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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Friday Five: Beach Vacation

The best thing about Fridays is knowing the weekend is right around the corner. Today is extra exciting as we are headed on vacation for two weeks. Blog posts may be a bit sporadic over the next two weeks as we never have great internet connection on the island. I am all packed for vacation and ready to hit the road to the beach tonight! For today's post I thought I would share a few of my beach trip essentials. 

{Topsail Beach}

One. Coverup w/ sun protection. Over the past few years, I have become more cautious of sun damage. Having a coverup that doubles as an extra layer of sun protection is a must. I snagged this columbia fishing shirt and love it. The material of this shirt is very light which prevents me from getting overheated while on the water. I love the idea of getting it monogrammed adding a preppy touch. 

{via}

Two. Sun Hat. A straw hat is essential to keep highlights covered while protecting your face. I love to rock it off the beach as well. It is perfect for a day at the park or for strolling the boardwalk. 

{JCrew}

Three. Sunscreen. If you have sensitive skin or breakout easily I highly recommend using baby sunscreen which is formulated for kid's sensitive skin. Another perk of this sunscreen is that it is 97% natural while having a great clean smell. 

Four. Beach Drinks. Much to my husband's chagrin I am not a beer drinker. When we head to the beach I always make sure to pack a few beach friendly adult beverages. This wine is one of my favorites the can is the perfect size so I can enjoy 2 -3 without feeling like a lush. 

Five. Aftersun Care. This lotion is perfect after spending a long day at the beach. It is thick without being greasy and does not leave a noticeable smell once it dries. I have never been a fan of lotion (Really). Partially because I already have oily skin and I hate the way it feels on my skin once it dries. I have many unused bottles of lotion in my cabinet from trying to find one I love. However, I know I will be using this one all summer!

Other things I always pack in my favorite scout bag are a good book, polarized sunglasses, lip balm & my favorite swimsuit. 

Do you have any fun vacations planned for the summer? What is the one thing that you always have in your beach bag? 

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Fun Fourth Weekend

 Hope everyone had a fun and safe holiday weekend. Joe and I spent the weekend at a beach cottage with my parents at Topsail Beach. I had a blast getting to spend my holiday weekend with great friends, enjoy the beach, eat lots of amazing food, and create countless memories. I was completely wrapped up in the weekend that I forgot to take a lot of pictures! I am glad for the memories made, pictures or not! 

Thursday, we stayed around the beach cottage and road out Hurricane Arthur. The wind picked up quite a bit. Thankfully, we escaped the brunt of the storm and the skies had cleared by Friday morning.

Friday morning, I skimmed the beach for shells but came out empty handed. I did enjoy a beautiful sunrise while the last few clouds blew by. Our friends arrived by midday and the clouds had completely cleared. We spent the afternoon laying on the beach and catching up. 

We were fortunate to be able to enjoy several different firework shows from the beach. There was a mix of professional firework shows and personal  fireworks. While standing on the beach at one point we could see five different firework shows all along the coast. 

Saturday we spend the day with friends on the boat and at the beach. Spending all day out in the sun enjoying adult beverages. I discovered frozen drink pouches which are perfect when you want a fruity drink but don't have a blender. I have spied several that are low calorie versions as well! 

Sunday was here before we knew it and we had to say goodbye to the beach, pack up and head back home. After reflecting on the weekend, I am reminded of how blessed I am. Blessed to have best friends and family that love me and in so many ways.

Happy 4th!

{via}

I wanted to stop by and wish everyone a happy 4th of July!

We are at the beach spending the holiday with family. Once Hurricane Arthur clears, we are hoping to have friends over for the weekend to go boating and watch the fireworks. I am making one of the easiest and most delicious ice cream cake for the weekend.

Hope you all have a enjoyable weekend and will see you next week!

Weekend Catch up

This past weekend, Joe and I headed to Topsail Beach with friends. We were lucky to be able to unpack from Europe and head down to Topsail on Friday. It was a great way to unwind and relax after our trip. We are both still trying to recover from jet lag and are taking advantage of waking up early each morning by getting lots of laundry done!

We were able to catch a few rays of sun Friday afternoon and Saturday morning between passing storms. Unfortunately, we got caught in the rain several times over the weekends. Nothing too bad though! The passing clouds made for beautiful views over the ocean.

The clouds cleared up a bit for us to head to dinner at one of my favorite local restaurants  Daddy Mac's . 

After dinner, we walked on the boardwalk and enjoyed the beautiful views as the storm clouds rolled by.

After dinner, we headed back to the cottage for an intense game of Spoons. I forget how much I love that game! We also were able to catch a few pre Fourth of July fireworks. 

This weekend is just what Joe and I both needed to re-charge after our Europe adventure. Excitingly, I am actually extending my stay at the beach. My parents have a beach house at Topsail this week for the 4th and I am going to be soaking up every minute of summer break I can! 

Stay tuned this week as I start to slowly re-cap our Europe adventures! Hope you all have an amazing Monday! 

Weekend Review: Beach Weekend

    This past weekend we had some friends from college in from out of town. All three of the guys were in the same program at school and lived together through out college. It was great to hear the guys retell stories of their younger days and the shenanigans they got into.
    Living in the town we went to college in always has its ups and downs. Sometimes we forget how nice it is to have the beach at our doorsteps because we have been here so long. On the flip side when friends come into town we can visit all the old college haunts that we never go to anymore!
   On Friday night we went out to dinner at the guy's favorite restaurant Bodobos. It is a Mongolian Grill where you can create your own bowl of stir fry with limitless combinations of sauces. They went here so much in college that the wait staff always their drink and soup orders. The owner still recognizes Joe when he comes in.  This is also the restaurant that Joe and I first met at after helping with UNCW move-in my Sophomore year. Something he is not proud of now but it makes for a good story!

    On Saturday, we spent time out on the boat and at the beach. The island was not crowded at all. It was almost like having our own private sanctuary. 

That night we headed to another one of the college haunts, Big Daddy's. To make a long story short, the guys stumbled upon this restaurant when they were out at Kure Beach one day and decided to keep coming back. This was my first time joining them for dinner. To be honest, the memories and company was much better than the food. However, it was made up for by hearing many more stories and catching up with friends.

     Unfortunately, everyone had to head home early Sunday morning. So Sunday was spent hanging out with Charlie and catching up on housework while watching Breaking Bad. I can't believe it's in the final episodes! It is so crazy to watch the characters change over the seasons.  I am also really enjoying the flash forwards at the beginning of the show. Anyone else watch last nights episode? I already am looking forward to next week.

What was the highlight of your weekend? 

Mine was spending time on the beach with my family and friends Saturday. Not ready for summer to go away!!

Weekend Review

This past weekend was my idea of a perfect summer weekend. It was a great blend of relaxation and activities.

Friday night Joe and I hung out at the house catching up on our favorite new TV shows  while spending some quality cuddle time with Charlie. Anyone else watching Under the Dome? The story line is very fast action and a stretch to believe however, it's filmed locally so I get a kick out of seeing my hometown on the TV.

Early Saturday I met my parents at the dock and headed to the beach. Luckily I had company to join me, one of my good friends Sophi! It was a perfect beach day, there was not a cloud in sight. 

Perfectly Blue Water

Our piece of paradise

Enjoying the sunshine

Beach Boy

After spending all day on the boat I was pretty wiped out by the sun. So Joe and I spent a relaxing evening grilling out at the house. I hit the bed pretty early too. Does anyone else get completely exhausted from being out in the sun all day? 

Sunday we headed to church and lunch afterwards with our lifegroup. They chose Hops Supply Co. which has an amazing Sunday brunch menu. Their brunch menu ranges from farm fresh omelets to loaded breakfast burgers. They also have live music on Sundays which changes weekly. Their brunch is served all day too which is the best thing since sometimes we can't make it to the early morning brunch places.

Sunday night we headed over to a childhood friend's house for a cookout. We have been trying to plan a group outing forever and I am so glad we did. It was great that all the girls could get together and  all the significant others could hang out by the fire.

The wonderful hosts

How cute is this mason jar drink dispenser?

Roasting s'mores

S'mores and wine, perfect combination!

All the girls

So sad to see the weekend go but thankful to spend it with good friends!

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Beach Trip

This past week I enjoyed a relaxing vacation with my family at the beach. We have been renting the same beach cottage for over 10 years and has a lot of memories attached.

The weather for the week was perfect! With the recent monsoons that have been gracing the North Carolina coast  we did not know what to expect.. Thankfully, the sea breeze kept the rain away and we had clear skies for most of the week.

Early morning bike rides soaking up the sunrise were a daily occurrence. '

We many rides on the boat as well as hours relaxing on the beach. This was Charlie's first trip to the beach and it is safe to say he loved it!

Our nights were spent relaxing by the water with drinks watching the sun go down.

The 4th and the weekend was packed with parties and lots of fireworks. Our beach house is at the point of the island so we are able to view firework shows from several different towns. In addition, several neighbors had gone to South Carolina and purchased  major displays.

Patriotic fruit tray

It was nice to get away for a bit and relax. I have to admit even getting back to the easy routine of chores and laundry was a bit hard for me today.

How do you get back into the routine after vay-cay?

Best wishes,

Ashley