LET'S RECAP THE YEAR | 2013

December 31, 2013

2 comments
2013 was good for us. It was full of cheer and madness and it worked. Here's what went down...

January

 photo january13_zpsad9c2563.jpg

+ We were SO good about taking mornings walks. And, I think I miss that.
+ I started the 52 project.
+ I tried out a spinning class and found out that while it's extremely hard, I didn't hate it.
+ Spent some time on our favorite streets of Savannah.
+ And spent our afternoons at the local farmers market.

February

 photo feb13_zps1ff9f9b7.jpg

+ Thrift shore shopping.
+ We ventured out to Pinckney Island.
+ We painted L's room pink.
+ Potty-training officially started!
+ Valentine's Day was celebrated.
+ And we picked daffodils. It's becoming a favorite thing to do.

March 

 photo march13_zps8a45249c.jpg

+ Enjoyed quiet mornings on the front porch and dreamed of lazy, Spring afternoons.

April 

 photo april13_zps076a7cdf.jpg

+ We celebrated Easter.
+ We bought a robot vacuum and it's pretty much the best.
+ We celebrated M's birthday at the zoo.
+ We kept on keeping on with potty training.
+ Some serious re-landscaping happened in the front yard.
+ The blog got a new look and "the everyday" was born!
+ Our girl spent some solo time at grandma's house.

May 

 photo may13_zps7ce06a50.jpg

+ Laughed out loud at this!
+ Celebrated the end of another college semester for M.
+ Crafted up some fabric hoops.
+ Read this book.
+ Celebrated Mother's Day at the beach.
+ Ate the best BBQ.
+ Heard a lot of knock-knock jokes.
+ And celebrated our sixth anniversary.

June

 photo june13_zpsacb236fc.jpg

+ Started this book series and LOVED them.
+ L modeled some pretty awesome headbands.
+ Celebrated Father's Day.
+ Found sand dollars and baby crabs along the beach.

July

 photo july13_zps485bee49.jpg

+ Washed our cars and one tricycle.
+ Enjoyed some $1 movies at our local theater.
+ Went on a rare girl's night out.
+ Took a mini roadtrip to North Carolina.
+ Had my nephew as a houseguest!
+ We signed our girl up for preschool.
+ And spent many mornings at the pool.

August 

 photo august13_zps9b003ecb.jpg

+ Did summer things like grill corn and play outdoor games.
+ We bought L her first pair of ballet shoes!
+ I took a break from blogging to keep things in perspective.
+ We celebrated my birthday!
+ L started ballet.

September 

 photo september13_zps442ff93a.jpg

+ M made me a weekender bag since I was coveting a fancy one.
+ Toby the Dachshund ruined one of my favorite shirts.
+ L got sick with her first ear infection.
+ My little sister came to visit!
+ I got sick. And it took a lot of doctor visits and time for things to get better.
+ Toby turned six!
+ We spent another weekend in North Carolina. My brother got married!
+ And we became fans of this show.

October

 photo october13_zpsf4a01936.jpg

+ Spent a lot of time packing and unpacking. 
+ Laughed out loud at this!
+ Decorated for Halloween in a fun, simple way.
+ Celebrated Halloween!
+ Spent an afternoon at a local Oktoberfest.
+ Tried out this bakery. It's the best.
+ L learned the pledge of allegiance!
+ We went to New York again.
+ We did Fall things like bake apple pies and wear sweaters.
+ And we did local things like eat BBQ and go to an art festival.

 November

 photo nov13_zps6e6c1ca6.jpg

+ My mom was in town.
+ M was out of town.
+ Painted a chalkboard wall.
+ I had a me date and went to the movies.
+ L got another ear infection.
+ And we celebrated Thanksgiving in North Carolina.

December 

 photo dec13_zps92880cb6.jpg

+ Hung twinkly lights in our bedroom.
+ Had some Christmas fun with our elf, Pipsi.
+ Watched a movie under the stars.
+  Chopped down our Christmas tree.
+ Tried a new pizza place.
+ Painted stripes in our dining room.
+ Took some family photos on our own.
+ L was in her first ballet recital!
+ Went to a Christmas parade.
+ We celebrated Christmas.

2014, let's do this.

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art - write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself. - Neil Gaiman
Read More

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIA

December 30, 2013

No comments
 photo photo139edit_zpse71743ae.jpg
 photo IMG_1630edit_zpscc10e388.jpg
 photo IMG_1637edit_zpsf842cd7b.jpg
 photo IMG_1647edit_zps18e4b69c.jpg
 photo IMG_1658edit_zps396ed755.jpg
 photo IMG_1662edit_zps588cfc17.jpg
 photo IMG_1673edit_zpsfb3e8414.jpg
 photo photo141edit_zpse23f2d2d.jpg
 photo photo140edit_zpsd026445c.jpg

Oh, Lia. You went and turned four and time is leaving us all in the dust.

When you were born, I could never imagine you being any bigger than your teeny six pound self. And now that you're four, it seems every bit as normal that I have a four year old as it should. Sometimes, I get a glance of mothers and their teen daughters shopping or out for lunch and I think about what those days will look like for us. It makes me excited for the future, we have so much to look foward too.

But for now, I'm happy to stay in the present. And four year old you...

Is obsessed with all things pink and princessy.
Also, anything My Little Pony.
Can name the president, the state you live in, the days of the week and the months of the year.
Says funny things like "ugh, not again!" or "that's more like it".
Loves fiercely.
You also state your opinion fiercely
In true toddler form, you say what you want, when you want.
Also, I can't really call you a toddler anymore. You're a preschooler.!.!
Takes your responsibilities serious. But you take them more serious once you've gotten in trouble for not doing them!
LOVES your dog.
Is really shy.
And also, really un-shy at home.
Is doing amazing in preschool.
Gives THE best hug-your-neck-and-squeeze-tight hugs.
Has the best belly laugh.
And the cutest squishy tooshie.
Waves goodbye from the window to everyone leaving our house.
Has such a big imagination. I love to listen to you play because you create these imaginary story lines and talk them out for toys and my heart swells every time.

And mostly - four year old you, like every other version of you I'll have, is my favorite. Because you are undeniably the brightest light in my life. Except on the days where you throw epic tantrums. But yes, probably even then. Because that's how moms love. And I do love you so, my little mamacita. I do love you so.

PS. Her birthday was incredibly simple and happy. She wanted to go bowling, open presents and play. And that's what we did. Little girl rocked it in the present department. And after using most of her birthday money, we've got new toys for days. And a very happy, super big four year old. It was a good one.

PPS. We took her to Outback the night before her birthday and surprised her with a candle-lit sundae and a round of happy birthday. She burst into tears and obviously hates any kind of attention directly & solely on her!

Read More

HAWAII | PART SIX

No comments
  photo IMG_5235edit_zpsfa706739.jpg
  photo IMG_5221edit_zps56669f59.jpg
  photo IMG_5216edit_zps234c8de8.jpg
  photo IMG_5228edit_zps88048d42.jpg
  photo IMG_5195edit_zps872ee004.jpg
  photo IMG_5188edit_zps75f5c7f0.jpg
  photo IMG_5170edit_zpsc58e6eeb.jpg
  photo IMG_5176edit_zpsce855bc7.jpg

We did a little beach-hopping on our last day. It's incredible how different each beach is. The last beach was definitely a favorite. The sand was soft and the water was clear and blue. The day was bittersweet as we watched the kids splash around and play knowing we had to catch a flight out that night.

This trip remains one of my favorite family adventures. Here's hoping we can plan another trip!

And that pretty much does it for the Hawaii posts. It's funny to post them all in one day and relive all the memories as I write and edit. It gives me a huge sense of remembering who we were at that time and how happy a time Hawaii was for us.

Stay tuned for a year re-cap tomorrow. Can you believe 2014 is just days away? Enjoy the very last moments of 2013, xoxo!

Read More

HAWAII | PART FIVE

2 comments
  photo IMG_5067edit_zps71674f3a.jpg
  photo IMG_5073edit_zps99fa36aa.jpg
  photo IMG_5080edit_zps180f31f2.jpg
  photo IMG_5082edit_zps018c6c48.jpg
  photo IMG_5097edit_zps17f649e3.jpg
  photo IMG_5112edit_zps27e26004.jpg
  photo IMG_5124edit_zps568d6800.jpg
  photo IMG_5128edit_zpseee9d3a1.jpg
  photo IMG_5138edit_zps5bca33f0.jpg
  photo IMG_5146edit_zpsc9f19229.jpg
  photo IMG_5155edit_zps48ba0626.jpg

The Honolulu Zoo. This day...I am pretty sure I'll never forget this one. I think my favorite part was despite the all-day downpour and the fact that we ended up soaked from head to toe, we literally did not care. Hawaii does that to you. We were just happy that we were together in Hawaii. 

But it did rain, despite the weather reports. There was so much rain. So we really didn't spend much time in the zoo. We tried to wait out one storm in a local burger place across the street. The rain stopped about an hour later and we thought we were good until we got just far enough into the zoo and then it all came down. And after that, we headed to some shops in Wakiki to buy an umbrella and make something of the afternoon.

This was hands down "the wettest day".

PS. That last picture is the last one from that day. After that, we made a mad dash to the car for shelter and then we were all soaked from head to toe.

Read More

HAWAII | PART FOUR

No comments
 photo IMG_5053edit_zpscbd0e01e.jpg
 photo IMG_5037edit_zps086d853c.jpg
 photo IMG_5033edit_zps2e9998b4.jpg
 photo IMG_5028edit_zps19bd1866.jpg
 photo IMG_5025edit_zps152c9e80.jpg
 photo IMG_5022edit_zps5d4fdadf.jpg
 photo IMG_4991edit_zps29a70acd.jpg
 photo IMG_4988edit_zpsa8fb5a21.jpg
 photo IMG_4984edit_zps0b2b248a.jpg
 
We spent an afternoon at Pearl Harbor and despite the smiles on our faces (because we did enjoy it), it's a very humbling place be. You're literally standing where hundreds of men died for freedom, yet it's in the middle of paradise and it's beautiful. We didn't go to the Arizona Memorial but there was so much else do see and do in the museums and on the grounds. 

I've actually been once before on a trip with my mom and sisters so it was really great to see it through Lia's eyes this time. The musuem was equal parts engaging and somber. Real, tragic history happened here which makes some of it so hard to see but then it's great for the kids to interact with exhibits and learn from our history's past.

And after, we grabbed Chinese food and called it an afternoon. No matter what you're doing in Hawaii, it seems like it just can't get any better.
Read More

HAWAII | PART THREE

No comments
  photo IMG_4917edit_zps387263c4.jpg
 photo IMG_4919edit_zpsa6b58bcd.jpg
 photo IMG_4922edit_zpsdcee6a69.jpg
 photo IMG_4926edit_zps7d434129.jpg
 photo IMG_4934edit_zps0c98d511.jpg
 photo IMG_4938edit_zpsa38138b1.jpg
 photo IMG_4944edit_zps7d59714c.jpg
 photo IMG_4951edit_zpsbf7679a4.jpg
 photo IMG_4962edit_zps6efef1f7.jpg
 photo IMG_4965edit_zpsf475122e.jpg
 photo IMG_4968edit_zps8938b763.jpg
 photo IMG_4971edit_zpsfc1862d2.jpg
 photo IMG_4975edit2_zpsb8bf4d42.jpg

After the morning at the Dole Plantation, we drove up the coast to the North Shore. It's famous for the beaches and shave ice. We weren't disappointed!

We came prepared with bathing suits under our clothes and a bag full of sunscreen and sand toys so we could hit up any beach that looked fun from the road. And that's pretty much what we did. We drove and stopped at Matsumoto grocery store for shaved ice. I'm pretty sure I got banana and cherry and as I remember, it was kind of amazing. We picked up some amazing hand-crafted wooden serving spoons at a local shop. And then, hopped in the truck in search of some waves and sand.

After we left a beach or two, I'm pretty sure it rained for awhile on our way back to the other side of the island. And in Hawaii, it's really hard for rain to get your spirits down. We just cruised around with the windows up instead.

This was probably one of my favorite days in Hawaii.

PS. Those onion potato chips are my favorite.

Read More
Copyright © KRISTY EVERYDAY. Blog Design by SkyandStars.co