Travel Love: Walking In Memphis

We took the girls to Memphis for an overnight trip, and they loved it! When we arrived at the hotel, Evie gasped, "Oh, Thank you so much!!". She was so excited, she couldn't settle down enough to sleep until well after midnight. But, I'll take less sleep when I end up with sweet pictures of happy girls. They really are so much fun at this stage because EVERYTHING is amazing and new to them.

On the first night, we ate at the cheesecake factory (Seriously, one of my favorite places on earth!), took the girls on a carousel ride, and then Ikea. Our hotel was across the street from Ikea! Perfect.

The next morning, we headed to a local donut spot, Howard's Donuts. I always spend hours researching places to eat. The donut shop got rave reviews, and I can see why. I thought they were super moist and melt in your mouth. Evie and Ella loved it, too! I had the coconut donut, and it literally tasted like a giant slice of coconut pie. It was that rich and delicious!

After that, we headed to the local Botanic Gardens. I had no idea that Memphis had a gardens, so I was pleasantly surprised. I wish we had spent more time there, and I would love to visit again. It was such a fun outing! Besides the usually garden fan fare, they had a built in playground, tiny play houses, swings, and fun little areas for kids to play in. They went crazy!!

We also stopped at the Bass Pro Shop, walked along the river, and hit up Ugly Mug Coffee. I had an iced Salted Caramel Latte, and it was SO good. A bit more on the sweet side, so next time, I'll have to order half sweetener.

Places to note:

Howard's Donuts - Cordova, TN
Ugly Mug Coffee- Memphis, TN
Cheesecake Factory-Wolfchase Mall

Bird Watching, Books and Brownies

If I'm being honest, it has been one of THOSE days. You know the kind....where you feel like everything goes wrong, you snap at the kids, the house looks like a war zone...and...the list goes on.

But, I know that's just life.

So, today, I gave myself a little grace. I loaded the girls up and we headed to my husbands office to meet him for lunch. We ate at a new restaurant (Zoe's) and it was delicious. When I got home, I looked up a few new recipes to try for dinner. That always turns my mood around! Cooking is therapeutic for me. Anyone else?

I can't believe Spring is here! I am so happy. Next to fall, it is one of my favorite seasons. This year, we invested in a large bird feeder, a Purple Martin bird house, and a few hummingbird feeders. Over the last few days, we've had dozens of birds visit us! The girls love it. I joined the backyard bird watch program, and now I want to get the girls binoculars (Ok, I just want them for myself). I plan to do a unit study on birds for the kids this spring, as well!

In other random news, I picked up a Terri Blackstock book, If I Run, from Mardel's last week, and it has been quite the page turner! Nothing like a good mystery/suspense novel. I'll have to review it soon when I finish. I also read Francine River's latest novel. It was interesting! Not my normal style, but interesting enough to keep me turning the pages. Have you read anything fun lately?

I'm off to join my family on the back porch for brownie sundae's.

Happy Tuesday and Happy SPRING!!!

Spring

I bought this little hybrid cactus last night, thinking it would fit perfectly on my kitchen window sill, and it did. I loved the color pop! I also love my milk glass collection. It's tiny, but it makes me happy!

I'm thoroughly enjoying these days leading up to spring. Afternoons are warmer, the days are getting longer, and plans are being made for vacation. Speaking of vacation, any tips on getting kids to sleep while staying somewhere "new"?

What is making you happy today? Happy Tuesday!