Summer Nights + Why You Don’t Need Cable
When we moved into our new home we decided to give up cable. Really the only time we watched it anyway was in the mornings watching The Today Show (which I do miss) and randomly at nights when we didn’t have a specific show to watch. The majority of time though we were watching Hulu Plus, Netflix or Amazon Instant Video.
If you haven’t made the switch to no cable yet, let me fill you in on a secret – It’s totally worth it.
There will definitely be some growing pains. Like I said, I can’t turn on the news in the morning and listen to the top stories and hear the weather for the week. If there’s a show I really want to watch live I have to find somewhere to watch it (like PLL last week at my Mom’s house … #dontjudgeme.) I sometimes miss shows I wouldn’t stream like Wheel of Fortune, Duck Dynasty or House Hunters.
But let me tell you the biggest benefit of it all (besides saving money) – it will seem like you have so much more free time. Maybe you’re not like us, but before we gave up cable, this would be our routine: come home, turn on the tv, start making dinner, watch tv during dinner, watch tv after dinner. But since we don’t have that option anymore, we’re way more selective about what we watch. We don’t just turn on the tv to turn it on for noise. If we turn it on it’s to watch a show we really want to watch.
Now, let me remind you, we’re tv watchers – we have so many shows we keep up with during the season it’s a little insane. Then in the Summer usually we pick a few shows we want to start watching or catch up on that we don’t have time to watch during the year. Summer 2014 was Orange Is The New Black, but we finished that a few weeks ago and haven’t started anything else. Even though I get an itch every now and then to start a new show so we have something to watch, I’m trying to hold back. It’s like an addiction. We don’t need something to watch every night. We have plenty of other things to fill our time. Instead we’ve been …
playing ball with Olli in the backyard,
reading together on the couch or going to bed early to lay in bed and read,
sitting on the porch really talking about our days,
cooking dinner together,
cleaning up dinner together,
hanging out with friends,
going on walks
It’s really felt like Summer – long nights with seemingly unending sunlight. So I implore you, even if you decide to keep cable, maybe turn it off just for the Summer. (How many good tv shows are on right now anyway?) Or maybe just have specific no tv nights during the week.
I hope you will find it as refreshing as we have.
xo xo
Vacation Picturebook: Aldermans in Alabama
{first stop – after 12 hours of driving, who doesn’t want a cold beer and HUGE nachos at a bar with the coolest name ever}
{before there was the beach, there was the pool … well, in this case there was, and it was just so peaceful}
{after-dinner bushwackers at LuLu’s – Jimmy Buffett’s sister’s restaurant}
{the best breakfast everrrr – bananas in pajamas + mimosa flight}
{day at the beach with these cuties – isn’t he going to make the best dad??}
{view from our balcony and view of our beach towels}
{LOVED this restaurant in Orange Beach; also LOVED meeting up with some beautiful girls I haven’t seen in 3 years!}
{final meal – shrimp and grits perfectly peppery shrimp and amazingly cheesy grits}
{let the wedding festivities begin!}
{stunning wedding, venue and bride – what more do you need?}
{yep, we did the sprinklr down the aisle}
{love this lady so much and was so excited to be part of this special day – can’t wait to visit them in Austin!}
{what an amazing week with delicious food, quality time with husband, beautiful beaches and … }
{… the perfect car ride home with this guy. yep, we stole him from his mother}
xo xo
My Month in Instagram {August}
Happy September! As I drink my first PSL of the season (it’s BACK!) I’m taking a look back on August through the lense of my Instagram photos.
I posted 39 (!!) Instagram photos in August. I won’t share them all – but you can see them here – so I’ll just share my top 10 photos of the month.
As you look through them, I encourage you to listen to my song of August. Do you ever wish you could force someone to listen to a certain song while they’re looking at something – like back in the day on MySpace? Anyway, if you’re interested, click play on the YouTube video below and listen as you peruse.
xo
{August 3 – First Stop on the NWA Brewery Tour}
{August 5 – I’d take this as my workspace any day. #peaceful#naturallight #comfychairs #dallas}
{August 7 – let’s brighten this rainy day #sotd #shoes #metallic}
{August 15 – Oh my gosh, I have a new favorite food truck on the square. #streettacos #urbanbbq #foodtruck}
{August 18 – BEAUTIFUL day for some coffee + crepes}
{August 21 – 7 years ago today I posted this photo from our first day of senior year. #2006 #bhs #senioryear #timehop#throwback}
{August 23 – The weekend starts now.}
{August 24 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY, K! Love you and miss you. xo xo ❤}
{August 25 – Cuddle buddies}
{August 28 – LOVE this quote. #instaquote #leadership #inspiration}
The Woes of Moving; The Joys of a House
Some of you know we’ve been moving the past few weeks from our apartment to a house. I actually really enjoyed apartment living and so did husband, but then Olli changed everything. The apartment seemed to go from pretty nice size to way too small in days. With a 60lb dog running the apartment, we knew we couldn’t stay there much longer. Not to mention having to walk him up and down the stairs day in and day out to go to the bathroom.
That realization came parallel to us doing Financial Peace University, which caused a big decision – move into my parents house. My parents travel a lot for work and are only in their Bentonville home once every couple months or so. It sits empty at least 250 days out of the year. It’s rent free, it has a backyard and it allows us to save for our own house – need I say more?
While the house has been GLORIOUS, moving is always a four-letter word. Here’s some advice I have for any of you moving any time soon.
W O E S O F M O V I N G
1. Start packing early. I’ll say it again, start packing early. Especially all that little stuff that seems to be everywhere.
2. As you’re packing, seriously consider if you need it. If you haven’t looked at it since last time you moved, you probably don’t. Give it to someone who does.
3. Enlist your best friends to help you move. I say your best friends, because not just anyone wants to help someone move.
4. Afterwards, offer them free pizza and beer.
5. Put your dog in doggie day care or somewhere else for the day. They WILL be in the way.
6. Label your boxes. Especially if they’re going in a storage unit.
7. Buy plastic boxes at Walmart for things like photos and clothes that you’ll be storing for a while.
8. Don’t take a shower on moving day or try and look cute. You will get sweaty and gross and it won’t matter.
9. Stay hydrated. Moving.Is.Hard.
10. Remember the big picture – you will get through this and then you’ll have a nice house to go home to.
J O Y S O F A H O U S E
1. The backyard – oh my gosh having a backyard is nice. Case in point, the two photos below on this beautiful Saturday morning.
2. The feeling of a cozy neighborhood with genuine neighbors.
3. The space. Husband can be in one room, Olli can be in one room and I can be in another – and we won’t necessarily hear each other. *relaxing sigh*
4. You don’t have to carry your trash across the complex to the always overflowing and smelly trash compactor.
5. You don’t hear every word of every argument from your next door neighbors.
… and many, many more. I’m sure I’ll be blogging about it again soon so I’ll just leave it at these for now. Husband and I are off to get the final things out of the apartment and turn in our keys, then we will have a wonderful, relaxing Labor Day weekend in our home.
xo
Happy 1st Birthday, Olli!
I can’t believe our baby boy is a year old today. He’s just as crazy and just as cute as we he was when we picked him up last November.
In honor of his birthday, I’m sharing my favorite photos of him throughout the year. It’s amazing how many puppy photos I’ve taken. Lord only know what it will be like when we have kids.
{November: the first night}
{December: the first family photo}
{January: the playdate}
{February: the Saturday morning}
{March: the mommy/son}
{April: the profile pic}
{May: the wake up call}
{June: the haircut}
{July: the playful one}
{August: the birthday boy}
xo
You might also enjoy: puppy love, Olli’s first puppy shoot
NWA Brew Hop
Saturday night we had an adventure.
We set off with another couple to go Northwest Arkansas brewery hopping. You might be as surprised as I was to learn just how many craft breweries there are in the area. We went to 4 and there were 4 more we wanted to go to, so of course there’s already a brew hop round 2 in the works.
Here’s my review of the night and the brews!
Our beautiful drinking buddies for the evening
Core Brewing and Distilling Co: A little sketchy, very small (though they’re expanding), located behind Northwest Arkansas Newspapers in Springdale. Not our favorite beer overall, but you can get a lot for cheap. A flight of everything currently on top (7-8 beers) for $6.
Favorite Brew: Raspberry Ale
Saddlebock Brewery: Awesome place, out in the middle of nowhere Arkansas, with a fantastic two-story deck to sit outside. Overall, best brews.
Favorite Brew: Arkansas Farmhouse**
**also winner of favorite brew of the night
Apple Blossom Brewing Co: Newest of the four and favorite atmosphere, indoor/outdoor seating and restaurant, unique decor. Along with our brews we also had amazing (and huge!) fried pickles and alfredo fries.
Favorite Brew: Gris Cast Wheat
West Mountain Brewing Company: Best thing about this place? It also has pizza and really really good pizza at that. In all honesty, we didn’t even drink at this one. All we wanted was pizza and a bed.
Next time on the tour: Tanglewood, Fossil Cove, Hog Haus, Brewskis
xo
the golden birthday boy.
golden birthday: the birthday when you turn the same age as your birthdate
This year is Husband’s golden birthday, turning 26 on the 26th (which will be my golden birthday too in a couple years!) So I decided to do something a little fun and asked everyone to bring something gold to his birthday dinner.
As husband said at the end of the night, “Birthdays are so much more fun with a theme.” Agreed.
{golden Batman pinata = awesome}
{gold on gold on gold}
{love}
{gold shot of tequila, of course}
{golden bros}
Happy Birthday, Husband! I love you to the moon and back.
I hope you have as much fun as below on your birthday. xo
“May your weekend be full of adventure and cheer; May the start of next week be a long way from here.”
After the craziness of last weekend at Essence Fest, this weekend I’m ready for a whole lot of doing nothing. Weekend plans include: Friday night movie with friends, sleep in, time by the pool, read, finish Greek, make this for dinner, make homemade ice cream, relax with husband and pup.
Enjoy your weekend, and take some time to relax. xo
No rest for the weary.
I’ve completely failed at blogging lately. Life has gotten in the way, but I’d say that’s a good thing.
I’m jetting off tomorrow for New Orleans for the holiday weekend. Unfortunately, sans husband. I’m headed to Essence Festival as our social media correspondent, so follow @Walmart on Twitter for fun updates and pics! (shameless plug) I’ll be busy, busy, busy at the event, mostly plotting the best way to get behind the scenes and meet Queen Bey. She shops at Walmart, right? She’ll definitely want to talk to me…
Not only am I leaving husband behind, but also my parents who came in town for the week. Talk about timing. Luckily, I’ve gotten some wonderful time with them for a few days, as well as with our family friends from West Memphis.
Before I head off to pack and listen to 90s Pop Pandora, I’ll leave you with a few other life lately updates.
{enjoying // a beautiful day for some professional women’s golf}
{doing // summer-ish things, like a rooftop party for Team Break the Cycle}
{eating // the best crepes this side of the tracks}
{celebrating // two amazing people getting married}
Happy 4th of July weekend to you and yours! xo xo
P.S. I’m extra excited to share my next set of book reviews for Reconstructing Amelia and Don’t Worry, It Gets Worse. Stay tuned!
Summer-ish Things
I vow to complete the following list of Summer-ish things. Welcome, favorite season! I’m ready for you.
1. Canoeing/Kayaking
2. Camping
3. Drive-in movie
4. Road trip
5. Go to the golfing range
6. Have a fancy picnic (preferably with wine and cheese and fruit)
7. Enjoy music outdoors
8. Go to a theme park
9. Host an outdoor party
10. Spend an entire day by the pool with good book + good drink in hand
You might also enjoy: I need the smell of Summer, I need its noises in my ear, Endless Summer
I need the smell of summer, I need its noises in my ear.
Who else is starting to feel those winter blues and blahs? The past week has just been darn right cold. And when we got all excited we would at least get some snow out of the cold (See: Grownup Snow Days) it brought half an inch. Ugh.
I’m ready for the sun.
I’m ready to sweat.
I’m ready to have my happy hour by the pool.
I’m ready to go on a summer vacation.
Can I get an amen?
Whatever the weather is where you are, let’s take a little mental vacation together to the good ol’ days of summer …
Ahhh, don’t you feel at least a little bit better now? I know I’m ready for a Pina Colada.
xo xo
Goodbye Summer, Hello Love
It seems October has brought with it more than perfect 70 degree weather, pumpkin treats and a renewed love for coffee.
The atmosphere in the air is one of love, friendship, fun, joy, adventure. Though this opinion may stem partly from my new engagement (!!!) which has brought on more emotion and giddiness than I thought possible, it appears that others are feeling the same way.
The rush of October has blown in the season of:
camping, hiking, fishing, pumpkin picking, sleeping with the windows open, excitedly discussing Halloween costumes, deepening relationships, spending too much money on the beloved, seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte and wearing boots with any outfit possible because “it’s just time” and everyone loves boots.
Though I have yet to explore the great outdoors in the detail it deserves, my October joy has come from other avenues that I would like to share.
One being the glorious, mysterious workings of God. The first of October has already reminded me of His beauty and love and the part that I am meant to share in that.
Another joy comes from the arrival of the new movie The Social Network. At the writing of this post, I have not yet seen it, but am confident it will fulfill my theatrical longing for a good movie.
Thirdly, I have been surprisingly overjoyed by a video posted on my Facebook wall which I would like to share with you now. I’m hoping music fans, comedy fans and Justin Timberlake fans will enjoy this as much as I did.
A medley of Hip Hop Hits from Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon
Goodbye Summer, my dear sweet friend
Ah, a breath of fresh air.
Summer is over and school has finally arrived. Thus comes with it routine (which I LOVE) and includes keeping my blog updated to the best of my ability and trying, once again…. drumroll please……
P90X.
As you may or may not know, I tried to work my way through the grueling 90-day workout plan last year and lasted about.. 30ish days. It was Christmas break then and my birthday and all was lost. But I’m back on the bandwagon and this time I WILL MAKE IT! (because I have the support of my readers, right?! Anytime you want to send me inspirational quotes or pictures, go for it 🙂 )
At the end of June I created a summer bucket list. I am now here to evaluate my summer and see what I did and did not accomplish…
1. Start a blog *obviously, CHECK.
2. Read all the books on my summer reading list *CHECK. best book of the summer/my life: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
3.Go to the drive-in movie theatre *sadly no, but I still have a few more months until it closes!
4. Do the Branson Canopy Zipline *this will be moved to my life bucket list
5. Make at least 10 recipes I’ve been saving for the last year *okay, I’m giving myself a little credit here. I didn’t make 10, but I probably made around 5 and for a girl who eats out constantly, it was a success.
6. Chase down the ice cream truck with the neighborhood kids and buy something *So I didn’t exactly chase it down, but I did run outside when I heard the song and waited for it for about 10 minutes before I realized my dreams were lost on another neighborhood
7. Go canoeing {despite my dislike of the river} *Well, I didn’t do this either, but I do have plans for this for next weekend!!!!! So I can cross it off prematurely right?
8. Go to a water park *CHECK and I earn double points for this one, since it was a water park I’d never been to and I didn’t get sunburned
9. Sleep in and not feel guilty about it *CHECK and proud of myself.
10. Go to a rooftop party *this too will be transferred to my life bucket list. I think I need to live in a bigger city..
11. Take walks after dinner to the school playground and just swing *CHECK, one of the most memorable things about my summer
12. Take fashion risks *I think I can cross this one off from just last week when I put pink in my hair, wore a leopard print shirt and had fake tattoos all over my body……..
13. Catch fireflies *Does it count if I have the firefly jar sitting outside ready for them?
14. Write a letter to an old friend *CHECK, and how refreshing it was.
15. Find several DIY projects and DO THEM *This was attempted one day with the roomies and what we ended up with was three exhausted bodies, a galore of unending puzzles and a growing pile of toilet paper rolls for my yet-to-be-started project.
COMING UP NEXT TIME: School time reverie and a Senior Year Bucket List
Endless Summer
Pensacola, Florida May 2008
Summer is the time to do all of those things you just don’t have time for during the year. All spring I think of ways I’m going to spend my summer and things I’ve been wanting to do, then it seems like August comes too fast and I didn’t do half of them. So I’m starting my summer bucket list and hopefully, by the time school starts, I will revisit this list and cross them all off. I’ve already got a start!
1. Start a blog
2. Read all the books on my summer reading list
3.Go to the drive-in movie theatre
4. Do the Branson Canopy Zipline
5. Make at least 10 recipes I’ve been saving for the last year
6. Chase down the ice cream truck with the neighborhood kids and buy something
7. Go canoeing {despite my dislike of the river}
8. Go to a water park
9. Sleep in and not feel guilty about it
10. Go to a rooftop party
11. Take walks after dinner to the school playground and just swing
12. Take fashion risks
13. Catch fireflies
14. Write a letter to an old friend
15. Find several DIY projects and DO THEM
When I grow up…
Oh, the joys of summer- staying up all night and sleeping in, hanging out with friends, laying by the pool, taking vacations, basically doing whatever your little heart desires.
Until now.
Now I don’t want to complain, because I still love summer more than anything and I’ve been very blessed to have the kind of summer I’m having so far. I’ve gotten to do all of the things summertime is made up of.
However, I feel like more of an adult than I ever have this summer. The past two summers I’ve gotten to frolic in LA and South Africa- learning, yes, but let’s be real, I was in foreign places (yes California is pretty foreign compared to Arkansas). This summer I’m waking up every morning at 6:30 a.m. to reel students into student media, reply to 8397249 emails a day, edit and post web stories and take a summer school class (which I vowed to NEVER do). I’m also not very good at not bringing home work.
And now, I’m looking for a second summer job. Reality is setting in and saving money is becoming more important in my life than I’ve ever realized.
I’m growing up. Despite eating apple sauce nearly every day for breakfast, calling my mom when I’m having a breakdown, getting sheer enjoyment out of the Disney channel and loving pink and bows and glitter oh so very much, I’m growing up. *sigh*
Of course there are wonderful things to look forward to as I get older, building a relationship with my future husband and having a beautiful family as well as having the freedom to choose my path for the rest of my life.
This is a quote from one of my favorite t.v. shows as a “kid”, The Wonder Years, that I think sums up things pretty well.
“Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what’s to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be. Other days. New days. Days to come. The thing is, we didn’t have to hate each other for getting older. We just had to forgive ourselves for growing up.”
m.davis xoxo 