAT BOOK FROM THIS PILE WILL YOU READ FOR SUMMER FIRST? 
IF YOU READ, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS!



BOOK CLUB 2022

January | February | March | April  | May | June | July |


BEST BOOKS OF 2021



Follow along with us on Goodreads!

HAPPY READING! 


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Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Coastal Home Inspiration {From Amazon}

It's no secret we love the coast around here. There is something about being close to the ocean that just soothes the soul. When we got home from the Bahamas this summer I ordered some sea glass inspired bead garland to go with a couple of coral pieces and every time I walk by this little area it makes me think of our time in the islands. 


If you are looking for a little coastal home inspiration I've put together some of our favorite items from Amazon. These pieces won't break the bank and they are sure to give you the coastal vibes without having to take a trip anywhere!



1. Coral Flower - ($16)




4. Tassel Pillow - ($28) 

5. Linen Pillow Covers - ($14)  

6. Round Side Table - ($200)

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Friday, August 5, 2022

Everyday Organizing for Busy Moms {Stay on top of it!}



 
We survived the first week of August which around here means the first week of school! I'm jealous of the people who get a few more weeks of summer, because our kids started back on Monday! It's going to take a little while to get back into the groove of getting up early, but so far we are off to a great start.  It's time for this month's post in the Everyday Organizing for Busy Moms series. 

This month's topic is how to stay on top of it all! Three different school schedules and multiple fall sports makes our fall extremely busy. One week in and I already feel like I have filled out a million forms, gotten a ton of school emails, added hundreds of things to my to-do list, and my sports scheduling app notifications haven't stopped. It's enough to make your head spin and certainly easy to feel like you are drowning in the overload of information. Staying on top of it all is more important than ever at the start of the school year so I thought I would share some tips!

Avoid Procrastination 
My first and most important tip for staying on top of it all is to avoid procrastination!  If you have an email or alert come through asking you to sign an online form, make a payment, RSVP to an event, etc....do it right away.  It might not be convenient to stop what you are doing, but I promise taking two minutes to take care of that task is going to save you feeling like you are drowning in the overload of to-do's in a few days.  

Write it down right away!
Can't take care of something right away?  At least write it down right away.  Add it to your to-do list so you can be reminded of it later. 

When you get a notification from one of the many sports apps we all use for various teams, add it to your calendar right away.  

Thinking to yourself, "I'll do that later when I get home" will likely not happen and it will end up causing more stress and confusion in the long run. 

Manage Emails 

A lot of people have their own ideas and systems for managing their emails, but after talking to a friend the other day I realized not everyone does! A lot of information comes through email and it can be overwhelming to sort through it all. 

If I read an email and know that it requires something of me that I can't do right at that moment I mark the email as unread. That way I know to go back to it later and it won't get buried in my inbox. When I finally sit down at my computer or look on my phone later in the day that little blue dot beside the unread emails easily shows me something I need to read or take care of.  

I am also an email saver.  I know some people like to delete and be done with it, but I save anything that I think might be handy info down the road and it aways proves to be helpful! I have folders in my inbox for so many things...each kid's school year, every sports team, house stuff, etc. 

I recently needed to call the air conditioning repair company and couldn't find the number, but I knew I had saved the invoice he sent me from the last time so I was able to quickly find it.  

I needed to check the time for a meeting at the school and because I saved the newsletter I was able to pull it up quickly instead of having to try to navigate the website to search for it. 

It just makes it so much easier to go back and quickly find what I need! 


I'm sure there are lots of other tips for staying on top of it all during back to school time, but those are the ones that work best for me. Managing multiple kids' school and sports things, along with everything for the house is a lot of work, but I promise staying on top of it will help make it more manageable. Hope everyone has a great start to their school year! 

EVERYDAY ORGANIZING FOR BUSY MOMS 

January {Keep a Family Calendar}

February {To-Do Lists} 

March {Time Pockets}

April {Declutter}

May {Laundry & Dishes}


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Thursday, August 4, 2022

Book Club: July

It's Book Club Day!  Always a favorite around here.  Summer reads are so fun and even though we are in back-to-school mode it very much still feels like Summer. And on our reviews today are some great ones to hold you over until temps dip lower. 




WHAT WE READ...

CARRIE BETH


First up for me is Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I thought this was such a cute story!  It follows a New Your City literary agent and a New Your City editor who have a not-so-nice business encounter in their history.  They both find themselves in a tiny town for the summer that just happens to be the setting of a best-seller book. Despite their former dislike for each other they end up hitting it off and realize they have more in common than they first thought.  They are both dealing with some family drama and neither of them feel like their big-time jobs will allow them the time for relationship...until they can't ignore their feelings for each other anymore.  It was a sweet story and fun to get a little peek into the literary world behind all of these books we love! 


It took me all summer long, a chapter at a time by the pool before getting called in to swim with the kids, but I finally finished Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne. I really, really loved The Hating Game by Thorne so was excited to dive into this one.  It had the same quick-witted banter between the characters, which I loved, and kept the story light and fun.  Ruthie, a twenty-something, manages a retirement community and has let the wealthy residents overtake her life and her youthfulness.  Then she meets Teddy, a bad-boy saving up to start his own tattoo parlor and he just happens to be the son of the new developer who bought the retirement community.  Teddy becomes her neighbor, starts working on site, and quickly charms her into wanting to follow her own dreams.  It was a super cute story!  


JEN




I'm saying this now... Out of the Clear Blue Sky book is going down as one of my favorite I’ve read all year. I’ve already told all my book besties to read it. 

Higgins has a way of making a story laugh out loud funny and gut wrenching all at the same time. The story follows a Lillie, a mom who is on the verge of her only child leaving for college. In the throws of planning her life as an empty nester, her husband informs her that he is leaving her for another woman. How Lillie handles it...well, you've got to read for that (no spoilers here!). ;)

Lillie is one of those characters I can imagine being in my best friend circle. Her nemesis, Melissa, was also well written. And even though I wanted to hate her, I couldn’t.

Funny. Heartfelt. Amazing characters, and a heroine you can’t help but cheer for. A Cape Cod setting. 

From start to finish it was a story I never wanted to end. This one gave me all the feels! Perfect summer read!




Another good Summer reading option...The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. This was a fun read. I’ve never read any books by this author, but this rom-com had me laughing out loud more than once. It’s a slow burn romance with a cute cast of main characters. I loved the twist on the traditional body guard.  

Remember the movie with Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard? Well reverse the roles, and make the body guard the female. Then give her a self-centered boyfriend/co-worker, a betrayal from a friend, and a stalker situation. But then make it funny. Now you have Center's version. 

It was a quick and easy read, and I enjoyed it. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of Center's books!


When I read the synopsis of Counterfeit, it sounded like such a unique and fun story to sit pool side with. As I was reading, I could totally see a mom getting excited about being pulled into a world of counterfeit luxury handbags - especially in her situation. The glamour of it all.

The story was cute, but touched on a lot of heavier topics mixed in with humor. It’s written from a dual timeline point of view that is easy to follow, and adds to the mystery of what happened.

Quick, easy, light mystery read if you are looking for one!




Last up for the month was The Lies I Tell. This is my first book by Julie Clark, but it won’t be my last! The two main characters are strong women who have been wronged in different ways but are tied together by a series of actions. One is a con-artist and one is a reporter. Both have revenge on the brain.

 As the book moved forward I love how their “friendship” kept you guessing. The twists and turns had me reading the pages at warp speed. As the whole book wrapped up, I was cheering. It was such a unique way to bring everything to a head and have the characters come full circle. Such a great way to spin a fun thriller. Can’t wait to read grab another one by this author!



WHAT'S UP NEXT...

CARRIE BETH 

Next up for me is Karina Halle's The Royals Next Door.  I always love any type of royal reference and this one just sounds fun! 


JEN

In keeping with my thriller mood I seem to be in lately, I grabbed It Girl by Ruth Ware. I've heard mixed reviews, but I love her previous novels, so I've got high hopes for this one too!





WHAT DID YOU READ LAST MONTH? ANYTHING YOU LOVED THAT WE SHOULD PUT ON OUR READING LISTS? SHARE WITH US!

BOOK CLUB 2022

January | February | March | April  | May | June


BEST BOOKS OF SUMMER 2022

BEST BOOKS OF 2021



Follow along with us on Goodreads!

HAPPY READING! 


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Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Our Getaway to Bar Harbor, Maine

Last week the Mr. and I were able to sneak away on a little getaway to Bar Harbor, Maine!  It was a work related trip, but lots of fun mixed in and we had the best time.  If give the chance I almost always pick a tropical location for a trip so this was not something I would have normally picked, but I'm so glad that we went because it was beautiful!!!  


We flew from Atlanta to New York and then to Bangor, Maine and made the quick 1 hour, 20 minute drive to Bar Harbor.  The day we arrived it was kind of cloudy and overcast, which I had been warned about.  We made a pit stop for lunch at Acadia Lobster and BBQ Company and it was exactly like you would expect from a local, side of the road, amazing food spot. So good!  


We stayed at West Street Hotel and when we arrived I wasn't sure what I had been expecting, but it was everything we could have hoped for and more!  It was tastefully decorated with a nautical theme, overlooked the harbor, and was within walking distance to everywhere downtown.  



The view from our room was amazing! 

We had several planned outings and excursions while we were there and also some down time to explore on our own so it was the perfect mix.  One day we took a whale watching tour in the hopes of seeing some whales.  It was a very long 50 miles offshore and we had been warned about getting sea sick.  The boat was huge though and I knew we wouldn't need to worry, but the others around us weren't so lucky.  People were dropping like flies and it felt like close to half of the boat wasn't feeling the seas.  Just when we thought we were going to have to turn back and head to shore without seeing any whales a few were spotted and we spent the next half hour watching a humpback whale mother and her calf swim around and feed.  

There were marine biologist on the boat sharing lots of details and information about these animals so it was extremely informative and so interesting to learn about.  The humpback whales were so graceful in the water and it almost looked as if they were swimming in slow motion.  It was a full 5 hours on the boat, but worth it to see the whales up close and personal! It was really cold out on the water and I was jealous of the people in pants and fleece jackets.  If you do something similar be sure to dress warmly. 


Another scheduled tour we had was a bus tour of Acadia National Park. We opted for the 2.5 hour tour which include stops at the summit of Cadillac Mountain, the Sieur de Mont's Springs and Thunder Hole. Our guide was excellent and shared so much history about the park with us.  It was a great way to hit the highlights, get some pictures, and decide which parts of the park we wanted to come back to on our own to explore.  

On top of Cadillac Mountain 

Thunder Hole 

The cliffs beside Thunder Hole. The views were amazing! 

Speaking of heading back to Acadia, we decided to go back and follow some of the trails. What started as a scenic walk turned into a full blown hike climbing over boulders, climbing up steep rocky stairs, and getting a crazy workout.  

We climbed all the way up there! Didn't make it to the top of the mountain before deciding to turn around, but my legs certainly felt it the next day! 

We kept laughing because earlier in the week we overheard a mom telling her kids who didn't want to cross the sandbar, "It's not a hike, it's just a walk" and I was certain something similar had happened to that family.  Despite the rough terrain we had fun! 

So strong! Haha! 




One free afternoon we followed the signs in town to the sandbar. It's a short few blocks right outside of downtown and at low tide you can walk all the way across the sandbar from Bar Harbor to Harbor Island.  There is about a 3 hour window every twelve hours that you can make the crossing so you just have to be sure to time it right so you don't get stranded. Once you get across there is a 2 mile loop with a walking trail around the island.  We didn't do the entire loop because we were short on time, but it was fun to say we did it and see the views of Bar Harbor from the island. 



Another fun thing to do in our downtime was walk the shore path.  It's a nice leisurely stroll around the rocky shoreline of the harbor and has some incredible views with beautiful flowers along the way.  We walked it a few times in the morning and then again in the evenings after dinner. 



I can't talk about Maine without sharing about the food!  So much lobster...lobster rolls, lobster ravioli, lobster bisque and whole lobsters!  Everywhere we went had the most amazing food and we were happy to feast on it all. 

I didn't realize Maine was also known for their blueberries until we arrived.  Blueberry cocktails, blueberry pancakes, and blueberry pie were abundant and definitely worth the calories! I didn't even think I liked blueberry pie until I had this amazing version of it one night. 

A few restaurants we loved were Stewman's (right on the water),  Cherry Stones (a short walk further in downtown), and La Bella Vita (overlooking the bay...the outdoor seating made it feel like sitting on the coast of Italy!). 

La Bella Vita - Sitting outside for lunch on a sunny day is a must! 

All of the restaurants seemed like family owned operations and had a great local feel to them.  The majority of them had outdoor seating, which we enjoyed.  It was difficult to get reservations ahead of time at some spots, but we didn't run into too many long wait times.  After dinner ice cream shops were found every few blocks and so many people would grab ice cream, go sit on one of the town greens, watch the beautiful sunsets and just enjoy the evening. 


I will say the time of year that we went was their busy season and it was incredibly crowded. I was expecting it to be more of a sleepy town feel and it was the opposite of that.  Downtown was bustling with people.  Another thing I wasn't expecting was the amount of families vacationing there.  Lastly, you could tell the national park brought a lot of outdoor enthusiasts to the area.  Lots of campers, hikers, bikers, and lovers of nature.  It was also a super dog-friendly town. Everyone seemed to have their dogs with them and all of the restaurants were accommodating to the furry friends. 

The weather was in the mid-seventies and just perfect, but the mornings and nights when the sun went down felt chilly.  Originally I was planning on denim shorts and cute tops for most of the days until the Mr. informed me we would be doing lots of outdoor activities so I quickly had to switch up my suitcase and opt for athletic clothes during the day.  I grabbed a few new tops at Target and loved them! 

Cropped Tank (Comes in a few different colors! Size up for a longer fit.)

Lightweight Hooded Sweatshirt (So glad I grabbed this at the last minute!)

Slub Tank (Comes in several colors and has cute pleating at the shoulders!) // Spanx Skort 

All of our dinner spots were also very casual and kind of anything goes, but it was fun to dress up on our last night in this dress from Willow Park. 

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