Happy Sunday! I hope you love this week’s round-up! I’m sharing some CUTE spring dress options from Anthro and recent Amazon orders (our vacuum broke the night before my birthday so I ordered a new one as a gift to myself.. ha). Nordstrom has some fun new arrivals and I rounded up lots of Amazon favorites on sale. I’m also sharing my every day make-up! Lipgloss isn’t in the collage but I shared that in last week’s Saturday post HERE. It’s so good! Wrapping up this week’s Sunday Edit with your favorites from the week!
It’s late Saturday night and I’m typing this listening to the rain pouring outside. Sunday is going to be wet in San Diego! A perfect day to stay in pj’s and do a little organizing. :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Happy Saturday! Kicking off this week’s Saturday 6 with a trash can! Maybe not exactly what you had in mind but it’s a cute trash can and it’s on sale so roll with me on this one. :) I love the fluted design and the gold trim!
The coolest part is that it has a sensor and opens when your hand is near it! Then after a few seconds it closes on its own. My kids love the opening and closing. :) You can see the gray ring inside that you can put a liner on too.
Cute from the front and perfect for a bathroom, bedroom, office, etc!
I bought 3 and have one in our powder bathroom and one in each of my girls’ bedrooms. This trash can in Ad’s room has a liner in it so you can see how that works. It’s all in the details right? Why not have a stylish trash can!? Especially a stylish trash that’s such a steal.
My trash can is part of Amazon’s big spring sale! I think the sale ends this Sunday. I recently set up an Amazon account and I’ve rounded up some really fun things on sale that I have/love/want if you want to check them out! You can find home favorites on sale here, some cute clothes I’m seeing here (including the outfit above!) and some fun things for cleaning/organizing on sale here. You can see my Amazon page here. I’ll be adding to it this weekend! I’m slow with all things tech and wanted to have an Amazon favorites page up about a year ago so feeling good it’s finally up and going.
Celebrating the win vs. shaking my head that it took me so long.. ha.
I wear this top a lot with jeans too.
Found this pic with the two pics above and remembering a fun day with Ad! Lunch at our favorite spot. :)
Ok.. let’s talk about this BELOVED little projector. I gave this to Kole for Christmas this year. I thought it looked cool, but I had no idea he would be as obsessed with it as he is. He LOVES this thing.
It plays music and has a white noise sound machine (great for kids who love extra noise to sleep!) but the reason Kole really loves it is because of this..
I snapped this pic quick tonight after Kole was in bed and it really doesn’t do this situation justice. This projector is SO COOL. It lights up his entire ceiling and walls so beautifully and has so many different settings and colors. Little stars everywhere! His lamp is blocking a section right now, but you get the idea. Kole turns it on every night when he goes to bed and sets the timer for an hour. He loves just laying in bed and watching it and says it calms him and helps him fall asleep and he has told me multiple times “thank you this is the best gift ever mom!” Happy I did something right. ;) Ellie loves it too so I might get her one at some point. I thought I would share that in case you need a cool teen gift or something fun for Easter baskets this year!
Recent trip to Anthro with a friend and we found so many cute things for spring! I love this little rattan bag. I didn’t buy it.. it would really only hold your phone and some lipgloss! But so cute right!?
Here’s what I did buy! These cute cropped jeans (my favorite Colette pants I always share that come in so many fun styles!). Love them. I usually go with the standard vs. petite with Colette pants, but if you are short and want more of a cropped look petite’s will be shorter! I love this cute v neck tee and ordered it in blue too!
Another cute sweater top I brought home with me! Love this color for spring. Also hello new beautiful hand bag and thank you to my beautiful friend who gave it to me for my birthday this year! She clearly knows me well. :) I have the smaller size of the brigitte satchel in a darker brown for date nights and this will be perfect for every day!
I’ve been told by many friends that I’m a sucker for all things denim and they are 100% right. I can’t pass up a cute denim top! Or jumpsuit or dress or romper. :) This blouse has such a cute cut and it gathers in the back so it’s fitted but not tight. The same top comes in a pretty linen in multiple colors too that I also linked!
One more denim top that I couldn’t pass up (ok ok.. I’ll work on it!). :) This one is buttery soft and so cute. I want to try it with a belt and skirt! Or with black or white jeans. TOO CUTE.
I’ve mentioned a time or ten that my husband is obsessed with Vuori. He lives in their clothes and especially in their shorts. I just recently realized that the Kore and Banks shorts can also be worn as swimsuits! HELLO.. brilliant! Did you all know that!? Am I the only one in the dark on this new discovery!? They have fun board shorts you can order too but I recently got Kenny these kore shorts to try as suits. I will report back if he loves them!
The Banks shorts are his go-to’s. Think he has enough? This is an older pic too. I buy him a new pair for Christmas, his birthday, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Easter.. you name the holiday and he gets a pair of Banks shorts! They just make him so happy. And let’s face it.. men can be HARD to shop for. I found a good thing and I’m sticking to it. Ha.
We went on a fun weekend trip to Palm Springs last weekend with some friends and I shared these pics on IG but thought I would add them here too! My friend and I didn’t plan on showing up with matching travel bags but we weren’t mad about it either. :)
We had kind of crazy weather! Both rain and sun! But so beautiful when the clouds parted and the sun came out. I love being in Palm Springs this time of year.
Always so nice to take a break from the never-ending to-do list and just spend time together.
This candy store was the cutest! We bought snacks and watched a movie the afternoon it rained.
We also ate out at some fun spots I thought I’d share if you are planning a Palm Springs trip!
Molé .. so fun for lunch! It’s located at the shops on El Paseo. We got there early and it got busy quickly. Chips were huge and delicious. I could have just had the whole bowl for lunch. But instead I only had half a bowl and a chicken taco. ;)
Kalura Trattoria. Italian food and also delicious! A friend suggested this restaraunt and it was perfect.
Wilma & Frieda’s – breakfast/lunch spot and a must visit when you are in the desert! It’s so good and we will absolutely go again next time.
Our last night we went to a nice dinner at Wally’s Desert Turtle. Food was delicious here too! I felt bad I was a little underdressed, but the dress I brought to wear was a summer dress and it was so COLD that night. My friend and I bought jackets and I wore jeans to stay warm. Such a fun getaway! Pool, shopping, movies, food, lots of laughing and memories made. We all want to go back! Sometimes a quick weekend away is just what the doctor ordered. :) This weekend we are home and working on the to-do list again, but I’m hoping we can squeeze in a movie and dinner!
Preferably somewhere with a large bowl of chips. :)
Sharing a few fun cover-ups today along with pics from our recent trip to Cabo! I ordered most of these cover-ups from Amazon for our trip, but I didn’t order early enough and they all showed up on my doorstep 20 minutes before we walked out the door to head to the airport! I had already packed (and went to great lengths to condense to a carry on suit-case.. ha) so they didn’t come with me. I tried them on after the trip and decided to keep them all for future trips/summer because they are all so good! This first cover-up is already a favorite. It’s like a little shirt dress with slits on the side. So cute and flattering and perfect to toss on after the pool or beach to grab some food!
I got it in white too! It comes in other colors. 10/10! This mesh bag holds a lot and is perfect for the beach! I love inexpensive beach bags like this that I’m not worried about getting dirty because the beach is always messy.
Another cute coverup/summer dress! I ordered this to try because they reviews were so high and it really is surprisingly flattering. I usually don’t love body con dresses on me, but this is a great fit and really comfortable. It comes in lots of colors.. I love this blue!
I’ve had this coverup skirt for years and it’s hands down my favorite! One size and you can make it as tight/short as you want it. This bikini top is another summer staple for me. I love tops that cover my shoulders and have a higher neck for days that we are spending hours at the beach or pool. I have fair skin and burn so easily! Plus it’s such a cute, flattering top. I also linked the bikini bottoms I usually wear with it.
This mini dress is another great coverup option. Very similar to the black shirtdress coverup I shared at the beginning of my post but without the buttons. It comes in lots of colors/patterns.
This is another great option for long beach/pool days when you want some coverage without getting too hot! A long sleeve beach shirt that is cute long and open or buttoned up and tied. I love this apricot but it comes in so many colors.
Cutest sundress coverup! It also comes in lots of colors. I wish it was a little shorter above the knees on me. If you’re taller than 5’3 it will be the perfect length. ;)
I’ve shared this tanner before. I’ve tried several and this is still hands down my favorite! Use the mit and it’s so easy to apply. You can see exactly how it will look when you rub it on so it’s easy to make sure it’s going on even!
These two I’ve had for a few years.. also fun options for summer! They make great summer gifts too. Add a towel and some sunscreen for teachers or moms or graduates, etc.
Time for a few Cabo pics! But first a confession. I’m an over packer. Such a big over packer that I am known for it in my family. Nobody believed that I could just bring a carry on for this weekend trip. I like to have options! Lots of them. Ha. But I did it and I was so proud of myself and Kenny was shocked. Until I pulled out my travel backpack and put it on and almost tipped over it was so stuffed! Ha ha. We had a good laugh. It’s basically another small suitcase it holds so much! I LOVE it.
Not necessarily our best picture but I love this because it represents the way we always feel once we are loaded and buckled on a plane. Relief and happiness! It’s always so much work prepping for travel isn’t it!? Getting the house ready, getting kids ready or taken care of, getting work stuff ready, getting packed, getting to the airport, getting through the airport. Then finally you are strapped in a seatbelt and can do no more! We took this picture and 5 minutes later were both asleep.
Putting on lipgloss before we landed and I snapped this pic of my favorite makeup bag.. it’s on sale at the moment! My every day make-up is linked here.
Arrived at the resort! This trip was a getaway with my brother and sister and their wife and husband to celebrate my brother’s 40th birthday. I wish you all knew my brother Austin in real life. He is GOLD. The kindest, most genuine, sincere guy you will ever meet. He’s also HILARIOUS and it’s always a party when Austin is in the house! The kids all love Uncle Austin and we have been thick as thieves our whole lives. Growing up it was always me and Austin (the sentimental two) battling our tougher sister Carly.. ha. I can’t imagine life without him! He’s rarely serious hence his lovely smile for the camera.
We stayed at the Westin villas and it was a beautiful resort! I would absolutely recommend it. Stunning property and the rooms were so nice.
Hello view!
There are several restaurants at the resort and the food was amazing! We honestly hardly left. There was no reason to go anywhere! The goal was to spend time together and that’s all we did. Talked and laughed and relaxed in the sun and then talked and laughed some more. This was the first time the 6 of us have ever been together without our kids. Too much fun.. we had forgotten how to relax!
But we picked it up quickly.. ha.
Some resort pics..
Dinner at the resort.
Kenny made me wake up the first morning to see the sun rise. He’s such a morning person and I am not and it kills me to wake up early (especially on vacation!) so I threw a pillow at him and grumbled and stumbled out of bed but once I stepped on the balcony and saw the sun all was forgiven! This picture doesn’t do it justice. It was spectacular! So I half way thanked him but told him I saw it and took a picture and to let me sleep until 9 the next morning which he did.
So we’re still married. ;)
We all tried yoga on the beach before breakfast and had a good laugh at ourselves! So beautiful.
The pools/hot tubs were great and you can always see the ocean from every spot!
There were also whales jumping so close to the shore! It was incredible to watch them! I didn’t get a picture.. just lots of video. You can’t swim in the beach at this resort because of the strong waves and harsh undercurrents. We were so fine with that (especially without kids!) but if you’re traveling to this resort there are beaches close by you can swim in.
We did venture out one night to have dinner at The Office. My friends told me it was a fun spot and it was! Great food and a lively party environment. The guys..
and the girls.
The tables outside are right on the beach! Music is playing and the colors are so bright and fun.
This is the view from the other angle. Food was delicious!
We snapped this in the front of the restaurant on the way out. We ventured out around the restaurant for a while and then bought snacks and went back to the resort to talk all night.
I think Austin had a great birthday. :)
I came home and was pretty impressed that my kids had kept the house relatively clean! Just these dishes were on the counter with a note from Kole. It says “these are clean..didn’t know where they go.” Ha. It made me smile. At least he unloaded the dishes.
Me and Car getting wild with our virgin margaritas. Ha. Cheers to a great trip! I love my siblings and I’m so grateful for this uninterrupted time we got to spend together. We’re already scheming about how we can make it a yearly tradition. Next time we’ll get out and see more of Cabo!
Or we won’t. Because we’re all old now and remembered how to relax.
Happy Sunday! Fun weekly round-up today! I’m seeing so many cute clothes for spring! Sharing some that look cute and some that I’ve ordered. I’m also sharing some beautiful options for spring pillows, Amazon deals, cute beach totes and Easter decor. All good things! I’m so happy warmer weather is on its way. :) Wishing you a beautiful, relaxing Sunday and a great start to your week!
Happy Saturday! This week flew by so quickly! Just a blink from one Saturday to the next. Spring is coming and I can feel it by the way kids’ schedules pick up! Also the time change. I’m so happy it’s staying lighter in the evenings so that we can walk and be outside more after work!
Mornings on the other hand were ROUGH this week. Ha. I felt like a zombie for my 6 am walks and it’s so dark most of the time! I always feel so much happier and more productive when I go though so I’m hoping I can catch up on sleep this weekend and get to bed earlier in the evening next week. Wish me luck. I need it. :)
Sharing a few fun random favorites/happenings today for my Saturday 6 and I’m kicking it off with this lip gloss that has quickly become my number one favorite! Trust me when I say this gloss has the most beautiful shine! I love the way it looks and feels on my lips. I got the shade “sweet mouth” at a Favorite Thing’s party last December and have been loving it so much ever since. A friend saw me putting it on a few weeks ago and told me that she is obsessed with it too and “fussy” is her favorite. I was going to buy it to try but she bought it for me before I could! Such a sweet gift and I LOVE fussy too. I would highly recommend either shade!
It goes on so smooth and looks beautiful on its own or over lipstick. 10/10! If you try it let me know what you think!
2 – 15 MIN ORGANIZING
{BEFORE}
I’ve been sharing quick 15 minute organizing wins on IG stories this year and it feels so good to make progress each day! Little organizing projects add up and make a big difference in how smoothly home/life run. This spot under our kitchen sink wasn’t that messy but I put off cleaning for months. (Sorry.. horrible lighting for pics!)
{AFTER}
14 minutes and DONE.. why did I put it off so long!? Now I’m so happy when I open these cupboards and guess what made the biggest difference? Taking everything out and wiping the cupboard out with hot, soapy water. It was so dusty and sticky!
My dishwasher pods are the main thing I wanted to store and have easy access to. These stackable bins are perfect to hold items under kitchen or bathroom sinks. If I want to store more small items in this space I can buy another set to stack on top of this – a great vertical storage option!
This quick win isn’t anything that special but that’s why I wanted to share it. By just pulling items out, tossing or donating things we aren’t using, wiping out the space, and putting items back neatly we are creating a clean, well functioning home that will bring an amazing sense of peace. You don’t have to do a complete overhaul or buy 15 different organizers! Just use less and clean each space. I open this cupboard every day when it’s time to run my dishwasher and when it was messy it made me instantly feel annoyed and behind on life. Now it makes me feel happy and on my A game. It’s crazy how big of an impact our spaces have on our thoughts/feelings!
Another kitchen favorite! I’m sure you’ve seen these magnetic measuring spoons but if you haven’t you are in for a treat! So good. This set comes in so many options.. classic and timeless and then those two versions come in different color options.
This leveler has measurements on it that are so helpful when I’m cooking.
Or when I’m helping kids with math.. ha.
I have the white and gold too and I’m giving them as a spring gift with some cute dish towels!
My 90’s self has been on cloud 9 with these cute overalls! I turned 47 on Monday and decided they were perfect to wear since I also wore them on my 17th birthday 30 years ago.. ha. When I walked out in them Kenny saw me and said “whoa.. talk about deja vu.. I’ve seen you in those before!” I lived in overalls for years when we were dating and I’m so happy they are back! I’m tempted to get another pair because I keep seeing so many cute options. Long live 90’s fashion! I am SO here for it.
6 – BIRTHDAY PICS
I had a great birthday this year and have been celebrating for a week now! I’m all about spreading the celebrations out as long as possible. Ha. So grateful for good friends!
And for my sweet family. I woke up and stumbled out into the kitchen Monday morning to my kids dancing to 50 Cent – “In Da Club.” It was hilarious and definitely kicked off the day with a party! Gotta love teens. :)
Lots of favorite snacks and sweet cards.. birthday favorites. :)
Ended the day with my other half and I just kept thinking there was nowhere else in the world I’d rather be than sitting across from him.
One thing I’ve learned getting older is that life is all about relationships. Real relationships with close friends and family bring so much joy and happiness. Love your people! And let them love you back. It’s such a beautiful thing. I loved hearing from so many of you Monday on IG and couldn’t be more grateful for the friendships I’ve made through blogging.
Speaking of friendships made through blogging.. my birthday celebrations have all been bittersweet this year after hearing the news about my beautiful friend Sarah. I know some of you found Sarah from my blog or found me from Sarah’s. We became close and fast friends in our early blogging years just from reading each other’s blogs. We bonded quickly over our love of motherhood, blogging and enjoying the simple things in life. :) We have stayed close through the years and while we never met in person we talked on the phone and texted each other weekly for over 10 years. We could talk about anything and everything! And we did. We stayed especially close the past few years. She went through a lot and I would have given anything to ease some of her pain. Sarah was an incredible mother and friend and she had a gift with words. If you read her blog you know exactly what I’m talking about! I was always telling her to write a book! It would have been a bestseller. I learned so much from her about motherhood and am a better mom and person because of her blog and her friendship. I am her biggest fan and love her deeply and have cried more tears than I know what to do with the past two weeks. I wasn’t ready to say good-bye and wanted more than anything for her to make it to see her beautiful daughter Abbey get married and to see her first grand baby. She was so excited about the baby! I keep picturing her in heaven holding that sweet baby now and it’s bringing some peace. Sarah will always be with me and I’m so grateful our blogs brought us together.
Life is so precious and the people we love are everything. Thank you for spending time with me here. I know we talk about cute clothes and light fixtures and fun ways to organize a drawer and I love all of those things! But it’s the connections I’ve made with so many of you that matter the most to me and are what I truly cherish about blogging. Hug the people you love and know I’m sending a huge hug your way too! I’m so lucky to have you all in my life.
Excited about this week’s round-up! Fun loungewear, new arrivals, swimsuits, Amazon finds, pendants, Anthro sales, St. Patricks holiday decor.. basically ALL the things. :) I hope you have time to do something you love today. Happy Sunday!
Happy Saturday! And hello new leaves. I see you there and you’re making me smile. Welcome spring! We are ready for you.
2 – TEENS
Snapped this tonight.. shoes all over the mudroom and by our front entry is always a sign it’s the weekend! Addison told me a few days ago “some” friends from school were coming over Friday evening. Friday morning she casually mentioned again some friends coming over and adds.. maybe around 30. Ha! Teens crack me up. In what world is “some” 30!? That’s helpful info to have Addison. ;)
I love all of her friends and am happy to have them over.. the conversation just made me laugh. Typical teens! I am also so amused by how they are consistently making BIG plans. Where they are going, what they are doing next weekend.. no thought about who is driving and who is paying and how it’s actually happening. They are just busy making plans.
Last Saturday I shared this beautiful framed canvas I bought and here is where it landed! Perfection on a console table. I really love this canvas. It’s moody but still light.. simple but still complex.. neutral but still dramatic. It’s a perfect backdrop for any and all decor!
Another recent obsession is this cute candle warmer lamp. So fun right!? I love the style of it and the pretty marble base!
It has a small remote you can use to turn on the heat and burn the candle and you can choose a set amount of time (no more forgetting to blow out the candle!). You can also switch the cute little lamp on and decide how bright you want it.
It looks so cute lit up in the evening! And the house smells so good.
Ordered these cute baskets and I’ll share how I’m using them all soon!
5 – SLOW COOKER LINERS/RECIPE
OK.. WHERE have these slow cooker liners been all of my life!? I just discovered them and talk about a game changer.
I’m sure many of you have used them before and my only question is WHY didn’t you tell me about them sooner!? Ha. You could have saved me hours of crock pot scrubbing. ;) Seriously though.. so good. I used them last weekend for the first time making our Mexican Chalupas (recipe here). I wrote that recipe blog post in May of 2011 by the way. Still blogging and still making the same easy dinners.
The only difference is now I’m not scrubbing my crock pot after. ;)
The closet progress continues! One drawer at a time. Which is precisely what I’m sharing today.. an organized drawer. But I’m feeling especially excited about this organized drawer! I’ve struggled with how to organize my swimsuits and cover-ups for years. Anyone with me on this!? Suits and cover-ups are hard to fold and no matter how nicely I fold and organize them all, the second I start wearing suits in the summer and going through them my drawer ends up a mess. I had my suits in one drawer and cover-ups in another but I went through them all and I’m only keeping what I really use and love so I was able to consolidate them all into one drawer. Progress already!
I spent some time researching ideas for swimsuit organization because I knew I needed a better system and found an idea I’m really excited about! I saw a few pictures of swimsuits organized in small clear bags so I looked on Amazon and found lots of fun options. I knew I wanted two different sizes.. small for swimsuits/bikinis and a larger size for my cover-ups so I ordered two different sizes of the same bags (listed above).
I folded everything..
and then decided to fold everything even smaller.
The perfect size! My favorite part about these particular bags is that they are flat on the bottom so they stand upright on their own. The two sizes I ordered were perfect for suits and cover-ups! It took me 5-10 minutes to put each item in a bag and set them in my drawer. Ready to see the after!?
Ok.. hellloooo angels! Welcome to my closet and happy you showed up! Seriously I could not be more excited about this solution. Let’s discuss why it’s so good! For starters it looks amazing. I mean how much fun is it to open a drawer and see this beautiful sight!? But on a practical note.. I can now see every single suit and cover-up that I own at first glance. No more digging through a pile to find the suit I want! No more finding half of my bikini and not the other half. No more trying to keep suits folded when they don’t fold well. I AM IN LOVE with this solution.
Easy for beach days, pool days and the best when it’s time to travel! I can easily find the suits I want to pack for a trip and use the clear bags to hold a few suits along with sunscreen and lipgloss!
{BEFORE}
Let’s see one more before and after.
{AFTER}
GLORIOUS!
Also I can fit SO MANY MORE in this drawer. I slid the bags up to see and can easily almost double them. Bonus. Too bad I don’t love swimsuit shopping. Ha.
I might use some of the extra mini bags for my girls suits and other organizing projects!
But I do love swimsuit organization! And singing angels are always a good time. :)
I linked a few other swimsuit organization options below along with some of my favorite suits/cover-ups/beach bags/beach wear! I’ll be adding these cover-ups to my newly organized drawer as soon as I share them with you. :) Enjoy your day and happy organizing!
Happy Sunday! I hope you enjoy my round-ups this week of fun things I own and that I’m loving on-line! Favorites for travel, car organization, spring decor/clothes, Amazon finds and I’m especially excited about the cute new Vuori spring arrivals! Love their clothes too much and so does my husband. We are all about comfort at our house. :)
If you’re feeling at all anxious about starting a new week I shared some things I do to help me prep on Sundays for the week ahead here. My weeks go so much smoother when I take some time to plan ahead! Also when I prioritize some down time which is definitely the plan for the day. I hope you are able to do the same! Enjoy your Sunday!
It’s Saturday! And it’s March! Feeling good about both of those facts. So good I’m thinking we’re due for a fruit rainbow around here. Because why not? It’s Saturday and it’s March.
This canvas is even more beautiful in person than it looked on-line. It’s minimalistic but adds so much warmth. I ordered it for my console table but now I’m torn because it looks good in several spots in my home.
I ordered this canvas from Amazon thinking if I didn’t like it I would return it.. ahhh! It’s SO good. I love it and love the colors and it’s perfect and I’ll show you where it’s going soon! Below are a few other great options I found at both Target and Amazon when I was looking for these! (I have most of the prints from Target and they are smaller!)
I had this cute sweater and pants on the day that these sneakers showed up on my doorstep. They worked so perfectly with my outfit that I knew they were meant to be mine. :) Aside from being cute they are so comfortable! They were perfect to run around in all day and then I switched to boots in the evening for dinner out. I love sneakers. And sandals. And boots. And cute sweaters. And then I wonder why I’m struggling to keep my closet clean. Ha.
Spring baskets! That work for fall and winter and summer too, but I especially love baskets like this in the spring. Perfect to hold Easter decor or tulips or lemons or outdoor dishes. I’ll share how I’m using them all soon! Probably to hold Easter decor or tulips or lemons or outdoor dishes. ;)
I didn’t fan these branches out very well so I’ll share a better pic soon but I really love the look of these bundles!
6 – WALKS/FRIENDS
I’m still trying to walk at 6 am as much as possible! I’ve missed a few days here and there for different reasons and I really notice a difference. The days I miss I don’t feel as happy and productive overall as I do on the days I walk early (even if I still exercise later in the day!). Walking first thing in the morning just starts my day off right. It helps me focus on getting to bed earlier the night before and I start my day drinking more water. It clears my mind and I’ve noticed I’m not as scattered during the day. A few different days friends have come with me and that has been so fun too! It’s honestly the most positive thing I’ve done for myself in such a long time and I’m loving it. :)
One of my cute friends who came with me this week can’t believe I’m heading out alone most mornings when it’s still dark outside and dropped this gift off at my house.. ha! Now I’m really set. :) It actually is such a smart thing to always have on hand and I’m buying one for my girls to take to college next year!
Grateful for good friends who keep me safe and stylish. ;) Grateful for morning walks and the month of March and fruit rainbows and comfy sneakers and spring baskets.
Sharing a few fun things we did during our trip to Hawaii – the big island! I’m kind of laughing as I’m typing this post because of all the Hawaiian islands the big island is the one we have spent the least amount of time on! Ironic that I’m writing a post on it before Maui and Kauai where we have vacationed a lot. Hopefully this starts a trend and I can finally get around to sharing tips on the other islands in 2024. ;) We took this trip soon after Christmas 2023 and only did a few activities. We spent a lot of time just resting and relaxing by the pool and beach which was just what we needed after a busy holiday season and being sick with the flu! But I had done a lot of research and talked to many friends who had been to the big island so I will share what we did along with ideas I gathered and things we want to do next time we visit. (There will definitely be a next time.. we loved the big island!)
WHERE WE STAYED:
I’ve mentioned before that we have a timeshare with Westin in Maui which is why we vacation there often. We bought it when our oldest who is now 20 was just turning 2 years old and have absolutely loved it! It has been a great option for our family and we have loved taking our kids to the same spots through the years to relax and create memories. Kauai also has a Westin which is why we have spent more time on those two islands. The big island doesn’t have a Westin that is part of our timeshare network so we booked a week at the Waikola Beach Mariott Resort. Our travel manager (aka Kenny) spent some time looking about a year before and booked an ocean view room on Red Week.
We were really happy with the resort and I would totally recommend it! Great pools and fitness center and overall service. The room was beautiful and had everything we needed. And this view! WOW. So fun to wake up to each morning. The grounds are stunning!
My favorite thing about this resort (and our Maui Westin) is how the beach is easily accessible right off of the swimming pools. This is the fun walking path through the lava rocks that takes you from your room/pools straight to the beach. My kids are always back and forth from the pools to the ocean and I love having everything so close so that we can easily split up and then meet together again if we want to be in different places for a couple of hours. (A major advantage to travel with older kids!)
Another thing I loved about the beach right off of this resort is that they have a little rental spot with everything you could possibly need! You can rent things like snorkeling gear and kayaks by the hour so you are set for a day of effortless fun in the sun.
We were at the resort on New Years Eve and there was a band playing and some fun dinner options at the resort and close by. A few boats let off fireworks so we could see them from our room. Overall the resort was comfortable and quiet with amazing views (the sunsets were crazy good!) and we really enjoyed our time there.
WHAT WE LOVED:
All of the Hawaiian islands are so special and my very favorite thing about visiting all of them is the way they force you to just RELAX. Everything is on island time and you will automatically slow down the second you arrive. The gorgeous weather and scenery and slower pace have a way of forcing you into happy, relaxed vacation mode. :) This was definitely the same with the big island! But I noticed two things about the big island that felt different than the other islands. The first thing we noticed is how QUIET it was. Maui is full of activity and tourists and while there were definitely tourists around the big island I almost felt like a local! It’s the biggest island but it has a smaller population. Kenny and I loved how quiet and less busy it felt overall. We kept calling it the retirement island which is totally our style for vacationing at this stage in our lives! Because it’s such a big island we had to drive longer to get to certain restaurants and activities which was also a plus for the two of us because we love driving and just enjoying the beautiful scenery. As you can guess this aspect was a negative for our teens. Ha.
The big island is also unique because of its varying environments. I have never been to one place that looks so different everywhere you go! We would drive through trees that made me feel like I was on the East Coast. Then suddenly we would be in a total desert with black lava rock. Then we drove a little further and everything was lush and green and tropical. It truly looks so different and changes so much throughout the island.
WHAT WE DID:
A few things we did! Hands down our family favorite activity was night swimming with Manta Rays in Kona. I heard this was a fun thing to do on the big island and it really was. Definitely do this if you go! You ride out on a boat or canoe depending on what company you book with and what you prefer. I mentioned that I get seasick/motion sick easily and they recommended the canoes. The guides help you get into the water with snorkel gear and grab a board with lights that you all hold on to so that you can see into the water. The Manta Rays swim right underneath you! You aren’t supposed to touch them but sometimes they touch you. It feels totally safe and is just the coolest thing to see. We all loved it! I was sitting in the front of the canoe on the way out into the ocean and turned around and snapped this picture right before we took off. It got dark quickly and water was splashing everywhere so it’s the only pic I took that night!
We hiked Akaka falls. Absolutely beautiful! It’s a really short hike that’s more like a walk that leads to a beautiful waterfall.
We spent one day visiting Volcano National Park. Lots of walks and drives and really cool things to see and learn about. It is home to two of the world’s most active volcanos and I’ve heard it’s especially incredible if you get lucky with timing and catch the volcanos in action with lava flowing. We didn’t catch that so we’ll have to check it out again next time!
Kenny took the kids on a helicopter ride over the island and they all loved it. They saw amazing scenery! I politely passed on this one because of my motion sickness (it’s bad and hits even if I’ve had dramamine sometimes!). They woke up at 5 am and were gone a few hours so I slept in and went on a walk on the beach and then they were back and we all went to breakfast. I had zero FOMO on this one and am so fine never riding in a helicopter. Ha. ;)
But such a cool experience! I was happy Kenny took the kids.. they all had a lot of fun.
Obisic Shave Ice is a popular spot and was so good! I can’t say that I liked it as much as Maui’s Shave Ice but it was a VERY close second. :) We lucked out because it was located in a mall right across the street from our resort.
Always an island favorite.
Lava Lava Beach Club is a fun restaurant that was also right next to our resort!
Located right on the beach so a beautiful spot to enjoy a meal. I can’t remember other places we ate other than the Fish and the Hog. I remember that one because of the name and the food was delicious! We don’t get too adventurous with food when we travel because we aren’t really a foodie family. My kids found a Macaroni Grill and wanted to go there every other night.. ha. I remember when Ellie was in second grade they had to write about what they did over spring break and she wrote all about how she had gone to Maui and loved it because she got to eat a hot dog at a cool restaurant called Hard Rock Cafe. Forget the whale watching, road to Hana, beautiful beaches, turtles, snorkeling and all things unique to the island.. Hard Rock Cafe was the highlight! Her teacher and I had a good laugh about that one. :)
WHAT WE HOPE TO DO NEXT TIME:
Like I said we spent a lot of time on this trip just relaxing on the beach and enjoying some down time together, but these are some other fun things I researched/heard about and would love to do during our next visit to the big island!
Wailea Falls in Hilo
Pololu Valley – I’ve heard the tour is really cool and to stop in Hawi on the way or way back (a cute little town) and eat lunch at Bamboo.
Waipio Valley lookout – spectacular view and I heard to stop at Tex Drive-in for their malasadas which are the best on the island.
Mauna Kea – road up to observatory if weather is good
Hawaiian Botanical Garden (north of Hilo)
Hilo Farmers Market
KUA bay (one of the best white beaches)
Black sand beach & Green sand beach
Star Gazing
Hot Glass Hawaii (book a class to make glass)
I hope this post was helpful if you are planning a trip to the big island! If you’ve been and have anything to add please do in the comments! We had the best trip and loved our time there. The kids said they would still choose Maui first, but it was a close tie as second with Kauai. Kenny and I are ready to move to the big island and retire. ;) Even the airport is outside and super chill!
Annnddd the closet organization continues! Will it ever be done!? It’s taking me forever. Ha. Oh well.. progress is progress right!? I’m headed in the right direction and have some organized cabinets to share with you today! Honestly I don’t even know what has been happening in this closet cabinet lately. It has been used for so many things. It held sheets and linens for a while, and then it held all of our ski clothes for a while, and every December I clear it out to hold the kids’ Christmas presents (shhh.. don’t tell them). When the holidays ended I started stashing some travel items along with gifts I keep on hand in this space. (I took this pic after I cleared some items out.) I’ve tried different bins and baskets in this space but nothing has really worked well for me. The baskets on the top shelf were way too big and tall for the items I wanted to store and I couldn’t see what was inside. I tried clear stackable bins but they weren’t very deep and I felt like I wasn’t using the space well.
So I started searching for the perfect organizer for this cupboard and landed on these linen storage bins. So excited about them! They come in a set of 4 and are a great price.
They are exactly what I needed! Not too tall and the perfect length and they have a see through mesh window on the front so that I can easily see what’s inside of each bin. Plus they are beautiful. Talk about perfection!
I ordered two sets so that I had 8 total, emptied my messy cupboard and cleaned it out, got clear on what I want to store in this space, and got to work. Ready for the after!?
In NO time I had this situation going on and have to say that I’m in love! Angels definitely sang. Talk about an improvement visually and even more important.. in functionality! This just makes so much more sense for this space and I even have a couple of empty bins on top for extra storage when I need it. As soon as I finished this cabinet I ordered another set of bins to use in Kenny’s closet cabinet and I might order more for the girls. They are perfect for any closet shelves!
I was so inspired with how easy it was to organize my messy closet cabinet that I decided to also tackle my other closet cabinet. It wasn’t quite as messy and I didn’t even remember to take a “before” of this space but here is the “after!” I already had the purse organizers and used them to hold extra wallets and my belt bags. I used these wicker seagrass baskets I’ve had for years to store large items like my ski clothes and a few other things.
So closet progress so far.. shoes and dresses and purses are still looking great!
So is the cupboard right next to them! And the cupboard on the back wall? Let’s see one more before and after because.. why not?
{BEFORE}
{AFTER}
My work here is done! At least for today.
Tomorrow I tackle my swimsuit drawer.
At some point this closet is going to be completely finished! And I will eat a Cadbury Egg to celebrate! Or some gingerbread depending on how long this project takes me. Ha.
Until then I’ll just keep chipping away.. one section at a time.
:)
{CLOSET ORGANIZATION}
xoxo, Erin
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