Target Loves of The Month- July 2012

July was a no-spend month for me (t-minus two days and counting down,) so I did what I'm sure many of you would do.

I took my grocery shopping to Target and bought a slew of new foodie products to try.

Target is my happy place and I didn't want her to think we had broken up!

Here are two things I'll be picking up again.

Peas of Mind- Broccoli Veggie Wedgies 
Like most 3 year olds, Nate is not a fan of vegetables.  But he will eat these "fries" and ask for more!

Beanitos Black Bean Chips
After reading the book I talked about in this post (ignore the part about me saying I was giving up Coke Zero) I have tried to decrease my gluten intake.  These chips do taste a bit like beans, duh, but they are really good with guacamole and satisfy my crunchy/salty cravings.



Do you ever do your grocery shopping at Target? 

Rebuilding Your Wardrobe: Shorts

It wasn't until recently that I started loving shorts.  For a long time I thought shorts were generally unflattering and didn't understand why anyone would choose them over a skirt or dress.

And then I had two toddlers.

This is my 4th hot Atlanta summer as a mom.  Two of them I had immobile babies in carriers and the other I was pregnant (pregnancy fashion is something I am not at all equipped to speak about) so dresses and skirts were easy to wear.  But these days I often have a child or two climbing up my leg to get my attention or am bending over to retrieve a toy from under the couch.

Needless to say, momma needs some shorts.

My Short(s) Stacks

Left: Top to Bottom- Lilly Pulitzer Buttercup Seersucker/Old Navy/Lilly Pulitzer Callahan (current prints here)/Old Navy/Lilly Pulitzer Callahan/Lilly Pulitzer Walsh (current prints here)/J Crew (similar here)

Right: Top to Bottom- Bitten by SJP Seersucker Bermudas (similar)/J Crew Navy Sailor/J Crew White, Navy and Khaki/Gap Hadley (similar)/J Crew Black

Now that I know more about fit I realize that shorts can work on my body and other body types.  You just need to know which shapes to buy.

Shorts for your shape by forever29blog featuring short shorts

J.Crew short shorts / J.Crew printed shorts / Lilly Pulitzer bermuda shorts / Alice + Olivia short shorts

The J Crew blue ikat pair above is in my favorite 5 inch inseam.  I think this is a universally flattering cut- not too long and not too short (though my petite friends may prefer a 3 inch inseam.)  The mid rise is also kind to a post-baby tummy.

Next is a pair with a 7 inch inseam, which works well for taller ladies or ones who may want more coverage.

The popularity of Bermuda shorts has waned a bit in the past few seasons, but can still be fashionable.  I prefer them in a slim cut.  You can also cuff them for a cute look if weight in your thighs is not a problem (lucky you!)

And for you model body types, shorts in a bright color with a high waist AND a cuff are summery and fun.  I find that shorts always come in an abundance of low rise, short inseam styles most appropriate for ladies in their early 20's.

Is your shorts supply fully stocked?

**Sale Alert- Old Navy, Gap & Banana Republic is running a sale for 30% off your purchase (including shorts!) using code JULY2012 ends today- 7/26**

Liebster Award & More Than You Wanted To Know About Me

Today I am FINALLY getting around to posting about this award that I received from one of my newest blog finds.  Phiphi's blog has quickly become one of my very favorite reads.  I adore her outfits and she always leaves me the sweetest comments.  Y'all know I love that.

The liebster blog award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome. So thank you P for this award!

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves

2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer.

3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.

4. Go to their page and tell them.

5. Remember, no tag backs!

11 Things About Me


1. I walk really fast.  Bestie calls it my "brick walk" because it's how I used to walk to class on the brick paths.


2. I once had a deer run INTO my car.  I didn't hit it, it ran into my driver side door.  That was fun.


3. I adore the new show The Newsroom, though the thought of having a stressful job like that makes me break out into a sweat.


4. My middle sister is one of the only people in the world that I actually LIKE talking to on the phone.  Everyone else?  It better be an emergency.


5. I got my way with both the boys' names.  Other names on my list were Logan and Trevor.

6. Until I was in 2nd grade I thought "complicated" meant "easy."  I remember the moment I figured it out.  I really know what it means now. 


7. I haven't watched a scary movie since The Ring.


8.  I read books in waves.  It is currently very, very low tide.


9.  I hate it when a group of people makes a big deal about splitting a check.  I'll pay and we can figure it out later.


10.  I used to have a great memory and now I forget things all the time.


11.  I want no part of any sport where I put equipment on my feet--Skiing, skating, any kind of "boarding."  No thank you.


My Questions to Answer


1. what is your biggest fear?  Thankfully I'm not too much of a worrier (when it comes to big things) but I guess I would say something happening to my boys/husband.

2. in terms of your job/studies, did you end up doing what you thought you would when you were younger?  Yes and no.  I really wanted to be a mom for as long as I could remember and that was pretty much in the forefront of my mind.  I started college planning to be a teacher, but ended up dropping that program and continuing with my math degree.

3. if you could buy one thing without worrying about the price tag, what would it be? A Chanel bag.  I have no idea which one, but they are just classic and definitely on my ultimate wish list.

4. what is your idea of a relaxing day?  I love a day with no plans, some time to shop, spend time with my boys and Mr. would make dinner for us to have & watch a movie.

5. how did you meet your best friend?  Bestie and I met our Freshman year of college.  We were suitemates when I moved away from my first crazy roommate.  We were suitemates for another year and then lived together the other two years of college.  We have way too many fun memories.

6. what is your biggest pet peeve?  Oh, I have soooo many.  How about people that act like rules or standards don't apply to them.  That covers disobedient toddlers to hypocrites!

7. if you could have an alternate career, what would it be? Truthfully, I have no idea.  I'll talk more about this when I work on my answers post.

8. what is your favourite season and why? Fall.  So many fun family traditions like pumpkin picking, Halloween, fairs, Thanksgiving.  And boots.

9. what is your greatest accomplishment? While I'm not sure how much I had to do with it, my two precious boys are what make me most proud.

10. where do you see yourself in 5 years?  Again, no idea.  Nate will be 8 and Cole will be 6.5, so probably a lot of helping with homework and shuttling to soccer/piano/hobby-of-the-moment practices.  It remains to be seen what my "work" life may look like.

11. if you could change one thing from your youth, what would it be?  I really wish I had studied abroad.  My family is not big into traveling at all so no one encouraged me to pursue it.  I really hope my boys will.

I'm tagging:

Amy at Total Tippins Takeover
Elizabeth at Livin with the Lindseys
EAS at Who's Excited?

My "blog circle" consists of readers who don't blog and bloggers with WAY more than 200 followers.  So I'm "breaking the rules" here, sorry.

**I love that some of my non-blogger readers have put their answers in the comments.  Feel free to join in!**


And your questions are-

1. How often do you make your bed?
2. What's your favorite holiday?
3. Dog/cat/neither/other?
4. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
5. Are you a coffee drinker?
6. To which magazines do you subscribe?
7. What is the least favorite job you have had?
8. Who is the last person you talked to on the phone?
9. What would you want your last meal to be?
10. What is the most adventurous thing you have done?
11. What beauty product could you not live without?

On Compliments

Yesterday was a long day.  You know, just one of those "off" days.

After putting Cole down at 7:00 I dragged myself out to run some errands.

I finished loading my goods on the conveyor belt and exchanged greetings with the Publix cashier and then she said,

"This is going to sound really weird but....."

Time kind of stops for a second when someone says something like that.  You think they are going to tell you

1. they have a cousin that looks like you.


2. about some fundraiser/pyramid scheme/cult.


3. they hate the brand of cheese you are buying.


and instead the unexpected happens

Source: justlittlethings.net via Amy on Pinterest

"You are really pretty."

I'm sure I gave her an "Are you serious?" look and she followed it up with "you know, naturally pretty."

For the record I was feeling about as un-pretty as I had felt in long time.

I was wearing a Life is Good t shirt, running shorts and glasses.  I hadn't brushed my hair since I got ready for church that morning and half of my makeup was wiped off after a good afternoon cry.

So I joked saying "Well I'll take it. It's been a long day. Thank you."

It's stupid, but that compliment from a stranger made me feel better.

I'm really horrible at taking compliments.  Not that I get them a lot or ever, but I always try to deflect them.

Strangely with social media it's different.  You're putting yourself out there, trying to have a conversation and sometimes fishing just a little bit for a compliment.

We all do it; it's ok.

It's hard when you post a picture of your cuter than anything kid and no one comments.  It's hard when 10 seconds later a friend posts a picture of their cuter than anything kid and suddenly 80 people are commenting on it.

(Insert outfit, dog, hair, project for "kid" and the same applies.)

Why is that?

Either way I'm going to try to do my best to hand out more compliments.  Someone may need a bright spot in their day as much as I did.   

Connect The Dots

Is anyone else ready for fall yet?

Or at least ready for cooler temperatures when picking out clothes isn't just about ensuring you don't end up "glistening" too much or freezing in over air conditioned spaces?

Me too!

I recently (i.e. before no-spend July) purchased these Old Navy shorts (along with the adorable sailboat ones.)

They have become a staple in my t-shirt + shorts + flip flops summer wardrobe and I am happy to see more polka dots on the horizon.

dot dot dot by forever29blog featuring suede pumps

Polka dot top / Old Navy cardigan / Skirt / Kate Spade suede pumps / Forever 21 jewelry / Forever 21 bags case

From subtle bangles to cheerful skirts, I think dots are a classic addition to any ensemble. 

Will you rock the polka dot look?

Rebuilding Your Wardrobe: The Right Fit

Rebuilding Your Wardrobe is a series I will be posting on for the unforeseen future.  I'll be writing about the lessons I've learned while rebuilding my own wardrobe (read the introduction here) but I'd also love to address any aspects of dressing yourself that you find frustrating.  Trust me, I've been there.  Email me at forever29blog at gmail dot com!


**I'd recommend reading this on the blog, the formatting is showing up oddly in Google Reader**

In the first installment of an approximately 824 part series I stressed buying what fits.


Easier said than done, right?

If you have a bit of a skewed perception of your body like I do, getting the right fit can be difficult.  And when you get wrapped up in the numbers that can add to the disappointment of trying to put together outfits that fit.

Through a lot of trial and error here is what I have learned about fit while rebuilding my wardrobe.  

Know Your Body
Pull out a tape measure.   

Yes, I know, more torturous than the scale.  But unlike kids clothes, ours aren't made with weight suggestions.  

Once you have your bust, waist and hip measurements I recommend plugging them into a body shape calculator.  This will help you get a better sense of your actual shape, regardless of what you think you see in the mirror.

With your measurements you can also compare to brand size charts to make sure you are purchasing the correct size, or at least using that size as a jumping off point.

 Try, Try Again
For far too long I bought things without trying them on.  This was easy to do when my body wasn't hard to fit, but now I can take a stack of things into a dressing room and come out with nothing.

The more you try the more you will learn about what works for your body.  When I tried to replace my Forever 21 Skinny Jeans I learned a ton about what rises and inseams worked on me.

While I definitely recommend trying things on at the store I also recommend trying things on when you get home as well and sometimes even taking a picture before you decide if something is right or wrong on you.  I have been duped by many a dressing room mirror or subconsciously swayed by a sale.

You are never going to love a piece of clothing more than the day you buy it, so make sure it is really right.

Use Fit Guides
After you have been through some trial and error you will begin to see trends of what does or doesn't flatter your body..  

One thing I really love right now is how many stores are beginning to have fit guides and often assign numbers or names to the different styles. 

 Target's fit guide for pants

You can save a lot of time and hassle knowing what will and will not work for you.

Of course if you love something you can always try it, like these lime green Merona shorts.  Fit 1 is not for me, so they stayed at the store.

Another feature many brands are embracing are customer reviews regarding fit.  Old Navy and Lilly Pulitzer, among others, have these details on their website which is so helpful to me as I often shop online.



Don't Be Swayed By Trends

And finally, trends are not for everyone, especially when it comes to fit.

One quick example: dolman sleeves.

via

So much of styling is tricking the eye.  The extra fabric here draws your eye to the bust and gives it more weight, which may be great, but not if you have a bigger chest.


Thoughts, questions, suggestions?  Leave me a comment with your troubles or successes regarding finding the right fit. 

Tuesday That Feels Like a Monday- A Guest Post & Other Ramblings

Good morning, friends!

I'm guest posting some mom-friendly outfits over at Addington Mom today, so go check it out!

Also, don't forget to ask me your questions on yesterday's post.

And finally a shameless plug for my Facebook page.  I'd really love to interact with more of y'all there!

What Happens When....?

What happens when you let your husband order your beer?

I really didn't need my own pitcher....

and excuse my outdoor concert in July look.  I left this photo unedited for your own self-esteem boosting purposes.

And what happens when you drink said beer(s), stay out until 12 and make the 3.5 hour drive home the next morning?

You get a post like this!

Yesterday we drove to Charlotte, hit up the Summerland concert, had a fabulous time and now we are back home!  Whew.

Life has been a blur for the past week and I have plenty of great ideas I want to blog about...when I can find the time and the motivation.

Taking my comments discussion from last week a step further I'm going to open up this post for your questions!

Yep, audience participation time!

I know I have some new readers out there (and am up to 95 followers..not that I'm counting.  But....at 100 I'm going to do a nifty little giveaway.) so now is your chance to hit me up with anything you've been curious about.

And, go!

Summer Bucket List For the Three & Under Crowd

When summer rolled around I was excited and hopeful.  Our mornings could be more relaxed, we could go to the park and have play dates and do lots of summer bucket list activities.

In reality our summer has been much more about flying by the seat of our shorts.

So far we have:

Gone to the beach- Separately, of course.  Nate with his grandparents and Cole with us.

Gone to the park- Once.  I think it was late May and probably around 9am. For 20 minutes.

Had a play date- Singular. With some of my favorite local Twitter/Blogging ladies.  And after entertaining the kids for over an hour at lunch I think we were all too exhausted to attempt it again.

Taken walks- At 4:30 in the afternoon for Mommy's sanity and for the sauna-like detox properties.

Attended Vacation Bible School- which was so fun and probably wore me out more than either of the boys.

Needless to say between naps and logistics and my own selfish plans, summer activities with 2 active toddlers are hard to manage.

In a moment of Mommy Over-achievement this week I decided we needed to finally make a trip to the library.

Our library was having a Llama Llama character visit and I thought Nate would enjoy that as a special treat.  We wandered around for a bit and then went to grab a spot to wait for the pajama-ed llama.

Of course Nate was over it before they even read the story and wanted to go back look at books.  Meanwhile the little Llama finally made his way out and Cole was beyond excited!

Waving and squealing at the Llama

The boys tried their best to wait patiently, but we were now at the back of the line.  For what felt like an hour I managed to keep the boys from attacking stacks of books, spinning into other kids and wrangled 24 pounds of toddler so he couldn't dash right up to that adorable llama.

 You know there are dvds over there, right?

We met the llama, got our pictures and then picked out our books.  Well Nate picked one dvd and I picked three books because once he had the dvd he didn't care about books.  Yeah.  

A crazy checkout process but we made it out of the library- amazingly with no tears and no potty accidents. Oh yeah, did I mention I was fearful of Nate having an accident the entire time? 

The moral of the story?  

These trips are often more trouble than they are worth.     

Sure they make for cute pictures but Nate hasn't mentioned it since that day, Cole obviously won't remember and I'm still a little exhausted just thinking about it.

Our bucket list items for the rest of the summer?

Play

Read

Eat

Sleep

I think that's really all we need.

An Unexpected Connection

My family is not extremely close.  Actually more often than not I think "how exactly am I related to any of these people?"  I have a good bit of jealousy toward families that are close, but it is what it is.
  
On Monday I received a letter from my Grandma that made me think maybe we are more alike than I thought.

I may have inherited a bit of my writing style from her.

 Grandma always dates her letters, but more recently they are time stamped as well.

My Grandma is a fan of letters.  She has always written my mom (her daughter) and writes countless friends.  It's a great way for me to communicate with her since I hate the phone and can write replies on my own timetable.  


Often her letters just tell me about what she's been watching on tv or what her and my Grandpa had for dinner (yes, really.) But the letter I received this week was full of things that made me laugh and sounded a little bit like something I might write.  It was all too good not to share.


"Isn't this the prettiest note card you have ever seen? .... I only send them to very special people like you!"  
Stationery love is definitely something I got from my grandma.  She also digs underlining.


"Can you believe half of the year is over?  June 25th is half of the year."  
That's a great trivia tidbit.  I'll be sure to mark that as something to blog about next year.


"Grandpa and I are very into the "Braves"" 
Grandma loves quotation marks, even when you don't need them.


"For my birthday I wanted a Chipper Jones jersey so Grandpa ordered me one.  I wear it every time we play."  
A lady who tells her husband what she wants and doesn't miss an opportunity to dress up.  Love.


"We had a nice 4th of July.  We went to see "Magic Mike""  
Y'all, this is when I about fell on the floor laughing.  Sorry to the poor ladies that had to feel awkward in the theater because my grandparents were there.

"I am going to start writing you more often."  
Me too, Grandma.

Needless to say I think my Grandma would make an awesome blogger.  If she knew how to turn on a computer.

Have you connected with a family member in a way you didn't expect?

Blogging on Blogging: Readership and Comments

Mr. Banker is one of my most faithful blog readers (he subscribes by email;) though I think he really started reading to keep up with my purchases.

Smart man.

He finds the blogging world very amusing (because it really is) and I'm lucky that he indulges me in listening to my chatter about invisible blog friends.

In the same way he likes to set up mock scenarios with the boys' animal collection-

"Could rhinoceros and cheetah take down lion?"

he likes to ask me questions about readership and comments.

"Would you rather have 1000 followers or get 30 comments?"

(this goes to further show his questioning nature)


I pick the comments every time.


Now I know just a few months ago I tried to revamp the way I thought about my own commenting.  I am sticking to not getting overwhelmed by reading and commenting, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't really appreciate the comments I get on my own posts.

I like to blog as if I'm sending an email to a friend.  Sure, every email you send doesn't require a response, but many do.  So comments help me understand my friends a little more.

Y'all like Target a lot more than restaurant reviews.  Me too, truthfully.

This isn't to say that I write every post to get comments, but I want this to be a conversation.  And not a one-sided one.

As a reader of blogs I definitely find myself shying away from commenting on the ones where I know I won't get a response.  I know everyone doesn't have time to respond to every comment, but between Facebook, Twitter and blog comments (ok, that kind of makes me sound like a stalker) it would be nice to get some kind of response.

I guess in the same ways people are chattering about how there are no "blogging rules" there aren't "reader rules" either.  But just as with real life friends, I find myself gravitating to others that seem to have a blogging philosophy (yes, I just referred to bloggers having a philosophy) that is similar to mine.

How do y'all feel about this as readers and many of you as bloggers? Does leaving a comment imply some expectation for further interaction?

Frolicking at the Atlanta Food Truck Park

The food truck trend is going strong all over the country.

With our schedule and kids in tow it's not too easy to haul around town looking for some foodified macaroni and cheese.

That's why I couldn't wait to visit the Atlanta Food Truck Park.

A plaid, mac and cheese serving truck! Why didn't I think of that?

First of all, the food did not disappoint.

Soft Shell Crab Po Boy/ Mac and Cheese / Greek Meatball Slider & Orzo Salad

And by "did not disappoint" I mean we ate every bite of it.

Foodie snob that I am, I want good food AND ambiance.  Well tell me this isn't the perfect setting-

All Cole wanted was some wide open space to play with his ball.

There are plenty of picnic tables to eat near the food trucks but there is also a greenspace that is a mother's (and dad's...you'll see why) dream.

1. There is SHADE!

2. There is a playground

3. There is a fence-lest your children try to escape.

And for the dads (and ball obsessed toddlers?)

Bocce balls in patriotic colors were apropos

BOCCE COURTS!

In our pre-baby days we loved some backyard Bocce.  I mean check out my form.

Cole is impressed and taking notes

I'm sure this is a good scene for the non-parental types as well, though we will probably stick to the 11am early-bird lunch for toddlers.

Are you a food truck fan?

Easy Southern Cobbler for the Fourth

So I have a little secret to tell y'all before I get to this delicious cobbler recipe.

I'm only a quarter Southern.

There, now you know.  Still friends?

My paternal grandmother's side of the family is from the south and the rest is from all over the country.  So as far as family recipes go, I have um....none.

I was lucky enough to marry into a very Southern family where things like shelling beans, canning and family recipes are the norm.

My mother-in-law is the best at whipping up things with no recipe or scribbling down a recipe from memory for me because I can't even make macaroni and cheese without reading the instructions.

One of the best and easiest (yay!) recipes is her sister's cobbler.  Aside from the fruit (I could kiss our home's previous owners for planting a blackberry bush years ago) you probably have all of the ingredients on hand.

Easy Fruit Cobbler

3 cups fruit (blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches and apples all work well
2 cups sugar, separated
1 stick melted butter
1 cup milk
1 cup self-rising flour

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

*Heat the fruit until hot over low heat and add sugar to taste (approx. 1 cup)
 

I wanted to keep my blackberries on the whole side, so it only took about 10 minutes.  Harder fruits like peaches or apples will take longer.

*Strain the fruit and reserve the juices

*Mix together the melted butter, milk, 1 cup of sugar and self-rising flour and pour into a buttered casserole dish.

*Add hot fruit on top of flour mixture. (I always doubted that the fruit would sink down and the "crust" would end up on top, but it does!)  

*Pour on any of the reserved juice, if desired. 

I only had a small amount of berries, so I made individual cobblers.

*Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until the top is browned.

Mr. Banker wanted his with ice cream and more juice on top.

If you don't have a dessert to celebrate the 4th (and how do you celebrate without dessert?) this would be perfect.

A very safe and happy Independence Day to y'all!

Rebuilding Your Wardrobe: An Introduction

In a wee bit of foreshadowing (yes, Math majors take English too) last week I mentioned the idea of rebuilding your wardrobe.

Clothes have been a passion of mine ever since I laid eyes on Cher Horowitz's closet.

The extent of my fashion education on my couch came from What Not To Wear, Project Runway and Nina Garcia's The One Hundred.  I realize this doesn't make me an authority on fashion, but I do have a lot of real world experience (i.e. I'm old) dressing myself for a wide variety of situations.

I'm sure there have been times when you have needed to rebuild your own wardrobe, be it for a career change, climate change or even a relationship change. (You and I both know we have worn things to fit into a group: "On Wednesdays we wear pink.")  

The evolution of my own wardrobe has revolved mostly around my          fluctuating weight.

In my adult life I've been anywhere from a size 4 to a size 14 and my pregnancies were like a second puberty.  Every part of my post-babies body (except my feet, hallelujah) is different than before.  My chest and ribcage are bigger, waist is smaller, and I've already talked about my backside. Yeah.      

This brought about a necessary overhaul of my wardrobe.

I've learned a lot that I want to share with y'all and the more I thought about it the more I realized there is a TON to discuss.  Prepare yourself for ramblings posts on this subject for a good while.

I also really want to encourage reader participation (please, pretty please) so if there is an aspect you, yes you!, want my very non-expert, expert opinion on I would love to know.

And with that lengthy introduction I will touch on one small, but really huge point that I have learned through my own wardrobe rebuilding.

IGNORE THE NUMBERS

This has been one of my biggest struggles over the years.  

I have worried over counting calories, the number on the scale, the number on my clothes.

But this girl who always loved math because there was only one right answer and 2+2 always equals 4 has wised up.

There is so much more to me, and you, than these numbers.  They are deceiving and we give them power that they don't deserve.

This isn't to say that you shouldn't want to be a healthy and take care of yourself, but striving for numbers shouldn't become a burden, as it has for me at times.

So many of us get wrapped up in hitting a certain size or weight.

When I got to my own "goal weight" none of the clothes I had worn at that same weight pre-babies fit right--too big here, too small there.  

Then I worked on getting fitter and though the number on the scale didn't change my size did.   

This is why numbers are so tricky.

And they are even trickier when buying clothes.  My closet contains clothes that fit me ranging from Small to Extra Large, 6 to 12.

My first bit of advice-

Buy what FITS, looks good and makes you feel good.  

Don't worry about the numbers!  No one sees them!  What they will see is how amazing and confident you are when you love what you are wearing. 

Tell me about a time you have had to rebuild your own wardrobe!

Do you have a love/hate relationship with numbers like I do?

Sometimes You Have To Seize The Day

Remember last week when I was complaining about discussing how much I need my schedule?

Yeah, well the next day I threw that out the window.

Mr. Banker had a spur of the moment client meeting at the beach, so Cole and I decided to tag along!

7 hours and a Cracker Barrel stop later we were on the beach!

 
He's still not the biggest fan of sand or water, but he enjoyed some people watching and was a trooper having only napped for an hour.

We did push our luck by going out for supper.  We needed our fried seafood fix, but this guy just wanted to play-

We were walking distance from the hotel so after some fried green tomatoes (yum) we packed up our meal and went back.

Crazy enough this was our first stay in a hotel with a little one.  I know this probably sounds as weird to some of y'all as it does to me when parents say they've never had a night away from their kids.  In the last 3.3 years when we have traveled we've stayed with family.  It was definitely an experience, but not a disaster.  Cole entertained himself well by stacking cups and rolls of toilet paper.

The next morning Mr. Banker left for his meeting and Cole and I did a little shopping, A LOT of driving around

and I plotted how we could retire among the live oaks.

One last roll through town and a stroll on the very-scary-my-child-could-easily-plunge-to-his-death pier and back home we went.

Sometimes leaving the schedule behind is a great idea.

Tell me about your latest last-minute adventure!