Hilton Head Island: Our Family Vacation

This was our second year traveling to Hilton Head Island, SC for a family vacation and we are already planning to go again next year! We've now stayed twice at the SeaCrest hotel and it's the perfect location, right on the beach and across the street from Coligny Plaza where there are a variety of shops and restaurants. There is the cutest street just outside the grounds with gorgeous private beach homes that makes for a nice morning walk after grabbing coffee from Caretta Coffee. 

Our favorite family attractions are a short drive away in nearby Sea Pines and you can even rent bikes to get there. My sister left her phone at the Quarter Deck in Harbor Town, a restaurant right underneath a lighthouse with gorgeous sunset views of the marina and the Calibogue Sound. So we decided to bike back to get it the next afternoon and it was so much we did it again the next day with my dad, Chris and Fallon in tow! There are child seats and "princess houses" as Fallon called hers for little ones to enjoy the ride too. The scenery is beautiful and you may even spot a gator or two! We rode to The Salty Dog for a late lunch/early dinner but they have live music in the evening and some cute shops right next door. 

I think our favorite family friendly restaurant would have to be Coast. It's beautiful and looks like a pretty fancy place but there's an outdoor bar with beach access and you will find most people dressed casually. There is also live music, which Fallon loved dancing to and a great menu full of choices for everyone. A close second favorite is Skull Creek Boathouse which arguably has the best views in town. I love the twinkle lights strung under the big trees and the tables all look out onto the water. Fallon was most impressed by the light up cup that came with her kiddie meal!

But if hanging around the hotel is really your thing, you also will not be disappointed. The SeaCrest has 2 pools and a hot tub on beautiful grounds and direct beach access. We have taken both of our trips in late September, outside of the busy season, and really enjoyed the smaller crowd. There weren't so many people we were fighting for seats at the pool but not so few that it felt odd to be the only ones around. If it's possible I would especially recommend going around this time with little ones. It can be hectic enough just traveling with kids and it worked out nicely having a few kiddos around for Fallon to play with but so many that it was overwhelming. 

We had such a great time and made so many memories we will all fondly look back on for years to come. Getting back to reality is always a little rough but we are already looking forward next year's trip!

Summer Staples

I know a lot of you have back to school on the brain, but summer is still in full swing around here. And being home all day with two little ones means I've learned exactly what we need to survive these dog days. A good bag is absolutely key to being prepared for all of our summer outings whether we're hitting up the park, the pool or the sunflower fields. I've been loving this oversized carryall that's completely wipeable and fits all of our stuff! And if you know me it's no surprise that I always have one of our favorite play mats, sunscreen of course and something soft for the baby in there. I linked these and the rest of our summer staples right here for you! 

Our Oily Summer

And every summer there she is, lotioning, oiling, oiling, lotioning. The perfect quote for this post from one of my very favorite movies for summertime. Oils are always in season but there are so many great ways to use them through the dog days. I thought I'd share how we are using them through the next few months of sunshine, pool days and summer nights outside. 

Bug Spray

I walk outside for 2 seconds and get a bug bite without repellent. Last summer I whipped up a homemade spray and wow did it keep those creepy crawlers away! Mix 1/4 cup witch hazel + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar + 1 tbsp vodka + 5 drops each Citronella + Clove + Lemongrass + Peppermint + Eucalyptus + Lavender + Tea Tree + Rosemary in an 8oz amber glass bottle.

Mermaid Hair

Healthy, shiny hair is great all year round but summer is the time to rock those beach waves. 1tsp of sea salt + 1tbsp of coconut oil + 10 drops each Lavendar + Rosemary + Cedarwood in a 4oz amber glass bottle. Mist onto damp hair and scrunch in your hands then let air dry. 

Deck Hangs

Summer evenings listening to the crickets sing and watching the sunset are so much more enjoyable when you aren't fending off bugs. You can bring a diffuser outside but a cool hack is to use a fan! Just drop your oils onto clothespins and clip them to the fan. A few drops each of Citronella + Lemongrass + Peppermint will smell amazing to you, not so much to the bugs!

Carpet Refresher

We actually call it carpet sprinkles! Living with 3 cats and 3 dogs means summertime is shedding season and we are constantly vacuuming. We keep a jar of 2 cups baking soda + 10 drops each Purification, Lavender and Lemon to sprinkle on the carpet before vacuuming. It leaves the room smelling so fresh and clean!

Perfume 

Smell amazing without all the chemicals! Add 5 drops each of Geranium + Jade Lemon + White Angelica to a roller bottle and top with fractionated coconut oil. 

After Sun Spray

Cool down and relax after a long day out in the sun with a soothing mist. Mix 5 drops each Eucalyptus + Lavender + Frank and top with equal parts fractionated coconut oil and rosehip oil in a 4oz amber glass bottle. 

Fresh Blooms

Keep your flowers fresh longer with a few drops of Purification added to the vase.

Itchy Spray 

Bug bites, peeling skin and fresh cut grass can make you scratch yourself raw. Keep from clawing with a spray that holds the itchies at bay. 5 drops each Lavender + Tea Tree + Purification topped with fractionated coconut oil in a 4oz amber glass spray bottle. 

Diffuser Blend

Even with the A/C running and the ceiling fans going it can get a little stuffy inside with the midwest humidity cranked up. We love diffusing 3 drops each of Stress Away + Lime + Copaiba. Smells like vacation!

Happy Hour

Margaritas and guac are brought to a whole new level with fresh limes and a few drops of Lime oil. Seriously, you'll never go back!

Summer Play List

The only unofficial thing about summer around here is the date. The pool is open, the honeysuckle are blooming and the temperatures are soaring. I'm looking forward to all the backyard hangs for our first summer as a family of 4. But what's grilling out + drinks without a little music?! Fallon loves music and has some pretty sweet dance moves and we are introducing Ax to all our favorite summer time songs. I made a play list of all the ones that just speak to the season for us. We will have it on repeat for the next few months!

Fallon's First Birthday

It's been an amazing year of firsts with our little Fally girl and her first birthday party was no exception. When she's sweet she's the sweetest and I couldn't think of a better theme for our summer babe than one with sweet treats. We had ice cream and popsicles everywhere and it turned out incredibly cute if I do say so myself. 

I worked with Jennifer at Ady & Owen to create custom invitations that fit our theme perfectly. She even designed coordinating goodie bag tags for us on an easily printable template. We filled them with ice cream cone pens, mini popsicles paper pads, fun straws and good old marshmallow candy cones. Creativity runs in the family because her sister Heather made our sweet treats and O N E wooly ball garlands. 

Michaels is where we found most of the themed decor including the sprinkle snack cups, ice cream cone cupcake holders and ceramic cone vases. Our dear florist friend supplied the most vibrant carnations we used around the house and to make the "ice cream" for the vases topped with a painted styrofoam ball. The ice cream cake toppers were also DIY projects, just painted floral styrofoam pieced together with toothpicks. 

A few of you detail orientated people noticed that Fallon's party romper was an exact match to the print on the table cloth. We actually layered a white sheet with a few yards of turquoise fabric and then topped it with the ice cream print fabric found on Amazon! The table was set for a meal of mac 'n cheese baked into cupcake tins + fruit skewers for individual servings and hot dogs on the grill. Snack cups for the kiddos with a mix of animal crackers dipped in colored chocolate and sprinkles, pretzel sticks and Goldfish crackers were kept at the ready to venture off with them around the party. We later brought out the cupcakes baked into pointed cones and decorated to look like ice cream, popsicles and ice cream pops. They started melting quickly but the kids could have cared less, ice cream covered in Magic Shell with sprinkles on a stick is good even when it's running down your face. 

We set up an inflatable pool with a slide, Fallon's other 2 baby pools and her new water table, a gift from my parents, in our backyard. The kids were having so much fun we didn't want to make them come inside to watch Fallon open all her gifts. So we went nontraditional and skipped that part. Of course when Fallon is old enough to understand and to be excited to open presents we will certainly let her! 

Overall the party was a huge success and turned out exactly the way I had hoped. It was a beautiful, sunny summer day spent with family and friends to celebrate a whole year with our little girl. She stayed up well past her bedtime on a sugar high and crashed next to daddy. Now that's the sign of a great party! I am so thankful to my hubby and everyone who helped to make this vision for Fallon's first birthday shindig come together. I'm pretty sure it was the best day of her life!

4th Of July Pie

Every year for the past several years I've made this sweet summer treat we call 4th of July pie for its namesake holiday. It's a totally made up dessert that's quick + easy and can require ZERO baking. It's served cold but tastes just as great half melted in the summer heat and we cannot get enough of it. Last year I was 39.5 weeks pregnant and ate nearly the entire pie by myself. #noshame

Food photography is not my strong suit, clearly, but my hubby insisted I share this little recipe. The fruit colors make this dish perfect for all the patriotic summer celebrations but really you could use any toppings your little heart desires. So if your skills are lacking in the baking department, you need to throw something together for a party really fast or you just want a delicious pie to treat yo' self with, here you go!

Crust 

I make my own crust but you can certainly go the no bake route and buy a premade one. 

1.5 cups crushed graham crackers

5 tablespoons melted butter

1/3 cup cane sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix together and press into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375 for 7/8 minutes. 

Filling

12 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup cane sugar

6 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat with a mixer until smooth.

If you made your own crust, let it cool for about 10-15 minutes. Then pour the filling over the crust in an even layer. Top with whipped cream and garnish with strawberries and blueberries. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. 

Happy 4th fellow Americans!

Packing The Pool Bag

Summer has officially begun and I don't think I've been this excited about it since I was a kid. Having a baby I can do all the fun summer things with has me giving this season all the heart eyes. We joined our local swim club and it's my first time packing for the pool with my own kid. So the first couple trips were a a chaotic mess of me running around finding things I thought I'd need and trying to shove them into multiple bags. But after a few weeks of trial and error and buying a bag strictly for the pool, I think we have it down. Now my bag sits mostly packed and ready to go, just the way I like it. So I thought it might be helpful to pass on my ways of wisdom. Kidding. I am still totally winging it. But here's what's in my pool bag and where you can find it.

I planned to get a fully water-resistant wipeable bag with lots of pockets. But then I saw this adorable straw bag at Target and the pom poms were just calling my name. It has no pockets so I took my friend's genius suggestion to use my bag organizer and it's been working like a dream. There is plenty of room for our smaller essentials like sunscreen, wipes, swim diapers, lip balm, sunglasses and Fallon's snack container in all the pockets. I also bring a regular diaper and change of clothes for baby girl in case she falls asleep on the way home. I wipe her down with a full body wipe and toss her bathing suit into a little plastic bag. I can still easily fit a few pool toys + our Gathre mat (for concrete picnics), towels, blanket (for nursing/napping) and a small variety of chips/crackers. Now just imagine me carrying this with a baby on my hip and pushing a stroller with a cooler in the seat and a float on top. 

Towels / Gathre Mat / Muslin Blanket / Solly Wrap / Mama's Sunscreen / Fallon's Sunscreen / Snack Container / Baby Sun Hat / Hand + Face Wipes / Full Body Wipes 

Happy Summer!