How is everyone’s summer going so far? Good I hope! Sharing some randomness today. Some of this.. some of that. A little bit of the other. :)
My house for the most part is a disaster. But I’ve found that during the summer if I can just keep the kitchen semi-clean with a vase full of hydrangeas, I can handle the rest of the chaos.
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Of course it’s no easy feat keeping the kitchen clean in the summer. Especially with all of the slime that’s going down around here. I had hoped by now that my kids would be over it (2 out of 3 are) but I have one child who is STILL slime obsessed a year later and we’re honestly about to turn into a slime factory over here she has made so much of the stuff. I’ve been holding out hope that this phase would pass (right along with her “I desperately want/need a Bearded Dragon in my life) phase but both are still going strong. I can most likely compromise with her and get rid of one if I’m ok with the other.. but because I’m not excited about either we are at a stand still. And the slime just keeps on coming. I guess I should just be grateful that (so far) there isn’t a large lizard camping out on my couch every morning.
I wanted my girls to learn some healthy habits they can take with them the rest of their lives so I hired a nutritionist to meet with us a few times this summer. I’ve got a lot of things covered around here (they will definitely leave this house knowing how to scrub a sink) but healthy eating habits? Turning this one over to an expert. We had our first meeting and it was pretty clear that I’m the one who needs the most help! Apparently Coke Zero doesn’t count as a healthy breakfast. Who knew? ;) After 2 hours of ALL the information, she gave each of a copy of this Wellness Journal.
We have to write down everything we eat over the next couple of weeks and it has a place to check off our water (we are drinking SO much water I feel like I’m drowning). I thought I’d share this little journal (you can buy one here) in case it’s helpful for any of you! Misery loves company so come on.. join my world of carrots and cauliflower. ;)
{Embroidered Lace Top/AG Jeans/Earrings/Wedges/Purse/Sunglasses}
Summer evenings are my favorite! I love being outside in our yard watching my kids swim and play, checking on the plants and flowers in my yard, going on walks with Kenny. When a neighbor is having a BBQ or mowing their lawn it’s even better. Aren’t summer smells the best? Love them.
Summer night date look. This Embroidered Lace Top is so beautiful! Hands down one of my favorites this season.
The detail is so pretty and I love wearing white in the summer time. I wore this somewhere a couple of weeks ago and when two of my friends saw it they decided to order it too! Now we will all be white embroidered triplets in this top. :)
{Eyelet Dress/Strap Sandals/Earrings/Purse}
I shared this similar white eyelet dress in my last Fashion post. All the love for summer white! These are a few other white tops I adore. I really wanted to order this one (adorable and only $32!) but it’s sold out in my size! One of you get it and wear it and love it for me. I’ll feel better. :)
If we aren’t outside enjoying summer evenings you can usually find us camped out on our family room couch. Reading or watching TV.
Or cracking up over who knows what. This picture made me smile when I came across it! Typical night with Ad. We laugh a lot when we’re together.
Somehow it always ends up being us two hanging out together because El is usually busy with dance or friends and Kole and Kenny are doing their thing. Ad and I have become partners in crime lately. :) We watched the entire series of Gilmore Girls together when I had knee surgery (Ad’s first time watching, my second) and are looking for a good summer series to start. Any suggestions for fun Netflix series or movies? I’ve been showing her the classics lately. We started with Gone With the Wind and then Fiddler on the Roof. I have a list we’re making our way through this summer so if you can think of any good classics you love give me those too! I can share my list in a post later if anyone is interested? I love a good classic. Especially when it includes Clark Gable or Jimmy Stewart. :) Is it ok to watch It’s a Wonderful Life in July? I never get tired of that movie.
{Brushed Hacci Hoodie/Good Vibes Jogger Pants}
The cute blue sweats I’m wearing are one of my favorite brands.. Make and Model. I love this set so much because they’re lightweight, crazy soft and comfortable and also I feel like I can wear them to the grocery store or to run kids around. I’m all for pj’s that double for real clothes! Plus in the summer I’m always cold inside most places because the air is usually blasting so these have been perfect indoor summer sweats.
Some of you have asked if I’d share pics from our recent trip to Florida. Here are a few for those of you who are interested! We hit Universal Studios and Volcano Bay and spent three days at the two parks. My best tip if you are planning on hitting theme parks this summer (after years of owning Disneyland season passes and spending more time than I’d like to at theme parks!) is to GO EARLY. Pretty obvious tip, but I’m always amazed how few people do it. We always try to be at the parks ready to go the second they open! It’s hard to get up so early on vacation, but you can hit so many fun rides and see A LOT in the first two hours before the park starts getting busy. Plan your route the night before and hit everything that you care about the most first thing. My kids have wanted to see all things Harry Potter at Universal for a while now so we surprised them with this trip and they were so excited.
Such a fun day and because we went early we were able to really enjoy it all without crowds!
Caught this quickly with my cell phone in line to choose their wands. Oh my word.. the look on her face! Ha ha.. priceless.
The windows all have fun things that happen when you wave your wand a certain way and these two could have done this for hours.
A little tricky to figure out, but after some help we were in business! Like magic. :)
First ButterBeer of the day!
Riding the train between parks was one of our favorite things! The window showed scenes from the movie and there were shadows on the doors of the train on the opposite side that made it feel so real. Friends from the movie, Dementors and leaping chocolate frogs all passed by on our journey. My kids loved it.
{Blue ruffle sleep top/Zella Crop Pants/Similar Adidas Shoes/Kole’s Adidas Shoes}
After we hit all things Harry Potter we split up for a while because my girls wanted to go on some scary rides that Kole wasn’t excited about. Plus he and I had our own agenda. Time to hang with Transformers. After years of Disney Princesses it has been so fun to dive into all things little boy. :)
Curious George was a long time favorite so we spent some time there and on other fun rides. The next day Kenny took the girls back for more rides and Kole and I decided to take a break and swim at the hotel and feed the ducks. Sometimes the two of us enjoy a slower pace. ;)
Our third day we hit Volcano Bay (the water park next to Universal Studios) and this is the only pic I have to share! Taken from my lounge chair. :) We put our phones away and enjoyed a day of water slides. Really fun park! Once again we made the most of our early morning time and hit as much as we could. By 3:00 the park was so busy and we had done most of the rides we cared about several times (plus the lazy rivers.. love those!) so we left early for dinner. Right around that same time a huge thunderstorm hit and they closed the park! I was so glad we went early and were on our way out anyway.
{Kole’s rashguard/Ad’s swim suit (she wore this as a cover up – so cute!)}
The rest of the trip we just enjoyed some down time at the hotel. Always such a treat to have uninterrupted time together.
On our last day there we took off on a boat to see alligators. When in Florida right!? The girls and I sat in front with the boys in back.
Can you see the gator in this picture? They blend in SO well with their environment! It was unreal being so close to them without even knowing it until we spotted them. I have to admit.. I was ready to move on as soon as I saw that nose coming up out of the water. Too close for my taste!
Holding a baby after our boat ride. “Snap a pic quick because I’m not holding this thing for two seconds longer!” Ha. Glad I did it.. don’t need to do it again.
But when in Florida right!?
:)
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Great post! Love seeing what other families do for fun in the summer. We just decided to take our kids to Universal next summer. Would it be possible for you to tell me what hotel you stayed in? Thanks!
Hi Michele! Thank you! You’ll love it.. such a fun trip! We stayed at the Sheraton Villas close to the park! :)
I really enjoy reading your blog!
Thank you so much Laura! That means a lot. :) xo
How about Anna of Green Gables? My daughter loved watching with me!
Oh my word we LOVE Anne of Green Gables! I gave the set to my girls for Christmas last year and we watched them over and over. SO good! We might need to add them to the list and watch them again. :)
I think there is actually a Netflix series… then of course the originals with Megan Follows that are just the best!!
YEA! Looking that up for sure! Thank you! :)
What a fun trip!! It looked like everyone was having a blast. I too, love a lazy river, I could float for hours. Concerning Its a Wonderful Life, I would save it for Christmas. I think it keeps it more special that way. Happy Independence Day!
Thank you Linda! I think you’re right! Although I’m a little strange and could celebrate Christmas for a year straight and not get sick of it. Ha. ;) xo
You & Ad might like watching “When Calls The Heart” on Netflix. Lovely family show, totally G-rated, with a bit of old-fashioned romance :-) I have teenage boys but if I had a daughter I would totally watch this with her.
Going to look that up! Thank you Hannah! xo
I second this suggestion! It’s a darling show!
Also, in regards to Christmas year round, I’m currently enjoying the two weeks of Christmas in July that Hallmark Movies & Mysteries has going on right now, lol.
Oh my word.. was just talking about that with a friend today! I’m all for Christmas in July! ha ha.. ;) xo
welcome to my Erin Condren world Erin! lol I love all things EC and I use her planners every year, and notebooks and so much more :-) Have ya’ll watched West Side Story? I think that’s a good one to add to the list. When I was growing up we lived in Germany and didn’t have regular tv so my mom and I would watch lots of musicals and I’m so glad for it.
Oh my word.. West Side Story! Forgot about that one! Adding it to the list. Thanks Aria! Love that grew up watching musicals. :) xo
We really love the classics as well and all four of my girls love Seven brides for Seven brothers, Shirley Temple, & Dorris Day movies. Their favorite show is on Amazon Prime – – Just Add Magic. It’s super cute and has two seasons, they can’t wait til another season comes out. Traveling is so much fun but we’re so blessed with amazing summers here in San Diego! Have a great 4th of July. You are such a fun mom!❤️🇺🇸💙
You are too kind! Thank you! So sweet of you to say. :) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is one of my all time favorites! My girls and I have been watching it for years! But I spaced Shirley Temple and Dorris Day movies! Thank you so much for the tip.. adding them to the list tonight! And Just Add Magic is a favorite too. My girls were obsessed with that last summer and are anxiously waiting for the third to come out! :) I hope you had a great 4th! xo
I loved this post Erin! So fun to see all the things ya’ll have been up to. Those pictures of you and Ad on the couch are precious! Love getting a glimpse into your sweet relationship! One of my absolutely favorite series on Netflix is “When Calls the Heart.” It is so very sweet, and also so wholesome, so it would be great for you and your girl to watch! Kind of reminds me of Anne of Green Gables and a little like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (set in a frontier town, wealthy woman trying to make her mark out West, etc.). It’s so so good! Ya’ll are making me so jealous with your summer trip to Florida! I can’t wait until my kids are a bit older to make it more fun for those types of trips! Keep having a wonderful summer with your sweet family, and thank you for bringing us along on bits of the journey! =)
Such a sweet comment Michelle! Thank you so much! Someone else mentioned “When Calls the Heart” in the comments.. I’m looking it up! Sounds perfect for us! And yes.. I miss my kids being babies but it is so much fun traveling with them now. There are such great things about every stage. You have a lot to look forward to. :) Thanks again for the sweet comment! It made my day. :) xo
Hi Erin,
Love your blog and I too struggle to find age appropriate shows for my 14 y/o (who also is a competitive dancer) and 11 y/o son. Not sure if your kids have watched it but both of my kids loved Gortimer Gibbons, Life on Normal Street on Amazon Prime Video. Wholesome and clean, just like I like them. TV programming sure doesn’t make it easy on us parents these days. I cringe at the language and innuendo! I’ll keep checking back for other readers’ suggestions!
Oh my word Kasey.. I agree! So hard to find really good (and appropriate!) shows/movies for kids that age. Check these comments and my last IG post! I asked the same question there too and am getting SO many great suggestions and ideas! :) xo
I’d suggest watching the Good Witch on Netflix. It has a lot of similarities to Gilmore Girls: mother/daughter duo lives in quaint town with quirky towns people. It’s very family friendly with a bit of mystery and magic.
Perfect! Adding it to the list! Thank you Genevieve! xo
Looks like a super fun family trip to Florida. We’ve been to Disney World, but not Universal. Where did you stay?
It was really fun Jennifer! We bagged Disney because we have season passed to the one in LA but Universal was so fun! We stayed at the Sheraton Villas close to the park! :)
My son and daughter in law moved to Florida just one year ago. They were both raised in Michigan. So they made a great move after both getting new jobs there. No more cold Michigan weather.They both have a Masters Degree in Bussines Adminstration. I have been reading your blog before Kole was born. You are gorgeous. My daughter and son in law graduated from BYU 16 years ago. He is from Utah. So they stayed there,
Hi Pamela! You are too kind.. thank you for your sweet comment! It means a lot to me that you have been reading for so long! You’re part of the family. :) Florida and Utah are both such beautiful states to live in! I bet your son and daughter in law love not having to deal with such cold winters. A good move for sure! And Utah will always feel like home to me. I hope you’re able to see all of your family often! I know it’s hard when everyone is spread out. xo
Hi Erin! Been out of town on our annual vacation, but we don’t do it up nearly as fun as you do! What a wonderful trip. We visit my husband’s family in Sioux Falls, SD. So not Florida! LOL But it’s all good. Anyway, looks like you had a marvelous time. Good luck on your wellness/nutrition journey. That planner/journal looks neat. As for movies…I didn’t see a comment about Sound of Music, which is one of my faves. And any Doris Day or musical. I always enjoyed Yours, MIne and Ours with Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda. But another one that you all might enjoy is The Princess Bride. No, it’s not an old classic, but so fun! Looks like you have a good list going though! Happy Summer watching. :)
Princess Bride is an all time favorite around here too! So many good suggestions Jeanne! I didn’t even think about the Doris Day favorites! Adding them all to the list! Thank you!! :) xo
Have you seen the series Parenthood? It’s available on Netflix & it’s absolutely fabulous! More for adults so you’d probably want to watch that sans kiddos. I could never get through an episode without crying; fell in the with the Braverman family! Glad you enjoyed Universal… we live a little over an hour away & my 9 & 6 year-old had never been until we took the trip a couple of weeks ago. Extreme heat/humidity + crowds = miserable mamma. But, we ended up having a blast!! It was a little disorienting to be sweating bullets while seeing the snow on the rooftops of the Harry Potter area! :o)
Hi Allison! YES! We absolutely loved Parenthood! I actually started showing it to Ad at the beginning of summer but then remembered that it’s a bit more adult.. ha! So I stopped watching it with her but such a good series! So fun you live that close to Universal! Such a beautiful area. I know what you mean.. it was SO hot! But too much fun with the kids. :)
I’m currently watching Call the Midwife on Netflix but not sure if it would be too mature for your daughter. Lots of having babies (obviously) :) but it’s a BBC show and it’s really interesting.
So fun Rebecca! I’m going to look into that one! xo