I would gladly trade a dinner date for a soccer field date!
Update: Wine On The Weekends
Remember when I wrote this post about getting a little too habitual with a daily drink and cutting back to just the weekends? I am happy to say that it has gone REALLY well! I’ve been on the “plan” since January and have bent the rules about five times. I’m calling that a huge success! My intention was never to create hard rules that felt like restriction. Instead I wanted some structure to my week that would help me break the habit and give me a reason to say no. The few times I have had a drink during the week I’ve usually had some underlying reason – a leftover open bottle of wine I really didn’t want to dump out so I finished the last glass or a good reason to celebrate. I also changed the rules a bit so that I can choose between Thursday OR Sunday as my third day but either way I’m still doing 3 days on and 4 days off. I’m feeling really good about the change!
Swig Wine Tumbler
Speaking of drinking (on the weekends!) I bought this Swig Wine Tumbler at a local gift shop and it’s so great for summer sips! A few of those reasons include: no glass to break, stays chilled, lid keeps kids and dog tails from knocking over, easy to pack, etc. I only wish I’d seen the marble one!
Summersalt
I am in search of a bathing suit that I can really mom-it-up in. I’m talking RUN across the beach without thought. Have you seen the Summersalt one-shoulder one piece bathing suit all over the internet? I bought one (actually two, in sizes 4 and 6) with very very high hopes. While it was one of the best one pieces I have ever tried on, what ultimately pushed me to return both sizes was that there was zero bust support on the inside. No shelf bra, no cups (even thin ones), and no way to keep the girls in position other than the snugness of the suit itself. If you are smaller chested, you will probably love this suit. It felt great in all other areas!
Plant Based Juniors
Remember this post that I published last fall about tips for feeding a baby real food? I have a copy of the Plant Based Juniors e-book and I’ve been referencing it for tips on finger foods and recipes. Definitely recommend if you have a baby about the same age as Birch!
He would eat mum mums all day if we let him!
Themed Wines
Thou shall not choose a book by its cover, but wine should definitely be selected for its label! Tasting Room has Lord of the Rings themed wines in the bottle shop! Frodo is an Old Vine Zin that is delish. They also have a Walking Dead collection! These are my “take to party” wines 🙂
Erry Day I’m Side Hustlin’
KERF started as a tiny side hustle while I was working in public relations. Well, really KERF started as a hobby with no intention of creating any money. I remember about six months in my dad said to me “Why don’t you have ads on this blog of yours?” and that got the ball rolling. The next month I made a few hundred dollars through the BlogHer network and it grew from there. It was the perfect side job while I was in nutrition school. Many years later, my goal is to continue to diversify my income so that if one stream shrinks another takes its place. Beautycounter has been the most fun new side hustle I have started! It’s very similar to owning a franchise, and you get to do your own thing without having to reinvent the wheel. I created a Beautycounter side hustle info pack (as a PDF) with all kinds of info for anyone interested. Just email if you’d like to hear more! (Katheats at Gmail dot com).
Beach Bound
We are heading to Bald Head on Saturday for our annual family beach trip! I’m planning to be in low power mode, but I’m sure I’ll publish some posts live from the island!
Serious concern:
We do not know how we are going to pack the car now that we have two carseats, a stroller, travel crib, golf clubs (!) and more. Any tips!?
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Congratulations on cutting down the wine! Even though I think it’s okay to treat yourself once in a while, hah! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Carla says
A bin for the top of the car! Would be super easy if your vehicle already has the rails.
Anne Weber-Falk says
I agree! The car top carrier was the best investment for us. It holds most of our camping gear. Nobody is squished into their seats anymore. I would suggest borrowing one or finding one used. Ours is cloth so it’s lightweight and I can really cram things into it. We just strap it on and we’re good to go. When not in use we just fold it up. We had a hard top but it took up a lot of space to store and was a pain for us to use. As for the clubs, leave em home and rent them at the course.
KathEats says
A cloth one sounds appealing – is it waterproof?
C says
We have hard case one. If you have a garage not a big deal to store. Totally awesome for car trips and skis!!
Lindsey says
Rent a minivan! We did that for our trip down to Florida last week (we’re in Tennessee) and it was AMAZING. With a third baby on the way, we’re in the market now. And yes, I was one of those “I’ll never drive a minivan” people. But they’re. Just. So. Functional.
Ellen says
Minivans … they’re not so bad! 😉
Lindsey says
Minivans for the win! My mom’s 2005 Odyssey is a HOT COMMODITY in my fam. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve borrowed it to go on trips and move furniture.
Marci Gilbert says
I love the summersalt suits! I wore the sidestroke last summer and got another style this year. I definitely don’t run in a swimsuit though.
You might need a bigger car! We rent baby gear when we travel like a crib, sometimes stroller, high chair. Watch out for sharks!
KathEats says
I’m not going in deeper than my thighs this year. The sharks are crazy and I’m very nervous!! I think I’m going to push the pool fo Mazey…
Angie says
I love my Athleta swimsuit. I swim with my kids and kayak with them but feel comfortable and it is supportive.
KathEats says
Which one do you have?! I have a few but always looking for sportier ones.
Angie says
I have this one https://athleta.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=405802002&cid=1099786&pcid=1076564&grid=productSearch_9_10_1#pdp-page-content
It’s a blousy tankini one. I have bikini bottoms and bought a rash guard and their swim shorts for when we are more,active. I love it. Total mom suit.
KathEats says
I have a blousy tankini from Athleta that I wore when I was pregnant. I love it dry, but when it’s wet it’s really clingy and heavy. Maybe I should just stay dry : )
Megan says
Thule roof rack is the way to go!!
Taylor says
I second the Thule!
Amy says
Is there a baby item rental company where you’re going? We just flew to Charleston with an 18 month old and 4 month old. I rented a pack n play, high chair and beach tent. They delivered to and picked up from our rental. It was so handy and some of the best money I spent all vacation!
KathEats says
There probably is, but I think our house comes with a high chair already. I’m bringing the Lotus because it’s so nice and it’s small. We actually might not bring our stroller…
Mer says
I was going to suggest baby carrier and not stroller OR buy an umbrella stroller from Target and keep at the Bald Head House!
Alisha says
I’ve had the best luck with Athleta (anything in a bra top sizing) and Albion Fit for suits. Albion in particular changes cuts frequently though & I bought my auitbtwo years ago.
KathEats says
I have an Albion Fit I like from a while back! I’ll check out there again.
Lindsay says
I’m larger in the bust too and I’ve been getting all my swimsuits at barenecessities.com. You can search by bra size.
KathEats says
Good to know! I love their bras.
Jeninfer G says
have a trailer hitch? get a trailer hitch basket that can hold things! We used it tons when little with all the stuff! or roof rack Thule.
Chelsea says
I have a different version of a Summersalt suit and it has support. Their customer service is amazing too.
KathEats says
I really wanted to keep it but I just knew for swimming it wasn’t ideal support. Maybe I will try again after I’m no longer breastfeeding : ) And other styles! Their returns process was great.
Laura says
I have two Albion Fit one piece swimsuits that I love! They are stylish and still work great for being a mom at the pool or beach. I have the Maria and Icon suits.
KathEats says
I LOVE Albion Fit’s designs and fabrics. Sounds like they have good support too with cups and shelf bras. I have one of their suits from 2014 that I wear. I’ll check them out!
Lainie says
For car seats, check out https://www.bubblebum.co/us/. They are inflatable boosters that are safe and awesome for travel! We have three of them because they’re also great when you have lots of kids in your car. One of my kids is the same age as Mazen and while it isn’t his everyday car seat, we use it all the time for various reasons. You can also order on amazon!
KathEats says
We actually have a MiFold! It was great for our Florida trip, but Mazen didn’t think it was super comfy so we wouldn’t use it on a long trip unless we had to. It’s actually Birch’s car seat that’s the problem : )
Mary says
My Fab in Five box arrived yesterday from the West Side (didn’t realize they are a SoCal Co.) and I am feeling quite chic today at work. 🙂
Here is my go to suit for the summer that I’ll be training in for my tri but also looking cute poolside: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PDBLRWS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I wore to the Santa Monica Pier: http://orphanannie-mary.blogspot.com/2019/06/socal-adventures-with-durangotans.html and was able to run around with my nephews, swim and also still not feel too out of place among all the influencers at the beach. 😉
KathEats says
That is cute and a great price!!
Kerry says
Lands end suit. High neck tanking top. I nursed pool side with it yesterday. Soft cup bras. Any type of mix and match bottoms. Highly recommend.
Laura says
As a bustier woman, I’ve been in love with Knix bras for a couple of years now (no underwire and lots of support!). They just launched a swim line this year with the tag line: This is swimwear that all women can feel confident in. Swimwear you can actually do things in, like run and jump and play – all day long. Make a splash and feel great about it!
Worth checking out!
KathEats says
I will thanks!
Megan says
I bought this rain-proof car-top bag for a cross-country road trip with my baby and toddler last summer. It’s inexpensive and waterproof, and there’s no way we could have fit everything we needed without it.
https://www.target.com/p/rainproof-car-top-bag-38-x38/-/A-16746788
KathEats says
Thanks!
Christy Cormons says
I LOVE my summersalt bathin suit – i got the one shoulder one all over instagram and it’s amazing with 2 young kids in the pool/beach. I went to JoAnn’s and got some cups and sewed them in because otherwise I was full on cold headlights (after nursing 2 kids) and now it’s a dream because it gives me more shape too. I tried a few from Jcrew and athleta and didn’t like anything as much and am happy with my $4 hack!
KathEats says
Crafty you!!! Nice hack!
Lori says
Did you see that the one shoulder summersalt suit has cups in the suits with prints? I almost bought that one but ended up with a suit from Boden. I love it and it has tons of support!
KathEats says
I didn’t see that! That might have me reconsider : )
Rachel says
Its not the cutest, but super functional is the Lands End “tugless” tank. I’m very large chested and the suit runs up to a DDD cup size. Finally a suit that provides enough coverage for keeping up with the kids. Also, the price cannot be beat.