Picnic Necessities

One of our favorite things to do as a family is to go on a picnic together.  We've been lucky this spring with some cooler days to enjoy.  It's the perfect chance to get outside to do something where it's easy to social-distance.

There's a beautiful park close to our new home that has acres of green grass, magnolia trees, paved pathways, restrooms, and manicured garden areas.  Sometimes we switch it up and go to State's empty campus or to a different park.  We pack our meal or pick up something to-go along with a few "necessities" to take along.  I've gathered these items below to show what we usually bring with us.  If we pack up to go to a playground we'll pack sans toys since there's the playground to entertain (before Covid).

Wet Ones: you can find everywhere! | Food storage: here | Water bottle: here | Tote bag with utensils and glasses: here 

Straw Hat: here | Blanket: here ( I also have last years version but got this one too for more room) | Kids cap: here | Sunglasses: here

Ball Toss Game: here | Kids sunscreen: here | Boat tote: here | Soccer ball: here

Spring dresses

With the warm weather here to stay, dresses will be a large part of my wardrobe.  I love easy to throw on dresses that pair nicely with flat sandals for on the go.  Any of the options below would work great with sandals or dressed up with a pair of heels for a more formal occasion.  All of the dresses I've rounded up happen to be floral which is a coincidence.  I guess I have a type this spring!  I'd wear any of these dresses (post virus life) to church, out to eat, shopping, visiting with friends and family, or to a shower/party.

 Floral shoulder tie: here (low on stock, also found here | Floral balloon sleeve: here | Libery print dress: here | Floral print midi dress: here | Lemon print: here | Eyelet: here | Floral Puff Sleeve: here | Yellow Floral: here

Recipe- Blueberry Lemon Cake

It’s been forever and a day since I’ve baked anything homemade so I thought since today was a gloomy day here I’d whip up this blueberry lemon cake I came across.  It was so easy to make and turned out delicious!  I followed this recipe except I substituted the yogurt for sour cream since I didn’t have plain yogurt on hand.  I made a basic sugar icing using 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1/4 cup of water.  If you decide to try it, let me know what you think!

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Even though we've been cooped up at our home most days, April actually seemed to fly by.  It seems like we just had Easter and now Mother's Day is less than two weeks away.  At this point in time, it doesn't seem like I'll be able to spend time with my own mom but I still will make sure to give her a call and drop off a present for her to show my appreciation and love.  It's still not too late to ship a gift either and many businesses are offering free shipping.  I've gathered some gift ideas below, many from small businesses that I'm sure any mother would love to receive.

1. here | 2. here | 3. here | 4. here | 5. here | 6. here | 7. here | 8. here | 9. here | 10. here | 11. here
12. here | 13. here | 14. here | 15. here | 16. here

Home Gardens

  Having our own back yard now and spending so much more time at home has me dreaming of planting a garden.  I have absolutely no green thumb but I still love the thought of growing our own fruits and veggies, and teaching my kids about how these foods grow (while trying to keep them alive).  Ideally we'd like to put a fence around our back yard first, which we're hoping will be some time this year so the plan for this garden is for next spring.  I'm picturing a couple of raised beds to start off with.  There are several tutorials out there on how to build your own and I've also seen several affordable ones on FB marketplace built by locals.  I also like the idea of using a plant stand and pots for some smaller crops.  It would be perfect for a porch or large balcony if there's not a yard for raised or fenced-in beds.  I might get one this spring for some flowers to put on our back patio.  

  Below I've shown some examples of what I'm picturing with the raised beds and some examples of stands.  Do you have a garden at home?  I'm planning to do a lot of research before I invest and would also love some tips from you all!

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Easter Outfits for Boys

Today I've rounded up some ideas for boys Easter outfits.  Like with the girls outfits I posted here yesterday, these can be worn all spring and summer, not just for Easter and the majority are from small businesses to help promote them.  There are so many cute boy clothes out right now!  I wish Benton could still fit in sunsuits and bubbles, but I'm still going to put him in Jon Jons/shortalls as long as possible!

Sandals: here | Smocked bubble: here | Shirt and Diaper Cover Set: here | Blue Embroidered Bunny Jon Jon: here

Blue Check Jon Jon: here | Blue and seafoam sunsuit: here | Bucket Hat: here | White Oxford shirt: here

White Bunny Romper: here |  Duck sweater: here | Suspender Shorts: here | Pants: here

Gingham Bunny: here | Short Set (blue shorts): here | Colorblock bunny shortall: here | Bunny bubble: here

Easter Outfits for Girls

Even though we're planning to spend Easter in self-isolation, I know many of us are still trying to plan a special day with our children... more thoughts on that here.  No one will be seeing them except for us so wearing anything is completely acceptable, but we can still FaceTime others and take pictures if we choose.  Many of these "Easter" outfits I've shown below can be worn all spring and summer, not just for one day.  I've mostly chosen pieces from small businesses to help promote them and support them during this difficult time.  Many are having sales right now so it's a great time to take advantage of snagging new spring and summer clothes if you're able.  Tomorrow I'll be posting some adorable boy outfits!

Pink bow socks: here  | White Embroidered Set: here | Blue dress with yellow embroidery: here

White Bonnet: here | Blue smocked dress: here  | Pink Dress and bloomer set: here | Cross Dress: here

Bunny Set: here | Bunny Ears bonnet: here | Duck Bubble: here

Pink Bunny Romper: here | Pink Bunny Smocked Dress: here | Yellow Dress: here | Socks: here