I think a lot of people are on Spring Break this week, so if that's you, hopefully this Monday feels a little less Monday-ish.
We are not on Spring Break or vacation, so if this Monday is just feeling like a Monday for you, you're not alone. #theweekendsarejusttooshort
Today, I have a random list of things to share, starting with an exciting new business adventure that a friend of ours has started:
1: Helmsie
Helmsie is named after our friend's oldest son, Helms, and blends the rich, timeless culture of the South with the renewed interest of uniquely Southern design. The products are meticulously designed to add a little whimsy and joy to your day-to-day.
The "Not Your Momma's Alphabet Cards" is Helmsie's first product to enter the marketplace. Aren't they so fun?! They are all hand illustrated and printed on high quality card stock and stored in a custom-designed box. They are ideal for learning letters and words with little ones, nursery decor and unique baby gifts.
The cards launch TODAY with a Kickstarter campaign! If you love what you see (and I'm confident you will!) you can pledge your support in return for products... which may sound confusing, but it will make sense when you get there! You can check out the full campaign here.
Fine art prints and new products will debut throughout the year, so be sure to follow them through Instagram (here) and check out their website (here).
2. Vacation
We have landed on a spot for our weekend getaway and last family-of-four trip! We will be heading to Chattanooga later this month and we couldn't be more excited. We booked a hotel right in downtown within walking distance to everything that the kids will love: the children's museum, aquarium, riverwalk, restaurants, ice cream shops and bike riding area. And our hotel has an indoor-outdoor heated pool so we'll be packing our swimsuits too!
This week, we're going to book tickets to the attractions we don't want to miss, so if there's anything you know of that a 2 year old and 1 year old would love, we'd love to hear your ideas!
My sis-in-law just returned with her family and gave us the scoop on where to stay and some of the attractions to definitely check out, so we can't wait!
Then we'll have one more fun trip with Matt's family (his parents and his sister's family) in the beginning of May before our next little one joins us in June. It's going to be here before we know it!
3. Books
I have about 20 pages left in Present over Perfect and then will start Love Lives Here next.
I try to read a little every night before bed and occasionally sneak in some reading during the kids' nap time too. I like to go back and forth between non-fiction/Christian/parenting/self-helpish books and straight fiction. This time I'm squeezing in two non-fiction books because Love Lives Here is our next book club book and a friend gave me Present over Perfect to read and said it was just too good! And she was right! I will share about it on here along with Love Lives Here after I finish them both.
Present over Perfect (found here)
Love Lives Here (found here)
4. New Favorite Drink at Starbucks
For years I have loved the Cinnamon Dolce Latte from Starbucks. But being that we have a Starbucks 1 mile from our house, and being that it's really convenient to swing by there on our way home from our morning activity before I get the kids down for naps, I decided I should maaaybe not drop $5 on a cup of coffee quite so often. SO, I talked to the barista in the drive-thru one day and found a new concoction that I love!
Tall Blonde Roast with 2 pumps of cinnamon dolce and cream.
It is so good, has less calories, more caffeine, and only costs $2.62.
You're welcome. ;)
Well both kiddos are down for the count and I've got a list of things to get to during nap time, including finishing Present over Perfect. So I hope the rest of your Monday goes well! I'm hoping this rain in Atlanta inspires long naps for our two and hangs around through bedtime tonight. Every once in a while, a rainy day is good for a relaxing, play-inside afternoon and evening. Hopefully that will be the case today!
Have a great week!
I rarely ever comment, but I love reading your blog. :) Y'all will love Chattanooga!! We live about an hour and a half away, and my BIL lives there so we go there often. We're actually going this weekend lol. Rock City, Ruby Falls, and the incline railway all would be great to do with kids! There is also a 'splash and play' at Coolidge Park that the kiddos would love. The aquarium is so, so nice and the Chattanooga Market it right outside the aquarium every Saturday morning. If your littles like trains then the Chattanooga Choo Choo is the perfect place for them. You don't have to pay or anything to see all of the trains, and you can usually find somewhere to park for free (if not the parking garage right across the street is $15 for the whole day, I think), their garden is usually really pretty in the spring for some fun pictures, too. The kids can get up on the trains and see inside them, and their courtyard is closed in so definitely a good place to let them run around and run off some built up energy ;)
ReplyDeletePlaces to eat:
Lupi's Pizza Pies
The Terminal Brewhouse
Big River Grille & Brewing
Cheeburger Cheeburger
Maple Street Biscuit Company
Bluewater Grille
There is so much to do there, and a lot of it you can do for free. My husband and I have made day trips there and have only paid for parking and food. Just walking around downtown Chattanooga, Coolidge Park, and Walnut Street Walking Bridge can be fun and you can see so much, and of course the city and bridges make for beautiful backdrops in pictures. We also like to just drive up in the mountains (Lookout Mountain) and take in the views, it's beautiful and their are some great views! Okay, now I'll end the longest comment ever lol. Can't wait to read about y'all's trip!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Matt especially will love these recommendations as he's always the researcher for our trips. ;) This gets me extra excited for our visit! And hope you guys have a great time there this weekend!
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ReplyDeleteAs always, I'm super behind, so I don't know when your trip is. You can check out Kate at A Thought and A Half. She lives in Chattanooga and recently posted a whole guide about visiting!
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