I am all about fun statements, and have been gravitating towards tops with a little extra flair lately. This bodysuit is available in 6 colors, and was super comfy. We headed out for dinner and margs at our favorite local spot, and even Lil' Miss said "Wow Mommy that is so pretty." Heart is officially full! I paired it with this crossover waistband skirt, and should have listened to the reviews to size up because it was super snug. I'm attributing it to the crossover waistband, and the fact that I'm one of the few people who is not the biggest fan of high rise. I'm a mid rise kinda gal. Love the look of this skirt, but contemplating returning it for the next size up. Definitely size up, and you'll be happy as can be.
Another summer weekend mixed with fun and getting things done around the house. I'm still all for the 3 day weekend - we need a day to have fun, a day to get things done and a day to relax. Who's with me?
I hadn't purchased clothes at Target in FOREVER - I mean who am I?! I attribute it mostly to everything being way too Gen Z focused (sorry not sorry, but I already lived through the fashion choices of the 90's) or too Little House on the Prairie. Then I saw this dress which comes in 7 different prints and colors and is only $20. It's easy and breezy to throw on, and I've now worn it drop off Lil' Miss at camp, to root her on during t-ball and for patio mimosas. It does run large btw - this is an XS and I am not XS anything. (who else hears Joey Tribbiani right now?) So definitely size down!
Lil' Miss had her 2nd t-ball practice and game, and she was way more into it this week. She even won a medal for "most hustle" so needless to say she is very proud and already looking forward to next week's game. She's the only girl on the team which she was upset about at first, and we presented it as how special it is that SHE is the only girl. She seems to be just like me when I was little - loved to play with dolls and dress up, but also loves playing outside, getting dirty and playing sports. Best of both worlds!
After she took a quick nap, and I squeezed in a workout we headed down to Universal for the rest of the day. We started at Islands of Adventure, and I was once again standing in the single rider line for The Hulk rollercoaster when the skies opened up and shut down all the outdoor rides. Womp womp. We made our way over to King Kong then of course to Hogsmeade before deciding to head over to Universal Studios. We lucked out with short wait times at Transformers, The Simpsons Ride and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. Lil' Miss squealed with delight on every single ride and is officially living her best life.
We had been promising Lil' Miss one of the giant milkshakes at the Chocolate Emporium, and she got her wish since she was so good all day. She chose red velvet, and honestly the cupcake on top was the best part! Even with all 3 of us sharing it, we only got about halfway down before we were all done. It's A LOT!
I had promised myself that I wouldn't utter the words Nordstrom Anniversary Sale or NSale in these parts, but I did end up picking up a few items considering even by the time I had early access the majority of my wish list was out of stock. ZERO surprise there. I scooped up a top for work when I do need to head down to the office and a birthday gift for a friend. I will never understand the hype for this sale that is always the same, pushing fall items while fall temps are months away and almost everything is sold out. I will say there's been noticeably less coverage all over the place this year so the feeling is definitely shared.
We ended up taking more advantage of Target's Deal Days and Amazon's Prime Day to get a head start on birthday and Christmas shopping for Lil' Miss. We picked up a scooter, magnetic tiles, books,a bento lunch box since she starts Kindergarten soon and I have to start thinking about packing lunches for her, and a new swimsuit for me.
I am of course in a state of disbelief that we are already well into July, but we rang in the 4th with fireworks, face painting, pool time, lots of grilling and another trip to Universal Studios.
We were nervous about the weather, since it was a soggy day before the fireworks. But, thankfully the skies cleared just in time. Lil' Miss got her face painted, and we supported a lot of the local vendors that had tents or food trucks at the event and the live music was also fun before the main event.Totally worth risking the weather!
On the 3rd of July we risked the crowds and went to Universal for the day to take further advantage of our new annual passes. We went right to the Escape from Gringotts ride only to wait in line for a while before it was shut down due to technical difficulties. Womp womp. We brought Lil' Miss over to Fievel's Play Area for the splash pad and slides, and set an alert for the re-opening. The alert came through while we were on the E.T. ride, and no one but me cared about it anymore at that point so I ran back over to the single rider line and was on and off in a matter of minutes. Yes please!
A Jaws Drink experience was on deck - HINT you can experience this drink at the Chez Alcatraz stand in the San Francisco area. Definitely worth it! The bartender goes all out and it's delish!
Extra pool time on the 4th in festive suits, and Lil Miss had her first baseball game the following weekend. She was proud albeit super hot and sweaty, but still prefers gymnastics. We told her she needs to stick with it until the end of the season, and then we can try something new.
On Sunday, we celebrated one our girlfriend's birthdays over bottomless brunch. YUM! As always, it was good for the soul to catch up with some of my favs and the laughs are also endless. Love my crew!
This romper made another appearance after donning it in a few weeks ago in St. Maarten. The perfect piece to beat the summer heat!
And just like that... vacation has come and gone. We celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary in St. Maarten after plans changed, and my parents still haven't moved down to Florida (they were supposed to be here after the holidays, but some health related issues have kept them up north near their current specialists) so no babysitter for us to fly to Hawaii just the 2 of us. And you know what? That's ok. I love showing my daughter the world, but am keeping my fingers and toes crossed for an adults only trip in the near future. We changed gears and chose an island much closer to home to celebrate as a family because we all know a 10 hour flight would have been super fun with a five year old - ha!
That hammock was a hit with all of us after dinner and in the morning before hitting the beach or the pool. Lil' Miss was upset when we'd walk by, and it was occupied. I had to remind her to be patient, and that everyone wants to relax by the beautiful water. And that water - unreal! St. Maarten is officially my new favorite Caribbean island since my all time favorite is Bermuda but we all know that's not in the Caribbean (Bermuda is in the Atlantic off the coast of the Carolinas - much farther north than the Caribbean).
A welcome glass of bubbles as we checked in was much appreciated after a hectic travel day (we barely made our connecting flight, and grabbed the quickest to-go lunch ever before boarding). Lil' Miss was proud of her latest passport stamp, and she officially loves to travel like we do. Although, I'll be so sad when we have to renew her passport and we lose her 2 year old picture where she's sporting the cutest chubby little cheeks.
On the 2nd night, I wore this tie front romper to dinner which got two thumbs up from Lil' Miss (my worst critic lol) and it was the perfect resort wear piece. I envision pulling it out again for upcoming date nights or girls nights out. Unfortunately, the lighting isn't doing it justice - it's such a fabulous piece!
My husband booked a luxury catamaran day to celebrate our anniversary, and of course Lil' Miss was also living her best life. We stopped at 3 different beaches, went snorkeling, had a BBQ lunch, open bar and lots of jumps off the boat.
Bikini {only $29} - this well traveled suit has been to the Bahamas, Panama, Dubai, the Florida Keys and St. Maarten
**Boat Hair Don't Care**
Cheers to 12 years
Back at the resort we went to a restaurant where you cook your food on a hot rock, and of course ordered champs to celebrate. A quick family photo and a stop at the evening entertainment on the beach was a must.
