Island Vacation

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This time next week, Joe and I will be boarding a plane and headed to St. Lucia with 4 of our college friends. This trip is something Joe has talked about doing for years and I am thrilled that is is happening. We are staying at Sandals Regency La Toc for a long weekend of relaxing and exploring St. Lucia.

When Joe brought up the idea for a trip 6 months ago, I thought there was no way I would be ready to leave our baby. While I still may not be 100% ready to leave Caroline, I know it is good for us to have some adult time. Caroline will be staying with my parents and I know it will be good for them to spend quality time together.

For this trip, we are only bringing carry-on luggage. We haven't flown since our cruise 3 years ago when they lost our luggage for several days. Needless to say, it had a huge impact on how I approach traveling and am not going to make the same mistake twice.

A sneak peak into what will be in my carry-on this trip.

My secret weapons are a light cardigan which can be used as a blanket on chilly planes and under-eye serum to hide the travel induced puffiness. This Scout bag has been the best purchase. It has so many uses. It is perfect for a carry on and then doubles as a beach bag.

You really have to prioritize liquids when planning to do only a carry-on. The must have products for me are sunscreen, spf moisturizer, hair conditioner, after sun body lotion and flex hold hairspray. I always save samples of mascara and fragrances to not take up much space. I'll pack powder foundation, makeup and solid primer. I always take advantage of hotel shampoo and body wash. Conditioner is what I won't skimp on as it always effects the quality of my hair. This infographic is perfect to make sure you don't forget a thing!

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Currently Crushing On...

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. We spent most of the weekend enjoying the AC inside hiding from the heat as it is just too hot here in NC. Saturday I did not leave the house except to go to the gym. It was great to just be lazy and hang out with my perfect little family. Caroline has been so easy going this past month and can easily entertain herself for longer periods of time. It has been a huge game changer and makes days at home so much fun! 

Alright, let's get to today's post.  I'm sharing a few of my favorite finds from around the web.  You have to check out the gorgeous sale finds. I hope you enjoy!

{Buy it here}

Summertime Recipes

Salad Inspiration- Nothing is better than a crisp salad on a hot summer day. I love these suggestions on what to pair with specific cheese. My favorite is the beets, apple and goat cheese combo.

Pineapple Party- How cute are these pineapple cupcakes?

Hello Fresh Favorites- It's no secret I love Hello Fresh delivery meals. One of the best parts is that their recipes are all available online for you to make yourself. Two recent favorites have been these pork chops and this recipe for pan seared chicken.

Currently Pinning 

Slider Workouts- These look so easy but are extremely difficult. The sliders force your muscles to engage more to keep stable. Perfect for travel or at-home workouts. You bet I am doing these while I'm on vacation.

Packing a Carry-on- We have a little vacation on the horizon and I am determined to only bring a carryon. This is a great guide on what to bring and how to plan ahead.

Stylish Favorites 

Favorite Sale Purchase- If you are like me you are completely over hearing about the Nordstrom Sale.     However, I do think it is the perfect time to pick up staples that are rarely discounted. A few years ago, I purchased a pair of Frye boots during the Nsale. They are still my favorite shoes to date. I get so much wear out of them each year!

Opal Necklace-  I just love the look of Opal. This Kendra Scott necklace would look perfect layered or on its own.

Anthro Love- If I did not have to stick to a budget, at least half my wardrobe would be Anthropologie. These two tops are so cute and I hope to snag them on sale in the fall!

What are you loving on this Monday? I would love for you to share in the comments.

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Caroline | Five Months

Happy 5 months to my sweet baby girl. My heart becomes so much more full with every month that passes. You are our world and it is crazy to think how much our lives have changed for the better over these five months. 

Here are a few little things about you from your fifth month:

Nicknames: Little Bit, Sweet Girl, Rollie Polie

Weight: 14 lbs

Height: Around 24 inches

Looks:  You eyes seem to be staying a bight shade of blue. They look just like your daddy's. Your hair has slowly stopped falling out leaving you with a few strands of light brown hair with a baby mullet full of dark hair in the back. 

Personality: Such a sweet and smiling girl. My favorite part of the day is getting you from your crib when you wake up. You greet me with the biggest grin that takes over your whole body. You love being around others and will reach out to new faces with a big smile. You are happiest playing with mom and dad. Laughs are saved for special occasions and you do not give them out easily. Still your giggle is the best ever. 

Eating: You eat 3.5 oz of breastmilk or formula every 3 hours during the day. We backed down from 4oz to help with spit up. At night, you wake up around 11, 1 and 4 for a bottle. 

Sleeping: I aim for three naps a day but that is just not happening lately. Sleeping at night has hit a regression as well. I was hoping to bypass the sleep regression as you already wake up 3 times a night on average. After going to sleep around 7:30, you take a bottle at 10, 1 and 4. Now you are up for the day at 7. There is quite a difference from night to night and we are still slowly working on dropping the 1am feeding. 

Wearing: Getting so much use of of 3 month clothes. You are in size two diapers. 

Favorite Things: Chewing on anything and everything you can. It seems you prefer clothing and burp cloths since they are always nearby. You love when your grandpa makes funny faces and giggle up a storm at his antics. You light up when a new face comes in a room. You smile even bigger if you recognize the face. 

Least Favorite Things: Naps are a huge struggle as you become more aware of the wold around you. You fight going to sleep as you would much rather play with mom during the day.

Big things happening within your fifth month:

 - You can transfer items from left to right hand.
 - You can reach and grab items you want.
 - You celebrated you first Independence Day.
 - Enjoyed your first vacation to Topsail Island.
 - You can sit up on your own for several seconds before sliding down.
 - You have such a variety in the sounds you make from coos, gurgling, shrieking, laughing even making a growling like noise. You have started saying sounds like mmmm. 
- You have started to notice Charlie and will reach out to his back or tail when he is nearby. You have grabbed an ear a few times which startled Charlie quite a bit. Thankfully, Charlie is very mellow around you and doesn't seem to mind. He is such a great watchdog and always the first to the rescue when you start to cry. 

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Scenes from Vacation

This past week we packed our tiny car to the brim and headed to the beach. I have been vacationing with my family at Topsail Beach since I was a kid. When I met Joe, he happily joined in our family tradition. This year we added another new recruit to our family trip which I hope to continue each year. 

Going on vacation is not quite like it used to be with a baby. Gone are the days of relaxing in the sun for hours with a drink and a good book. It's replaced with seeing the world through new eyes curious about all the activities going on around them. Vacationing with Caroline made me truly appreciate how lucky I was to grow up here. Topsail Island is such a beautiful and family friendly beach.  Caroline experienced a lot of first on this trip- boat rides, beach time, swimming in the sound and meeting new friends. 

Both Caroline and Chloe in their life jackets. 

Play time with Grandpa at the cottage. 

Caroline also celebrated her first 4th of July. It is always fun to be on the island on the 4th. You can see fireworks from all around. Little miss slept right through them so she missed most of the excitement.

We spent many mornings out on the boat or on the island. Then went back to the cottage for lunch and naps. Evenings were spent enjoying sunsets on the porch and playing board games after Caroline went to bed.  

One night we took the whole family to bingo hosted by the local historic society. I had very low expectations for this night because it was way past Caroline's bedtime. However, she did great! I wore her in a wrap and she slept for the majority of the night. We took a few breaks to walk around and eat when she became fussy. Then she would fall right back to sleep. No one in our group one anything but we still had a great time!

We wrapped up vacation on Saturday with a birthday dinner in Wilmington at one of my favorite restaurants Indochine followed by a movie. Celebrating my 29th birthday was a great way to wrap up the week. This restaurant has been a favorite since high school and never disappoints. It is not a hidden gem like it once was though. The word has got out about the amazing food and substantial portions. The restaurant was packed with locals and vacationers. It is strange to think that we are now just one of the tourists. The meal was amazing as was the company. I am thankful that my parents are always willing to watch Caroline for date night. We had a great time just the two us enjoying drinks and reminincing before heading back home. 

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