Gulf Shores Vacation

My idea of a fabulous vacation is staying in a condo on the beach and being spoiled. This year we decided to completely throw everything into mass chaos and do something different. I’m not really sure why my husband and I lost our minds, but apparently we did. And honestly we had a great time while doing so!

I am not a camper. I don’t tent camp. I don’t “rough it” by any means. But I will tolerate a camper. When we were pregnant with my little boy we ended up with my husband’s grandparents’ camper. They traveled all over the United States in this 21′ camper and had great adventures together. They shared those beautiful stories with me and my husband over the years and it brought them so much joy. We lost both of them recently and I think that’s really why my husband and I wanted to experience that joy for ourselves. They had a beautiful marriage and so enjoyed life together. We wanted to experience that magic ourselves. So we packed up our family of five for the week and hit the road.

My husband and I celebrated our eighth year of marriage during our vacation. I love that after eight years of marriage we can still find ways to be adventurous together and have fun.

Our “thing” as a family on any road trip is to see how many Bass Pro Shops we can find. We actually stopped at two new ones in Alabama on our trip.

My sweet boy is hooked on all things fishing right now. He can sit for hours organizing his tackle boxes and is totally content. He talks fishing non-stop these days and I am praying he can concentrate on school soon.

My stepson was entertaining in the toy section. Anything with noise….

And no trip would be complete without selfies with dead animals….

We tried pier fishing, but it was not very successful for anyone. We only saw one flounder and my stepson caught a catfish.

I snagged the latest Harry Potter book and read through it in a day and a half. It was fabulous and I loved it! My stepdaughter will be reading it next. We are definite Potter fans.

We stayed in the local state park campground and it was really nice. It was one of those places that just felt really safe. There was always someone posted checking your pass coming into the campground at all times. You didn’t come in if you didn’t have a pass. My husband and I loved that it was very family friendly. We could turn the kids loose on their bikes and not worry about them riding close by because there were hoards of other kids riding around. I honestly did not realize that these places still existed anymore. I am probably a little too overprotective of my child, but I feel like our world has made it that way. For a solid week, I got to loosen those reins and just let my child have the childhood that my husband and I had. The one where we rode our bikes around the neighborhood and everyone looked after everyone else. The one where everyone was genuinely friendly and kind. Everything was laid back and relaxed. I realized just how much my little boy was missing out on. I am just so thankful he got this experience.

The campground was just really well kept and we enjoyed it. The pool was great and we had biking trails for miles! The first full day was our longest ride and we had a blast. The day was a complete wash out with rain, but we hit the trails anyways. I honestly felt like I was a kid again! We had so much fun.

My crockpot was really my BFF during the trip. I made super simple beef dip sandwiches one night and they were delicious! But they also caused the biggest laugh in the group. Apparently my stepson had never eaten beef dip sandwiches before. We got to the table and I noticed all of his au jus was gone and his sandwich hadn’t been touched. My husband asked him where his au jus was and he said he drank the soup already. He drank it…fat bits and all. I couldn’t help but laugh, bless his heart.

The beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama were so beautiful. I loved having plenty of space to ourselves and enjoying the beautiful sand. We saw so many dolphins during our trip too. My stepdaughter and I even kayaked with them. It was amazing!

We loved surf fishing and catching huge crabs at night too. We ended up with a pretty decent sized stingray one night.

Our favorite restaurant was Lambert’s. I had been there when I was little and I tried to explain to our kids how they throw rolls to you. Their little eyes just lit up when I told them.

The wait was pretty long and some little one didn’t really see the need to wait that long for rolls to be thrown his way. Once he actually got to the food part, he agreed that it was well worth the wait. We left stuffed! If you ever go to Gulf Shores, you must visit Lambert’s Cafe!

We also visited The Wharf to see the marina and do some shopping. I always get a new Tervis on vacation and we love seeing boats. My husband and I work at a marina, but looking at boats never gets old.

I loved spending time with my sweet boy. I cannot believe he’s growing up so fast. I needed a week with him and it was such a blessing to have him with me right before another year of school began.

We were pretty worn out but ready to head home when the week was over. I missed my own bed and we determined that a 21′ camper might have been absolutely perfect for my husband’s grandparents but not ideal for our big family. Needless to say, we are actively camper shopping and looking for our next upgrade. We are so excited to take our next trip together, but there are some definite things we must have in the next camper!

When we got back home we had to see our coonhound and chickens. I felt amazing after a good night’s sleep at home too.

And I had to refuel my doughnut and coffee addiction!

The best thing about this vacation? I did not gain a single pound. Normally I put on weight during a family vacation. This time I maintained because we were active, took morning walks together, and just played on the beach.

I couldn’t wait to get back and see my parents. I ate dinner with them on my last night of vacation and it was nice to catch up with them.

I admit that it was a little bit sad to go back to work though. Returning to normal is kinda hard, y’all!

We registered for a new school year and someone got a fabulously sweet teacher this year. He’s super excited and I’m kinda sad that he’s getting another year older.

I could not wait to get back to my Zumba® fitness class though! My stepdaughter and I jumped in the car and cranked up the music. Seeing all my girls after a week was just what I needed to get my week started off right.

And we absolutely killed it in class last night! We practiced some new choreo and then were so pumped up in class that we burned some serious calories. The ladies were on fire and it was perfect.

 

 

 

I even managed to get my desk cleaned off after missing a week of work!

 

Finally Friday

Happy Friday, y’all! This week has been one of those random, quirky weeks that just doesn’t make sense or fit together at all. My workouts have been fabulous and my eating has been great the majority of the time.

We’ve been pretty inspired with our choreo in class lately. For some reason our creativity and throwing in new songs has been rapid in the past weeks. Maybe we’re bored. I don’t know, but I love it. You can really tell we’re pumped up in our workouts though!

 

One of my aunts passed away unexpectedly yesterday. And my sweet friends were right there with me loving on me through it. We danced, prayed and laughed through the sadness. One of my dearest friends knows me best and brought comfort food. I totally did not share and I do not feel guilty not one little bit. (They did have my name on them…)

I admit that I have a slight obsession with cute shirts with quotes. I literally cannot stop myself.

This sweet boy and I have played around with Snap Chat a few times. He’s loving the silly faces.

I feel like I must show you something healthy since I showed you doughnuts in this post! Most of the time I do crave a healthy salad over sweets. It’s tough getting into the habit of eating this way, but once you are there it gets easier to eat this way. It may sound absolutely absurd at first but I promise it is true. I am the biggest carb loving girl ever. I love sugar and I love carbs so if I can do this, anyone can.

 

If you have a moment, don’t forget to follow me here too:

Now it’s your turn: 

• What are your weekend plans? 
• How did you stay active this week? 
• What do you throw on your salads? 

Comments make my day, by the way! I love talking to you guys.

Motivation Monday

So I’m getting pumped up for the week. Coffee in hand, music going, and FitBit charged. All I need now is my Zumba® fitness class tonight and I’m all set. Monday mornings can sometimes be the best ’cause I see my favorite girls. Then sometimes they really drag out because all I want to do is get to class and see all of my buddies. All of my energy keys up and the struggle is real.

Click Here to See It!

Luckily I get to surround myself with music while I work. I have the strangest taste in music. It ranges from pop to country to Christian to rap to Latin based music. You name it, it’s in my playlist. Right now, these are running through my head and I cannot seem to get them out. But then again I really don’t want to.

This morning I woke up a little early and taught my 6 year old how to make scrambled eggs. I taught him how to crack an egg and how to check for shells. The first was a disaster, but the second was perfection. I realized I don’t want him to be the kid that eats cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I don’t want him to grow into a teenager who doesn’t know how to cook for himself. We ate our breakfast together in silence this morning, just me and him and it was actually quite nice.

Mondays are always a time to start fresh. You have a chance to renew your goals and refocus for the week.

Now it’s time for you to share… 

• What do you want to work on this week? 
• What’s your favorite song in your playlist right now? 
• What did you eat for breakfast? 

Guys vs. Gals

This was a Guys vs. Gals weekend in our home. Friday night the guys worked on the boat while the girls conquered an upholstery project. I am actually quite proud of our skills and can’t wait to show those off here in another post. We’re not quite done, but we’re close!

I required lots of caffeine to get through this weekend. My husband ended up with an injured back sometime Friday night and has been down all weekend. I’m praying we don’t end up at the doctor on Monday, but it’s not looking very promising. I’m really thinking someone other than his wife needs to explain to him that he’s not 20 anymore and that he might want to stop acting like it. Clearly he’s not taking my advice…

My stepdaughter and I decided we would not be stuck in a house full of wild boys all day on Saturday, so we went shopping. We left my husband in a recliner with a walkie talkie and turned the boys loose outside. We even took his brand new truck too… I’m sure he was thrilled the whole day. 

I’m pretty sure I need all of this in my kitchen… We moved a little over a year ago and we are still decorating and renovating slowly. My husband and I both work full time and it’s hard to find the time to do things yourself with a busy schedule. Plus, I really want to make sure I choose the things carefully that bring me joy.

While we were out we bought more fabric and found some pillows for our latest project. Everything was on sale, so we did great! Since we had no guys with us, we wanted to try out a new restaurant: Chuy’s! It was fabulous and well worth the wait.

I loved my taco and enchilada. We might have pigged out on the jalapeno ranch dip and chips too. I’m normally picky about my Mexican food, but this was fabulous.

 

So…..

• What are you doing this weekend? 
• Anyone else got a spouse or significant other that doesn’t act their age? 
• Have you found a great place to eat this weekend? 

Don’t forget to take a moment to follow me on my social media channels. I’m just getting started, y’all!

What I’m Doing Wednesday

Good Wednesday morning, friends!

There’s probably nothing better than sitting on my patio, drinking a warm cup of coffee, watching the day begin. I may have a slight obsession with coffee, coffee cups, and all things caffeine related. There may possibly be a ban on Tervis cups and new pj’s at my house by my husband. And then again I may possibly be sneaking them in when he’s not looking. I can neither confirm nor deny these things.

And I am fairly sure this is my next cup… You can find it {HERE}.

We are planning a big camping vacation this year and I am stocking up our camper with all new essentials. I got a big shipment in this week and I cannot wait to set everything up. My husband and I decided it was time to take our camper and travel some. This whole thing is new to us. For our whole relationship we’ve rented a lot and stayed in one place. This will be totally different, but very exciting. I cannot wait to unpack these boxes!

I’ve been sticking to my goals for the month so far and I’m eating at home more. It’s possibly because I have five people at my house this summer. It saves a lot of money. So I figure I win all the way around. My quick and easy breakfast has been a toasted English muffin with melted Gouda cheese and turkey sausage. We are normally running out the door carrying one in the mornings.

I have also found my new theme shirt for the month. Maybe even my whole life. I saw it and knew it was meant to be mine.

This week has been all kinds of crazy and fun. We’ve done fireworks, stayed up way past our bedtime, and possibly eaten way too many awesome things.

So let’s hear it:

• What are you doing this Wednesday?
• Any special quotes on your favorite coffee cup?
• What’s your go-to quick healthy breakfast?

No Pressure

What I’ve noticed over the past couple of days, is that there is a lot of freedom in writing when no one else realizes you have a blog. It’s actually very inspiring. I can sit down at night once again and just type for the fun of it. There’s no pressure.

And then there’s no pressure in losing weight if no one knows you’re doing it, right?

When I first started my weight loss journey, I told NO ONE. Mostly out of fear of failure. Many of us do that. We don’t want to tell our friends and family that we failed to lose the weight again. I get it. I’ve been there.

Taking the pressure off and just doing things for the simple joy and to see if we can accomplish them is quite motivating. I have considered a monthly challenge just to see what I can do without pressure and without anyone else watching.

My goals for this month will be:

1. Drink more water each day.
2. Prepare meals at home for my family.
3. Find ways to fit more activity into my days.

I plan to start small and update you at the end of the month. I stay super busy during the summer so picking my top three will make a big difference for me. I’m also going to do a before and after picture for later. I don’t have a huge amount to lose, but we do have an August vacation planned and I’d like to slim down some for that!