Currently: January 2024
- Currently smiling about… Our mountain weekend with friends
Last weekend was truly one of the best weekends. Our friends Carrie and Nick invited us to Carrie’s parents’ mountain home in Banner Elk (the same one we visited for our girls’ weekend back in June) and it was wonderful to be back in the mountains with all of our kids. Carrie and I first met after we had our first babies (Chase and Lilly have been friends since they were infants) and now there are six kids between us and they all share one major thing in common: They love being outside. This was the recipe for a perfect mountain weekend because we spent so much time outside and even the rain didn’t damper the fun for this adventurous crew.
We arrived in the mountains on Friday to text messages informing us our snow tubing reservations for the following morning were canceled due to weather. When we checked the weather ourselves, we saw the rain looked like it was going to hold off until lunchtime, so we took the kids to Beech Mountain for 2 hours of skiing on the bunny slope instead.
We initially planned to enroll the kids in ski school but it was full (and you cannot book ahead which is a bummer) but this ended up being a blessing in disguise because the new skiers caught on quickly and we had such a good time going at our own pace! Carrie and I initially planned to hang with the two littlest boys (Rhett and Carrie’s 1-year-old), but Rhett really wanted to try skiing and though he needed a lot of help (we basically held onto him the whole time), he was thrilled to be out there. He especially loved the magic carpet that took him back up to the top of the hill!
All of the kids were on a post-ski high after our morning and, after a quick stop at the house for grilled cheese and tomato soup, we bundled up and headed back outside for more adventuring!
We got caught in a lot of rain but the kids didn’t mind in the least and had the best time exploring in the woods, spotting crayfish in the stream, zip lining at a playground through the drizzle and climbing on rocks until we got them warmed up with a dip in the hot tub and s’mores.
Another highlight? Games! We played a handful of games throughout the weekend and Blank Slate was one we loved playing with our whole gang. Once the kids were in bed, Code Names was a new one for me and Ryan that Carrie and Nick taught us that we quickly learned to love!
As we drove back home on Sunday, Ryan and I agreed our mountain weekend away was perfect and we feel so grateful for our friends and their kids and the way our kids love each other and play together so, so well.
Last Christmas in Paris came highly recommended to me by my friend and fellow bookworm, Jess. She knows I love historical fiction and said it was a great read and that the format was unique as it’s written as a series of letters back and forth between the various characters. I’m about halfway through this one and enjoying it so far.
- Currently wondering… How people keep nice, natural, painted nails
Seriously, please tell me. I absolutely love the look of gel nail polish but I just cannot handle the upkeep. After a year of zero manicures, I got my nails done twice over the holidays and loved them but feel like to maintain good gel nails you have to go every 2-3 weeks and that’s annoying (and expensive). So I’m back to my natural nails and they’re not exactly thriving. My natural nails were so healthy prior to gel but now they’re brittle and thin after my latest round of gel nails. I feel like I almost need to wait until my nails grow out past where the gel was on my nails for them to be healthy. I’ve never been someone who always has her nails done but they look so short and awful right now and I’m hoping you guys out there might have some advice for what I should do to rebuild my nail health. Also, in the same vein, if paint your nails at home yourself like I typically do, do you have a routine? I love the idea of creating a set time to paint my nails each week because I love the look of painted nails but would love to hear from any of you out there who have mastered at-home nail care. Friends with beautiful nails, please help me!!
When we visited my family after Christmas, my parents recommended the show Jury Duty to us when Ryan and I said we were looking for something funny and entertaining. The premise of the show immediately intrigued us: A jury is assembled and everyone on the jury is an actor except for one man who has no idea everything is a setup. The show is set up as a documentary-style show (think The Office) and Ryan and I have laughed out loud a lot throughout this one. We’re about three or four episodes away from the big reveal when the man in the dark realizes everyone around him is an actor and it’s been a fun one to watch so far!
- Currently anticipating… Lots of travel!
The first few months of 2024 are jam-packed for our family on the travel front. We took the boys to Disney in early January and headed to Banner Elk last weekend. In February, Ryan and I are going to Las Vegas and then Ryan’s taking the big kids skiing with my dad and brother-in-law while I head to Florida with Rhett to spend time with my mom, sister, nieces and nephew. The next weekend, I’m off to Scottsdale for a weekend with my elementary school best friends (we’ve been friends for 30+ years!) followed by a baby shower weekend in West Jefferson, North Carolina in early March and then Easter + spring break with the whole family at my mother-in-law’s house in Sarasota. It’s a LOT but a lot of good stuff and we’re excited! Oh and good news, my TSA Pre-Check already cleared! Woop!
- Currently listening to… U2 on repeat
That Las Vegas trip I mentioned above? The reason behind it is twofold: First, Ryan has a work trip to Vegas and second, we figured we could piggyback our travel on his work trip and see U2 in concert at the Sphere! When my mom was kind enough to offer to watch the boys, we booked my plane ticket and cannot wait for a few days away with Ryan. Woop! My parents actually went to see U2 in Las Vegas together last week and said the concert was amazing!
- Currently discovering… My first gray hairs
Apparently 38 is the year gray hairs have decided to make their debut in my hair. At first it was one single hair but I’m slowly noticing a few more popping up. (I honestly thought of Sadie when I saw them because they’re more white than gray and we always called Sadie’s senior dog white-gray hairs her “highlights.”) Also, I quickly Googled whether or not their was any truth to the rumor that plucking a gray hair causes 2 more to grow in its place and while that is not true, the pigment cells of the hair follicle producing gray hair have already died so you’ll simply re-grow another gray hair in its place. The short story: My grays are here to stay.
- Currently ordering… Baby shower gifts, Valentine’s Day surprises and a couple household staples
A peek into my latest very random Amazon haul: Puracy Stain Remover (the natural stain remover I’ve used and loved for years) / Surprise Inside Bath Bombs (these dragon bath bombs for the boys for Valentine’s Day and these Christmas bath bombs to save for Christmas because they were on super sale) / Botanic Tree Vitamin C Cleanser (restocking our shower face cleanser) / Wide Leg Lounge Pants (already tried them on and love them — so soft and comfy) / Crew Socks (ordered these to share with friends along with a couple other favorites during our Favorite Things Galentine’s Dinner next month) / Baby shower gifts for my cousin and his wife (from their registry: Wood Baby Play Gym + Doona Diaper Bag Backpack annnd a few of my baby favorites I had throw in, too: ChooMe Pouch Toppers — the best for mess-free baby food pouch eating! + Baby Einstein Musical Toy + I also ordered this personalized silicone name band from Etsy)
- Currently Googling… Top Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors
Aside from Googling gray hair info, I also use the search engine to research important things like top ice cream flavors from 2023. As I was digging into a pint of Milk & Cookies ice cream (my favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor since they did us dirty and got rid of Oatmeal Cookie Chunk), I found myself wondering what flavors topped their list of best sellers from 2023. Here’s the list in case you were also oddly curious about this very important information (beginning with their #1 best seller): Half Baked, Cherry Garcia (I love this one!), Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Strawberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Fudge Brownie (unpopular opinion — I don’t love brownie pieces in ice cream), The Tonight Dough, Phish Food, Americone Dream, Chunky Monkey, Milk & Cookies. I was thrilled to see Milk & Cookies claim the #10 spot because hopefully that means they will keep this one around for years and years to come.
- Currently psyched about… This heart sweater impulse buy
(Heart sweater: Walmart / Wide-leg jeans: Old Navy — but old / Belt: Amazon / Booties: Amazon / Satin Bow Barrette: Target)
This heart sweater popped up on the bottom of my screen when I was placing an order for some of the boys’ favorite snacks on Walmart.com and it’s an impulse buy I’m not mad about in the least. The real question: How many times can I wear this heart sweater between now and Valentine’s Day?
Question of the Day
Pick a few “Currently” prompts and join in!
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