Valentine's Favorites

Happy love day, friends! I hope it's been a great week for you filled with so much love, not just today, but every day. I thought it would be fun to take a look back at some of our past Valentine's Day celebrations and share in all the love. I've mentioned it before (probably every Valentine's post), before Eric and I had kids we never made a big deal over the day. We were perfectly fine with ordering in and maybe watching a movie or doing something low-key. I remember one year we went out and the restaurant we went to was completely packed. It felt more chaotic than enjoyable and wasn't the idea I had in mind of a fun night. So we nixed that and kept it simple from then on. That is, until we had kids. 

Yup, it was a whole different story once we had kids. Things are just different with kids and it feels like every holiday, no matter how big or small, means so much more with them. One of the approaches we've taken to Valentine's Day is explaining to our boys that it's another way for us to show Jesus' love to others just as He shows love to us. I know some look at the day as a halmark holiday, and I agree, sometimes the meaning can get lost or everyone feels they need to go above and beyond with things, but if we find a way to tie it back into our beliefs and showing love to others, than I'm on board with it. 

DISNEYLAND:

this year we had the privilege of celebrating in one of the most magical places with our little family. I am so excited to be partnering with Disney and look forward to sharing more about our adventures. We took the boys to Disney World a few years ago, but this was our first time visiting Disneyland and taking it all in.

ICE CASTLES: 

visiting the Ice Castles in New Hampshire was probably one of my favorite trips because it was so unique to us and not something you do everyday. Well, at least if it's not in an area that's right around you. As far as I know, this is the only location on the east coast out of their 6 locations total.

NYC HEART WALL:

i remember for little nugget's first Valentine's Day it was unseasonably warm so we wanted to take advantage of doing something outside. I had seen another blogger, barefoot blonde, post about a heart wall she came across in NYC. I did some digging to try and find where it was located and thanks to some hashtag searching, sure enough we were able to find this heart wall mural. We had a great outdoor brunch after and a successful day taking both boys into the city for the first time.

ICE CARNIVAL:

before we even knew the ice castles existed, there was an ice carnival that was near us. I'm not sure they even have it anymore, but I am glad we went when they did. Just envision a carnival made out of ice with games, rides, and attractions all made out of ice. I think everyone's favorite was the ice slide.

VALENTINE'S THROWBACKS:

i always enjoy a good throwback so I put together a post a few years ago with some of our first celebrations and a throwback pic of Eric and I from college. There's also some cute ones of A baking his first batch of Valentine's cupcakes for his little class. Gosh, they really do grow so quickly.

I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day and a wonderful weekend of love! 

Things To Do In Charlotte

I can get easily excited about a lot of things, and one of them is exploring new places. We have some repeat areas that are fun to visit, but when you know there is a whole world out there to see it's hard not be drawn to areas that you haven't seen before. At least for me, that is. Like, Charlotte. I had never been before and if it wasn't for the deal of all deals that we found on flights, I'm not so sure it would have been on my list. Not in a bad way by any means, it just wasn't one of those cities that was high on my list of must-go places. 

When my sister mentioned doing a girls weekend with her and my mom, of course I was up for it. It was exactly a year since her epic bachelorette party in Bermuda and while we might not have had the views or most beautiful scenery that we were graced with on that trip, we found a lot of things fun about visiting Charlotte. 

Charlotte is coined, The Queen city because it was named for King George III of Great Britain's wife, Queen Charlotte. Like most cities, Charlotte has various parts and neighborhoods you can explore. What I really enjoyed is that overall it did not feel like a huge city or one that was difficult to manage. We had no problems getting around and were able to easily navigate things. 

In my opinion, it's not a very busy city. It reminded me a bit of Pittsburgh how it seems like majority of the hustle and bustle is more Monday-Friday when a lot of the businesses are open. This made it great for us because we got to explore a lot without feeling crowded or rushed out of places with still plenty to do for a weekend getaway. What we did was double checked the times of some of the restaurants and places we wanted to checkout because some of them were only open during certain times. I would recommend doing this if you are going over a weekend and also calling to make reservations to confirm.

I wanted to share more of what we did and places we checked out in Charlotte in case you are thinking about a trip or even have a visit coming up. In talking with some of the locals, they mentioned it's a big pass time city. Meaning, a lot of people come out for work trips and or even to visit their sporting teams as both the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panther's stadiums are right in the heart of the city.

Even though Charlotte has a lot of high-rise buildings and even more coming as the city is quickly on the up, it's not overly huge and a trip that you can easily do in a few days and feel like you got to experience a lot of what Charlotte offers. 

BRUNCH:

it's no surprise brunch is one of my favorite meals, ever. Gosh, there is so much to love about it I could brunch all the time. Charlotte had some fun brunch spots to check out and some had great outdoor seating with gorgeous views of the city. We enjoyed brunch at 204 North with some tasty menu options. We were lucky to get a table right by the front window for some natural light and views of people passing by. The only thing I wasn't really impressed with was one of their appetizers we got, they switched out crostini's for crackers and in my opinion it ruined the whole dish. If you stay away from the cheese platter, I think you'll be ok. The next spot we went to was a bruncher's (is that a thing? Maybe it should be ;) paradise. Fahrenheit Charlotte had spectacular rooftop views with an expansive brunch menu, their brunch pizza was one of the best brunch menu items I have ever tasted. As far as I know it's only offered as a special from time to time. They had $5 mimosas and bloody mary's with a cart that came around and you could pick what you wanted to add to your drink.

ROOFTOP LOUNGES:

speaking of views, let's talk more about those rooftop spots. I would put Fahrenheit Charlotte back on the list as lounge spots as well. We also loved Nuvole Rooftop TwentyTwo which was a great spot to checkout for some night time views. When we went they didn't even open until 5pm. If you caught my insta stories you might have shared in those views with me. Some other great spots are City Lights Rooftop, Whiskey Warehouse and if you're looking for more of a trendy night scene then 201 Rooftop at Epicenter would be a place to check out. 

WHERE TO STAY:

as much as I love a good Airbnb, there are a lot of nice hotels in Charlotte with reasonable room rates that were actually better than the prices of some Airbnbs we found. I also enjoy a treat every now and then with the luxurious feel of a hotel stay. We decided on the Omni Charlotte and really enjoyed our stay. It's conveniently located in the city with many attractions within walking distance, spacious rooms, and they also had a great pool deck. We also checked out the Ivey's Hotel which looked amazing, but in keeping with a budget, we decided maybe next time. It's located down the street from where we stayed and the nice part is, majority of the hotels are around each other. 

SOUTH END AREA:

what I really liked about Charlotte is how you can enjoy the feel of the city with parks, restaurants, and amazing views, yet take a 7 minute Uber ride (at least from where we were) and head to the south end area where you are greeted with a completely different feel. One of my favorite cities is Philadelphia, and if you've ever checked out the Fishtown area, it reminded me of that. South End is very trendy, a bit hipster, but something for everyone. It has a lot of restaurant options and trendy micro breweries to check out along with some shopping and an array of street art. I already shared we checked out this popular confetti heart wall that makes for a great backdrop to be able to snap some fun pictures. We ate at Superica, Hawkers, and heard great things about Barcelona Wine Bar and also found out they have several locations in other states. Some breweries to check out would be Triple C, Wooden Robot and Lenny Boy. And if you're looking for a sweet treat, there must be something special going on at Jeni's Ice Cream because the line was out the door for over an hour. We were so tempted to wait to see what they hype was all about, but we will have to always wonder, for now.

THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS:

even though we were on a girls trip without kids, I saw a bunch of different things that if my kids were with me would could have done. I figured I might as well share them incase someone is thinking about a family trip. We stopped in Discovery Place Science and this is where I ended up getting all of the boys souvenirs. They had so many fun things here that I loved how education was incorporated. I can only image the science center in itself has a lot to offer. We also heard a lot about Carowinds and could see it from some of the rooftop spots. There's also a Raptor Center and Sea Life center about 20 minutes outside the city. 

PARKS AND OUTDOOR SPACES:

it's always nice that even when you're in a city surrounded by buildings and tons of concrete, you have the option to escape a bit and enjoy some outdoor spaces and city parks. Some of them had great views and others felt like you were miles outside of the city, yet you weren't. A few I would recommend to check out would be Romare Bearden Park, Freedom Park, First Ward Park, and Marshall Park. I'm sure depending on what time of year you go these might even have more going on with festivals and vendors to explore. 

Favorite Things

Happy Friday, friends! I hope it's been a good week for you all. This week was all over the place for us but still filled with many great moments. A was sent home from school on Monday with a stomach ache. I had just gotten back from my weekend away and had hopes of getting a lot done around the house. Leave it to a change of plans and that didn't happen. Oh well, what can you do. Motherhood can be unexpected a lot of the time. Let's get into some favorites, shall we...

Charlotte Getaway: 

it was so nice to be able to get away for a little girls trip with my mom and sister. My sister randomly found round trip flights for $68 for us. That was a no brainer that we take advantage of a getaway away for the weekend. We brunched, and brunched some more, enjoyed some really nice rooftop spots, found some fun street art (check out more of this heart wall)  enjoyed the trendy hipster feel of the south end area. I'll share more of our trip soon and some fun spots to check out if you ever make a visit.

Self Care:

one of the things I have been trying to incorporate more of is focusing on self care. My idea used to be more of lighting a candle and reading (which is still great) but I'm not sure I truly get a lot of time to just focus on myself. Sometimes for me it's better to be out of my house and around less distractions to actually feel more relaxed. My hair grows really fast and felt like it got to a length that was just so long and blah. I only got about 4 inches cut off, but it feels so much better, and I'm looking forward to getting into more of a routine with styling it. My face could also use a little help with brightening and freshening up, so I also booked a facial. 

I was considering doing a peel but thanks to all of you who sent me messages when I posted about is in my insta stories and gave me some more insight, I decided it against it this time. I didn't realize your face needs about 1-2 weeks after to feel normal. Since we're traveling in a few days, I didn't think it was best to try it out for the first time. My esthetician also advised against it because I would have some sun exposure and the skin peeling that can take place after. I went with a hyrdafacial instead that left my face feeling amazing. It feels so smooth and brighter which is what I was hoping to achieve. And if you all caught my stories then you even saw me with no makeup on sharing my results. 

Little Helper:

we're headed to Cali in a few days to see my brother in laws and meet my new nephew. We are all just a little excited to be out in that Cali sun and enjoying some time together. For once I'm getting a head start on packing but boy does this little guy make it tough. He has already unpacked two bags, threw everything around, and sat on one of my hats. Gosh, he sure is cute though. We also have a big surprise for the boys once we're out there that we aren't telling them until we get there. If you've been a reader around here for awhile you might remember a big surprise we did for them a few years back that will be parallel to this one. You can check in with my stories to see some of our fun and find out the news.

Shopping:

i made the decision to take A and C to the mall with me and at first when we got out of the car I questioned my decision and what in the world I was thinking. A needed some new jeans and sometimes shopping for them online when he isn't a true size makes it tough. I also noticed while we were out that he acts very different then when he isn't with little nugget. I think they feed off of each other most of the time. Anyway, we ended up getting a few compliments which is always a huge confidence booster when you're a mom. I only brought the single stroller and A was sitting down with holding C on his lap. I met the sweetest woman in the checkout line that told me all about her children and sons and even had me tearing up at one point. I shared more of the story on my instagram if you want to check it out and how even though you can be years apart from someone the common bond of motherhood can allow you to relate.

Favorite Finds: 

This section includes affiliates links. Thank you for your continued support and happy shopping. 

speaking of shopping, I'll share some of the things we picked up during our trip. I couldn't find links for everything because some of them were on clearance racks, which are always my favorite finds. Even though these jeans weren't on sale, when I put them on they had to come home with me. My sister wore this animal print turtle neck in Charlotte and I loved the way it looked. I told her I was heading out to get the same one and I love it just as much on me. I'm planning on wearing it for date night tonight. This colorful knit sweater, and also this fine-knit sweater came home with me. This knit hoodie was on a great sale and it's really comfy. I think it will look really cute with leggings or jeans. This dusty rose love sweatshirt was too good to pass up and perfect for Valentine's day and even after. 

These jeans were perfect for A and his slender build. I have the toughest time with finding something that fits him in the waist and has enough length. These also have the adjustable buttons on the inside that help. He also really liked this sequin flip alligator sweatshirt and he was all about these distressed jeans, so we splurged. I picked up this set for the baby that will be perfect for our trip.

I hope you have a great weekend! 

Heart Wall And Heart Eyes

 

I had all the heart eyes for this fun wall mural in Charlotte. I mentioned in my favorites that my sister, mom, and I were headed for a little girls weekend to spend some time together, explore the city, and relax. I'll share more about our stay and what we did while we were there in another post, but for now, let's talk about some heart love.

I can't take credit for finding this one because my sister brought it to my attention when searching through the goetag for Charlotte on instagram. She knows me all too well and that I can't pass up a fun spot to snap some pics. I mean really though, who doesn't love a fun backdrop.

Several years ago Eric and I took the boys to NYC for Valentine's Day and also came across a heart wall where we captured some of my favorite pictures with my little guys. It was fun to see this one and how the artist decided to present theirs.

At first this wall wasn't the easiest to find because it's tucked away on a side street walkway. The address is 1930 Camden Rd and it's down the street from Jeni's ice cream in the South End area. Thankfully it only took a few minutes for us to realize where it was.

The South End area had so much going on and was a lot of fun. It's filled with tons of restaurants, breweries, and plenty of street art. My outfit wasn't really thought out specifically for this because at first we weren't sure if we were even going to make a visit. My sister and I were back at our hotel room and decided to take a nap. Hey, a tired mama with a hotel room and no kids, how could you not take advantage of that????

Once we got a quick power nap, we woke up to the sun shining and thought it was perfect to head out. I'm glad we did because we loved the South End area. We had a lot of laughs, great food, and good company.

You can always tell when you made a good purchase when you get a lot of compliments on something. I was apprehensive about these jeans at first because they seemed, hello 80s to me. I mean nothing wrong with the 80s, I am an 80s baby after all, but they are just different from my typical basic skinny jeans with either a dark wash or distressed looked. These are button up high waisted resembling a white wash look. And you know what? They are fabulous! Like, I'm kind of obsessed, fabulous. You'll probably see me wearing them all the time and I am making no apologies for that. I threw on a sweater, booties, and a hat and was set to explore. 

Friday Five Favorite Things

Happy Friday, friends! I hope it's been a great week for you. Here we are, already at the end of the first month of the new year. January is always a tricky month where it feels like it drags on forever yet goes by quick at the same time. Not sure how that's possible, but it is. I have been fighting a nasty cold for what seems like ages now. It's really been more like a week and a half but still not fun. Congestion hits me hard and I'll be happy when I can breath again.

Enough about all of that though, let's get into some favorites...

Never A Dull Moment: 

my sweet little C has been keeping me on my toes so much lately, which is always a kicker when you're not feeling well. What can I say, he's super cute so that makes up for it, and I know he's still learning and exploring all new things. If you saw my instagram you might have heard that I caught him elbow deep playing in the toilet bowel water that I'm about 95% sure his brother flushed after he went. My gagging refluxes kicked in when I thought more about it and quickly put this little one right in the sink for a bath. He was having the best time splashing around, in the toilet that is, and I'm pretty sure his little smirk shows that he knew he was up to no good. I'm sure we'll be looking back at this laughing one day and I'll probably miss these moments.

Getting Outside:

as much as January is not one of my favorite months, I am so thankful that it's been a mild one for us. Usually we are bundled up and running from the car to the house with freezing temps. This year, we've mainly been in the 40's with opportunities to get outside and enjoy some fresh air for a bit. We only had one dusting of snow this year and of course had to take advantage of that and run outside to enjoy it while we could. It all melted by that afternoon but it was pretty to see while it lasted. I have no clue what February has in store for us, but what I do know is, if we can make it past February I feel like we'll all be in a better place.

Valentine's Day: 

i shared earlier this week some easy ways to make Valentine's Day special for your kids. I was recently talking with a friend who mentioned she wants to make Valentine's Day special for her little ones but doesn't want to spend a lot of money or feel like she has to put on a big production. I get it. Most of the time we are exhausted as parents, working off of a budget, or wondering how we're going to fit something extra into our schedule. I want to share some easy and cost effective ways you can make Valentine's Day special for your kids without breaking the bank or feeling like you need to put on a Pinterest show.

Being Inspired: 

i also shared more about how I want to be inspired and what's been on my heart lately thinking more about this space. My hope is that you will always find this to be an authentic, relatable, and engaging outlet. I enjoy each and everyone one of your comments so much and it let's me know that what I'm sharing is of value to you when you take the time to communicate with me. Always a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a support.

Favorite Finds: 

This section includes affiliates links. Thank you for your continued support and happy shopping. 

if you've been tuning into my stories (always a big thank you for that as well) then you know my playroom project has been a big thing for me. We have a great sized playroom that unfortunately felt like a mess and a dumping ground for things. When I shared more about my thoughts for the new year I mentioned that organization was going to be one of my focuses. I'm happy to say it's been going well so far.

we turned this little nook area into a reading nook for the boys and I love, love, love, how it now has function and a purpose. It was an odd space that felt like you couldn't do much with it before, but it's amazing what a little creativity and some planning can do. I will do a full playroom post and reveal once it's all done. We have a matching nook area on the other side of the room that we are planning on turning into an art station that will take some time to get together. We have to build out a custom table so it might not be for a little while util that happens. I'll try to share some more progress as we move along and of course you can check out more in my stories!

I'm linking some of the items I have here because I've been getting a lot of messages about them and figured if they can help someone else out, then why not. The bookshelf was a piece we picked up for $10 at a yard sale when we were first putting A's nursery together. I decided to give it an update with some black spray paint to keep with the black and white theme we have going on. These floating shelves worked out so well to make this little book area easily accessible. I'm looking forward to switching the books up every now and them and making them themed around the holidays. This floor poof has been a great spot for them to sit down and read and I couldn't resist this, I'd rather be reading pillow cover. This hanging map works out really well above the bookshelf and I love that it's also a chalkboard so they can draw on it as well.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm headed to Charlotte with my mom and sister for a little girls weekend. If you've ever been I'd love to hear some suggestions!