Hello long lost blog friends. It’s been awhile. We spend the end of September and beginning of October in Greece. We are just now really getting back into the swing of routine life.
We spent last weekend with this crazy girl. Football, pizza, baby dolls, the zoo, yum yum sauce.
The lovely squirrels have a full bucket of acorns we have removed from the grass but decided to dig up my pansies. Ryan thought they might be trying to store acorns for the winter.
Ryan and I attended The Struts on Sunday night. Such a fun concert. The energy was electric. I played with the new Beautycounter Holiday collection makeup.
I had a hair refresh and love it!
Cultivate What Matters launched the 2019 Powersheets this week.
This Mermaid Body Oil is on my Christmas list. I have some a love it.
I made pumpkin spice granola this week. It is lovely. I added a little extra spice. My only complaint is that I wish I was more clumpy. I ate it with a dash of milk or Greek yogurt or both.
Love; it will not betray you, Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free. Be more like the man you were made to be…
A letter to myself on our wedding day five years in retrospect.
Dear Beautiful Bride,
Today is the big day. You have stressed and worried and wished you NEVER had done a wedding but simply eloped. TREASURE IT! It will likely be the last time in your life that most of the people you love will be in one place. Because the miles are long, the years are short and humans often can not behave themselves and act like cordial adult humans.
You are beautiful today, tomorrow and always. You will look beautiful. Christopher will make sure your hair is gorgeous and your curls wont fall out because he is magic. You will always be beautiful even when you do not feel it.
Take pictures (maybe make sure the camera is charged), dance some more, laugh, relish in it. Make sure Uncle David knows your are “cutting the cake” although on second thought don’t because his photo bomb is one of your most favorite photos ever. Record the speeches. You will wish you had. Soak up the love and joy.
Soon you will leave for your honeymoon. Get ready. It will surpass your wildest dreams. You and Ryan will fall more in love with each other, Iceland and travel.
Oh baby, it’s just the beginning of a lifetime of adventures. You will travel more than you ever dreamed in the next five years. Travel will become your greatest teacher, passion and saving grace.
Spoiler alert you will spend anniversary five in Greece.
The years ahead, they hold things that are harder than you could dream. You will live, you will grow, you will survive and you will come out on the other side a better,stronger version of yourself and with a better marriage. And beautiful girl although the hard times are abundant so are the good times and take care to note and remember them. It is so easy for the traumatic times to be seared into your memory forever. But cling and hold onto the pockets of light in life for they will help illuminate the oppressive darkness.
Mama will get sick. It will be trying, frustrating, you will wonder if she is going to die. She wont. You will lose faith in the healthcare system and it will be hard but a humbling experience for your career to be on the other side of the hospital. Ryan will be a rockstar through all of this. You will wonder what you did to deserve him. You will look back and wonder how you lived that spring and summer but you do.
Oh precious, precious girl you will sit in a hospital room at UAB and you will say, I always have felt like Ryan and I will have a hard time having a baby but maybe this, you being so sick is paying our dues. Tender-heart, you will lose your first baby girl at 13 weeks pregnant the following year. This will almost destroy you and your marriage (that is totally normal). Keep putting in the effort, keep communicating, keep going, even when you do not feel like it. You make it. Ryan again will be your rock. This time will be the darkest of your life. Grieving together will not be something you are good at. Try going to couseling together sooner than you do.
But also here you will also find the greatest love. To others and from others and for Riley Kate.
You will take Em to the trampoline park. You will be sitting there literally looking on with joy thinking this is the most fun you and Ryan have had together since March. And then Ryan will break his ankle. He will be out of work. He will lose his job. You will fret and worry and all will be ok. It possibly might lead you on your bravest adventure yet. Eventually.
There will be other hard times, family difficulties, you will make some wonderful friends and they will move away. You as always will have a hard time taking things on and carrying the weight of them even when it is not your weight to carry. This is infuriating to you but it is what makes you you and your heart and love and empathy so big.You will spend the better part of 2018 wondering if love truly wins in the end. There will be times it certainly does not feel like it. I wish I could tell you love does win and that love is big enough to overcome all but I can’t. I’m simply not sure yet. But keep loving and keep living anyways.
But oh the joys.
You will buy a cute house right where you dreamed it would be. You will spend hours doing home improvement together and it will be a joy for yall.
The friends you will make. The love you will experience. The snuggles. The good food. Eventually you will learn to laugh off the trashcan situation.
The trips. Oh the trips. Iceland. Chicago. A cruise. Italy. California. Paris. Banff. Nashville. Memphis. The Beach. The Mountains. Chattanooga. And then Greece. And you get to do it all together.
Disney.
You have more people than you can count that love you and you love more people than you can count. Your heart will break open with love for Riley Kate but the cracks will leave room for more love to give and receive for the entire world.
Best of all you have someone in your corner. Even when it feels like no one’s there and you are lonely. Also normal at times in marriage but do a better job of communicating how you feel. That’s on you not him. He can’t read your mind but also thank God he can’t right?
These five years will grow you and stretch you because change is going to happen. You won’t always love the events that happen but you will be proud of the woman you are five years from now. There is so much growing to do always I can’t wait to see the woman you are in five more years.
Marriage is hard work. But all good things are. You will feel stuck in a rut and like you go through the same things over and over. Try, fight, work through the tears to communicate because it is all worth it. The only thing to do is to believe in love. Believe love will win and love is enough to triumph over all. Because without love to believe in what else is left in life.
Love,
Your braver, bolder, stronger, more loving yet slightly older version of yourself
09.07.18 Happy “First Birthday” Baby Girl. On this day I lit your candle of love to shine bright and illuminate the world. I grieved and cried, I mourned the loss of you and your entire lifetime. We also spread your love and light to celebrate, honor and remember you throughout the town. I pray these will inspire, brighten and give joy to others. I hope people will pay it forward in your honor and that #rileykateslovies becomes your legacy and light in the darkness.
Thank you again to everyone who helped honor her and love on us this month. Especially Birmingham Candy Company thank you for your continued love and support it means the world to me.
I don’t know what the future holds but I am hoping it burns bright with light and love and that I can use my heart, experiences,words and knowledge to help someone else process and create a life that not only lives with grief and not despite the grief but because of the grief. Because grief is our proof that we have loved well. An baby girl my love burns bright for you.
Happy Football Season! I am so excited. I mean technically it started last weekend but all the teams are finally playing now. What a crazy busy week it’s been.
We had our little bug last weekend. We went to Pepper Place. Ate lunch with my Granny at the Bright Star. Napped.
We played Ticket to Ride and I FINALLY won! We went to the park for the Back to School Bash, Em had fun jumping on the bouncies.
Sunday we celebrate Lucy’s first birthday.
I did work for a bit.
Ryan unexpectedly had a few days off and I was able to find coverage thanks to some wonderful co workers. So we had a mini escape and visit our aunt and uncle.
I made some caramel bars for football!
I had the best fried green tomatoes I have ever eaten at the Tin Shed.
I ordered some Rodin Mermaid body oil on a whim last week when I was grabbing some things from Goop. Well I am in love. The packaging was beautiful, the bottle is beautiful, the oil is beautiful and it smells just like you might imagine. It’s not cheap so I will savor the bottle for sure.
I am getting back on the clean eating train soon. So here is a little inspiration. Finding compliant foods at a Farmer’s Market is not hard. You know the staples meat, eggs, fruits, veggies. It is hard for me to resist all the extra goodies!
This past summer I picked up some eggs, peaches, chemical free strawberries, chemical free blueberries, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, pineapple salsa, and kombucha. Check with your farmers and vendors to check ingredients of products. If you are in the Birmingham area, After Midnight Salsa has some Whole30 compliant salsa options. Better Kombucha is also Whole 30 compliant.
Here is what I made with some of the things. I made using tasty farm fresh ingredients.
Fruit SaladGrilled SquashEgg BakeLoaded Buffalo “Fries”
What are your favorite local Farmer’s Market finds? What are your favorite recipes to make?
Happy Weekend, friends! It’s finally Friday. This week has been full of both parts work and fun. I am fully exhausted today so here is to a good, restful night of sleep before the probably no so restful weekend.
This past weekend I spent the morning at Pepperplace. We joined some friends for board games Saturday night. Ryan some how won the three games we played.
I took an aerial yoga class Sunday and Thursday night. Thursday was fun because I did some moves I had never done before like flipping into the hammock as well as some fancy leg and feet work to change positions. BUT I need some meds, a heating pad and Epsom salt bath now.
I was on call at work one day so I readied my toesies for football season. Crimson and white jersey boys I am ready for you. As well as grabbed a cheese plate dinner.
All the anniversary trip research has me craving the food already.
As everyone knows I am on the constant quest for self improvement as well as self discovery. 2017 broke me and it will never be worth it but I am thankful for this entire journey to being myself. This recent research comes as a surprise to no one. Why did I even take the test. Ha! I am excited to read further into how this effects my habit formations etc.
I finally found (I think) a podcast app for my new phone. I have been listening to this lately, A Little Salty Podcast.
I do not love the idea of a backpack labeling me as a tourist with just once glance, but who am I kidding luggage in general labels you. I think I found a new go to for abroad trips. Don’t get me wrong I have been a long time carry on only packer but carrying a rolling suitcase over cobblestones or upstairs is no fun. I can not wait ti give a full review of Tortuga backpacks once I use it on our next trip.
Well it’s the weekend again. Whoo! I worked last weekend so I’m more excited for this weekend.
A long work week made this week seem long and short all at the same time.
Ryan grilled some shrimp and chicken Monday night. We used the left overs for tacos and nachos the next night.
Adli find!!! What?!? I need to go back and look for more. The expiration date is far out so I need some more.
Insert all the work. I even got in an hour or two of OT.
We found a few things on a side of town we hardly ever go.
Chronic Tacos. Not great. I don’t think we would go again. There’s too many amazing places to eat to go mediocre.
Bubble Tea! I love bubble tea I’ll be back and next time add two kinds of bubbles unsure why I didn’t this time.
If you are traveling to a historical place on vacation, I can’t recommend the value of a tour guide enough. In Italy someone recommended to us a guide. I’m so glad we had one. We picked and chose were we wanted to go. He was invaluable for The Vatican. He had us weaving through crowds and helped point out the most important things. We have one booked for parts of Athens. We had the Viator website recommended to us. Here you can filter through personal guides by date, lauguages spoken and read about them. It is not as expensive as you would imagine or at least I thought. For example we have a guide in Athens for just us for six hours. Plan on going to the Acropolis and two main museums for around 180 euro. Not bad if you ask me and you really get to dive deep into the culture and history.
14 sleeps til COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!!!! Ahhh! The SEC Network has been on a TV in the lobby at work with football on repeat. I am so ready. Having lunch out today this was on and it made me so nervous (even though I know how it ends)/excited/ready!!!
I had heard how great The Greatest Showman was. I was afraid it would be a let down since the hype was so intense. It was not a let down. Holy smokes I think I’ll be buying this. I already downloaded the sound track and a ringtone.
What a week! I have been taking a much needed social media break, so I have lost to share. Also, I kept sweet Em instead of working this week so that gives more to share than on a full work week.
We spent part of last weekend in ATL. We grabbed some yummy food. That green sauce from Cylantros was heavenly. As well as the Frozen Cow ice cream.
Em and I did all kinds of fun activities to close out summer. We started with a not so fun cavity dental appointment. But shortly after began some grand adventures. We had Kome for lunch. Her lunch request was yum yum sauce.
We also made slime. Look I thought I was going to have to call my mommy friends to see what we were doing wrong just finally it turned out ok. If you come to my house do not eat the slime that is in the pantry. She only cane play with it on the tiles floor in the kitchen away from the furniture. So I figured the pantry was the best place to store it.
We took one good nap but then skipped naps in favor of getting back on a good school routine. Oh naps how I miss you. We also got our nails done for first day of school, ordered pizza, and watched some TV. Mainly on Wednesday I just let her have too much screen time and let her brain go mushy because school time is upon us.
We made chocolate chip cookies and played Uno and Ticket to Ride. Em caught on surprisingly well with some help. Did some Pilates. Wednesday also called for school prep. Packed lunches, school supplies and such.
I was lucky enough to be able to take her to school Thursday. Oh the previous days. After I got some major good cleaning done. I had cleaned the closet out in one of the guest rooms earlier last year but it had already accumulated crap so I did it again. Em’s room needs major work but she isn’t ready to get rid of some of the toys she is really too big for. She still plays with them though.
I have been researching for our upcoming trip. I am loving the Packmith blog. So many great packing tips.
I ordered some Birkenstocks and basically all I can say is what goes around comes around…again.
Beautycounter is having a sale which never happens, SOOO stock up today. You can shop my link here. Message me with any questions.
Happy Weekend! After what seems like the longest week ever we made it.
I worked this week. Rested. Battled some extreme exhaustion accompanying some extreme feelings. Got a new phone. Did some travel research.
This beauty showed up this week. It actually took my breath away the first time I saw it. It also reminded me that beautiful things grow through the darkness with the proper love, nourishment and care.
In case you didn’t know Lisa Frank has Snapchat filters you can save through tomorrow. I don’t use Snapchat but I can use them in Insta.
Happy August first and new planner start day!
Ryan bought be these beautiful flowers this week.
I have been looking for a good travel water bottle and I think I might try this Que one. After the Miliano water bottle ordeal I don’t take metal or glass over seas.
I have done a few Pilates sessions this week. The Balanced Life is a great resource.
I am on the hunt for a good travel bra. One that can go hiking to dinner. I think I’m going to try this one from Title Nine.
I hope your last days of summer are filled with sweet memories, pool days, ice cream and love.
Umm, hello. Where is this year going? July flew by in a furry of celebrations, travel, work and craziness good and bad. My goals fell to the wayside mainly because I was not mindful and I left life distract and control me. Here is to a fresh start, always learning, always experimenting, and always trying.
The Barefoot Mermaid 