Gettin' By

Five on Friday | Beach Essentials

It's officially spring break season and my brain is ready for some sun and sand. Here's just a few of my must-haves for a warm-weather getaway! (Just add a fruity umbrella drink, natch!)

01// Hollister Ruffle Bandeau Swim Top ($24.95) and Cheeky Boyshort Swim Bottom ($15.95)  What better place than the beach for neon pink? I'm loving the mix-and-match separates at Hollister that let you customize the look you want. I picked a bandeau and boyshorts, but there's lots of other options, from high-waisted bottoms to halter tops. And right now you can get 25% off everything (and free shipping when you spend $25) by entering the code 34387 at checkout! (More money for margaritas, I say!)

 

02//Old Navy Straw Fedora ($13.00). My hairstyle goes on strike in any kind of humidity, so a hat is essential. This cool straw fedora with a floral ribbon band goes from brunch to beach to bar and keeps you cool and chic, even with questionable hair. Though, let's face it, once you've got a few margaritas down, who cares what your hair looks like??

 

03// Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Birthday Suit ($7.99). Being barefoot on the beach requires a pedicure that will hold up to sand and sun. And possibly margarita spills. This polish from Sally Hansen is a great alternative to more expensive gel finishes, and stays chip-free even in the surf. The pinkish-nude color of Birthday suit is one of my favorites and it looks great on tan tootsies!

 

04// Crocs Capri IV Sandals ($39.99)  I know Crocs get a bad rap for their clunky styling and obnoxious colors, but these flip flops are worth any violation the Fashion Police might hand out for wearing them. The footbed is squishy and comfy and they offer the best arch support of any flip-flops I've ever worn. They're also easy to clean (just rinse with water!) should you spill the aforementioned margarita all over your feet. Not that I've ever done that.

 

05//The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins ($15.60).  No beach vacay is complete without a good read! (See, it's not all about the cocktails!) I grabbed this one at the recommendation of a friend who said it's a similar style to Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, which I absolutely loved. Besides, I need something to hold my towel down while I'm ordering drinks at the bar. 

 

Happy Friday (and happy spring break, too!)

NYC Recap

Here it is Wednesday already and I'm still playing catch-up after a (super fast) trip to NYC last weekend. It was not nearly enough time to see and do everything on my bucket list, but I did manage to cram in a lot of venues in the short time we were there. This may have required staying up 'til the wee hours of the morning (3:30 anyone?), an act which I may still be paying for four days later. I think that means I am officially an old fart.

At any rate, while I go tackle my tasks for the day, please enjoy a few of my favorite photos from the trip. It was all iPhone photography here - my heart was racing too fast the entire trip to worry about DSLR settings and such - but I did capture some shots I love!

The kids have fall break on Friday which means a three-day weekend at the cabin in the mountains - a distinctly different scene than last weekend. And definitely an earlier bedtime. 

Happy Wednesday, my friends!

Back from Break.

If I were really being transparent with my blog post titles, that would read: Back from Break. BLAH. Because that's kinda how I'm feeling ever since returning from spring break in sunny Mexico. But it would also mean that I'd be whining about a decidedly pathetic topic like post-vacation hangover and it would probably make you want to punch me in the face (um, deservedly so.)  So I went ahead and deleted the Blah part. And then just went on to type three more sentences about it. Ok, now I want to want punch myself in the face.

So while we work through our anger management issues, let's take a moment to view some pretty beach photos from our vacation, ok?  After all, you can't really be mad when you've got a view like this:

Oh yeah, baby.  Or how about these:

And you've got to smile when you're spending time with some darn awesome people:

and meeting the all the charming local characters:

or exploring the deeps of the great blue sea:

or enjoying the all-hallowed afternoon siesta in one of these:

 

Because this right here, is the cure for just about everything:

So now we are back home in Colorado and nightly conversations revolve around how exactly we can quit our jobs and move to Mexico permanently, thus avoiding SpringBreakIsOver-itis altogether. So far, we've come up with business ventures involving golf cart rentals (Mike's area of expertise), a service that locates lost beach items (Hayden found a camera on the ocean bottom and Mike & I found a set of car keys on the beach), or margarita quality control for local restaurants (my personal favorite). 

But until something pans out south of the border, I'll be here on a more regular basis now. I do have lots of projects and stuff to share and will get those posted just as soon as I finish this margarita.  ¡Salud!

 

The Simple Truths of Camping.

At the top of our Summer Bucket list was go camping, so when the end of July rolled around and we had yet to adventure into the wilderness, Mike and I decided we had better pull out the tent and get out there before summer passed us by. We managed to organize two different camping expeditions in the past couple of weeks and here's a few truths we've discovered during our time in the great outdoors.

Finally Friday.

Whew - it's been a week of the dreaded "post-vacation catch up" where I try to tackle things that have been postponed, delayed and otherwise ignored for the all-hallowed Spring Break. And let's just say I'm rejoicing that it's finally Friday, after five days of attempting to get myself and the [just slightly crabby] family past the vacation hangover and back into a somewhat regular routine. So, can I have a beer yet?

We spent spring break with friends in one of our favorite tropical destinations in Mexico. To say it was truly heavenly might be an understatement. There's nothing quite like a sandy beach, crystal blue water, and limited cell service to melt your troubles and stress away. And a few Dos Equis never hurt, either.

So naturally, the vacay centered around lots of quality beach time:

As well as underwater adventures to check out the local wildlife.

And, of course, you can't take a trip to the beach without burying someone in the sand!

To balance out all the action, we made sure to include lots of leisurely swings in the beach hammocks...

 

...and partake in more than a few afternoon siestas on the sand.

Many hours were spent reading (Mike & I finished five books between us!)

For the daily happy hour, we convened at a favorite watering hole, La Buena Vida.

The swing bar was a perfect spot to rehash the day's activities and enjoy a cold drink.

There was way too much Fanta consumed by the kiddos...

and Riely proved she could be a spokemodel for the brand. Muy delicioso!

And you can't forget the chips, fresh salsa and guacamole (with plenty of margaritas to wash it all down!)

The time spent near the ocean never fails to awe, inspire, rejuvenate, and relax!

We flew back into Denver just in time for a snow storm to hit, making our memories of the beach that much sweeter. There's nothing quite as depressing as trading your flip flops in for a pair of Sorels.

Here's hoping your Friday is sunny, happy and stress-free!

Lucky Thirteen.

Well hooooo boy, I've sure been neglecting the ol' blog lately, huh? It's been for a lot of good reasons, though - among them pre-CHA creating, kid's activities, and a jam-packed work schedule - but the best reason has to be the four-day weekend Mike & took to celebrate our thirteenth anniversary.

After leaving the kids with Nana, we stole away to Avon (just outside of Vail) to the absolutely amazing Ritz-Carlton in Bachelor Gulch. We first stayed here two years ago for our aniversary and loved it so much we decided to come back for Lucky Number Thirteen. This place is just stunning with its log-cabin inspired architectured nestled into the ski slopes at Beaver Creek (I should note that I am in no way affiliated with  this resort. And they are not paying me to say nice things. However, should they wish to throw a free vacation my way, I would probably take it. Make that definitely take it. Oh yeah baby!)

Upon our arrival, there were delicious chocolate strawberries waiting in our room (and they later brought another plate of Happy Birthday chocolates. Mike and I declined to tell them that neither of us has a birthday in July. Because we kind of like chocolate. Even when it's not our birthday.)

And this little guy, Bachelor, the hotel mascot (a 16-week old St. Bernard) greeted us in the lobby:

We spent most of our time lounging at the pool:

and staring at the scenery through the giant windows in the beautiful lodge area:

And consuming lots of adult beverages:

Sunday night we drove over to Vail and had dinner at Russell's, a local steakhouse that sits right on the gorgeous Eagle river:

And we took cheesy phone photos while waiting for our meal:

And afterwards, back at the lodge, I had to pose with my fabulous new belt buckle (because even though the traditional 13th anniversary gift is lace, I wanted sterling silver instead):

And Mike posed a bit more provacatively, ala the Britney Spears Crotch Shot:

Which made me laugh.  A lot.  (It's the key to a successful marriage, I think.)

It was a fabulous weekend of celebration, laughter, and love.  And I can't wait for the next 13 years with this guy.  Happy Thirteen, baby!

 

Hope your Wednesday is wonderful!

Five on Friday {Saturday Edition}

1.  Realized about half-way through yesterday that I had failed to do a Five on Friday post.  Knowing I was disappointing all seven of you who read the blog was not enough to make me leave my lounge chair at the pool to come and post.  {sorry}  If I had a shiny new iPad, I just might be able to go to the pool AND blog.  hmmmmmm....

2.  Am currently fueling up with coffee and a bagel and trying to get myself psyched up for the 10-mile run that awaits me when I finish this post.  Listening to Eye of the Tiger and Chariots of Fire and such, because, you know, they make the whole exercise thing seem noble.  And worth it.  Am I buying it?  Um, not so much.

3.  In planning an upcoming trip to Austin, Mike and I have made the brave decision to take the kidlets to the best water park in America:  Schlitterbahn.  Our biggest challenge with the excursion?  Getting our children to stop calling it the ShitBomb.

4. Realizing my mouth is watering just thinking about eating barbeque in Austin, namely at the one and only Salt Lick.  And simultaneously making the important self-realization that while Chariots of Fire does not really inspire me to go run, the promise of a huge slab of ribs does. 

5.  And because you should be rewarded for stopping by on a weekend and reading my drivel, I'll hook you up with the funniest YouTube video I've seen in a long time.  Be warned - after viewing you may randomly bust out singing the lyrics Mullet with headlights! for no good reason. And you'll giggle.  LOTS.  Enjoy! (the video and your weekend!)

It was for a good reason, you know.

I know with the exception of a few scrappy posts, my blog has been neglected lately,  But I had some pretty good reasons for going AWOL for awhile.  It involved a little of this:

 

And possibly some of this:

 

And many, many attempts to get a family photo for Christmas cards:

(Which, as you can see, Riely was not one bit happy about.)

Yep, we bumped our typically February vacation up to November, narrowly missing the tropical storm of Ida as we landed in Cancun last week.  We made the trek south down to Akumal and spent many days doing a whole lot of nothing.  And it was marvelous. :)

We got in very late Monday night, welcomed back to Denver with the reality that winter has arrived, in the form of several inches of snow and a sizzling 19º.  Ack!  I'm spending the week bundled up in sweaters and scarves, sipping my new found coffee love, Honey Nut Drizzle by Archer Farms, and attempting to focus on the 276 emails that landed in my inbox while I was on vacation.  If I owe you a note, please bear with me.  I'm still on Mayan Riviera time.  Happy Wednesday, my friends!

A decidedly non-laborious Labor Day.

To celebrate the long Labor Day weekend, we loaded up the family car and made a road trip out to Kansas to see my grandmother, who celebrated her 93rd birthday just a few days before our arrival:

 

The kids love it there, as there's always lots of fun activities, like fishing at cousin Jack's pond...

 

 

and learning to drive the Green Weenie on the dusty country roads (even though you're only eight)....

 

and blowing lots and lots of bubbles....

 

 

and holding target practice on an unlucky Sprite can...

 

and keeping Grandpa cool in the Kansas heat...

 

and eating lots of nutritious foods...

 

In exchange for letting them have so much fun, the kids repaid us by letting us kiss and pinch their adorably chubby cheeks...

 

douse them with a few water balloons...

 

and use them as end tables when there was no other suitable place to set our beer...

 

And that about sums up our end-of-summer bash.  How was your weekend??

Celebrating Eleven.

Can you see I'm developing a standard blogging M.O. after the weekends?  Monday rolls around and I'm suddenly running around like mad, trying to catch up on all the stuff that got neglected over the weekend (thus the lack of Monday blog posts.)  But the relaxing summer weekends are totally worth it.

Last weekend was exceptionally special, as Mike and I were celebrating anniversary #11 on Saturday. Since we were married up in the mountains (near Devil's Thumb Ranch) we decided a weekend getaway in the high country was in order.  So on Friday and we headed up to to Vail for an adults-only weekend.  We had booked the mini-trip online, and weren't sure what to expect since neither of us had been up there in the summer before.  But when we pulled into Bachelor Gulch where the hotel was located, we were blown away by how beautiful it was.  Seriously.  And we both grew up in the mountains, so we're not easily impressed. But it was breathtakingly gorgeous:

The log-cabin inspired architecture with the huge wood beams and stonework blended seamlessly into the mountains surrounding the property.  And the flowers beds on the property were A-MA-ZING.  They were overflowing with colorful natives (I so want my yard to look like this!) and seeing them totally reminded me of the Tom Petty song Wildflowers, which was played at our wedding (awwww...) Yes, I'm being a cheesy, sentimental romantic. :)

The weekend package included breakfast in the room each morning (a delicious spread that was ALMOST to pretty to eat - almost - there was bacon that HAD to be consumed, people!) and a daily afternoon couples' massage, which left us too relaxed to do much of anything but lounge by the gorgeous pool (and keep the poolside waiters busy by ordering lots of adult beverages!)

Local micro-brews, anyone??

Every evening at dusk, the hotel starts a bonfire on the patio, and supplies huge baskets of marshmallows and roasting sticks.  We grabbed our seats early and enjoyed the scene:

So here's to eleven wonderful years...and many, many years to come.  So happy (and blessed!) to be on this journey with my best friend.

Wishing you all a fabulous week!