Is there anyone else that feels like this week almost didn’t happen??? Now that I’m finally up and moving around again after a few months, I’m back to where I normally am- scatterbrained, unorganized, overcommitted, and unable to catch my breath so I can fix all the aforementioned. It’s been a while since I’ve run around at this pace and this time, I’m not sleeping more than 4 hours at night and even that is interrupted and full of nightmares and stressful dreams. I’m hoping as I gain a little more control over my schedule and some organization, that will start to change, because ya’ll- I’M *SO* TIRED! I wake up every morning with my eyes burning I’m so tired and they don’t stop. (No they aren’t dry and it isn’t allergies lol) So yeah- I’m totally wiped. Now on to my crazy week and the upcoming goals…
D -day!!!! It’s finally here… as of tomorrow morning, first thing! What is d-day? Well it’s all laid out in my previous post about my eating plan so feel free to head over and check out Instant Pot March Madness.
I’m so incredibly excited but also nervous because this is such change and new mindset… not necessarily the healthy eating part but committing to all the cooking, meal prep, and constant mindset of being committed with no take backsies. Sounds kinda silly, I know. But I also am excited because I know the benefits this will all have for our family and general health. Wish me luck!
Okay, so about how my book reading goal went… I’m sorry to say it wasn’t every night I read a chapter. Monday I forgot to get a book, I started a different book Tuesday and come Wednesday realized it wasn’t for me. So Thursday I changed to “The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper” which is definitely more of the light hearted read I was looking for.
Unfortunately, Friday and Saturday night I crashed so hard I didn’t read at all. But I’m definitely going to keep making reading a priority because I really do prefer it at night and am looking forward to it being a general habit. Do you currently read on a daily basis? What do your reads look like these days and their frequency?
My new goal for this week is just ridiculously sad- but hey. I’ve gotta start somewhere and these goals are to hone in on and hopefully strengthen my weak points so I’ll just tell ya. My goal is to drink at least 1/2 a gallon of water every day this week. Ya’ll- I despise water, and drinking it, and the hassle of getting it, and did I mention drinking it? (I know! So pathetic.) Right now, I’m having my cup of tea first thing in the morning then nothing else all day. Maybe a sip of water here or there or another cup of tea but that’s about it. I’ve already got one of those awesome one gallon water bottles so I’m going to fill it first thing in the morning or the night before and start chugging. Am I the only one having a hard time getting water in during the day? I’m just not cool enough to sip it all the time. And I don’t like it! LOL
Now on to the pictures from our week and our quick, one night trip to Atlanta!
Monday, we got to hang out with some of Isaac’s childhood friends. Clay (in the middle) currently lives in Alaska and was in town for a wedding so they congregated for a little hangout at our place.
Tuesday was my birthday and I asked Isaac to snap a picture for my Monday post “Before I’m 30” and he got a little too enthusiastic and started acting like the red carpet paparazzi. First I gave him this face until he calmed the crap down but it only egged him on. We eventually got our shot but I told him he was just going to have to get used to becoming an “Instagram Husband” now.
On my actual birthday, we voted, had lunch together, Emmy and I did our nails, and then we had dinner with my family at the Thai House in Dothan. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend it. It’s one of my faves! Definitely a nice, chill day.
Emmy excitedly came up to me dressed as a rabbit and riding a unicorn and she announced, “Mommy! It’s time for the Bunny Horse Show!!!” I’m still not really clear what that is or how often this event occurs but it’s a thing to her apparently.
We also got Emmy’s frog back from the art shop once they finished putting it through the kiln and it turned out pretty cute! 😀
We were also able to finally get to Academy to get Emmy her new bike. She’s been really good about her potty training and she totally outgrew her her other bike like a year ago so we were thrilled we could finally make it happen!
Riding the Carousel 
Isaac desperately needed a hair cut so we made it happen this week 
Isaac was also able to make cross bars finally happen for my car! I’ve been wanting these for 2 years.
Big milestone for Emmy this week was learning to ride a big bike without training wheels! She was already mostly good with her little bike but it was basically a balance bike size wise for her and easier to maneuver so learning the big bike was quite an accomplishment and she was very persistent to learn. Isaac has always been so good at teaching her and is so patient. Definitely made it a smoother and happier process for Emmy than if I tried to teach her. 😀
For my birthday every year, I ask Isaac for a trip instead of a gift. We are often able to make this happen because more often than not, we are able to stay in hotels for free and this trip was no exception. (I’ll be doing a post soon about how we do this and our top stays.) For this trip, we decided to not be too crazy or go too far so we went to Atlanta- about 4 hours away. This was definitely one of our top family trips. We’ve traveled quite a bit considering Isaac’s demanding schedule, but I think that because Emmy is older and more engaged, we’ve gotten in a better groove and learned how to scout, plan, and adapt based off of toddler tired level, attention span, and her own adaptability at the time.
We got up early Saturday morning and got on the road and drove straight to IKEA- because you can’t go to Atlanta without a proper perusal of IKEA. On the agenda was finding options for a new sewing station/ work table and miscellaneous furniture needs we have as we look into a little rearranging and such.
This is my dream kitchen! I don’t want anything super big or fancy and I know it’s dreaming small… okay maybe medium but it’s my favorite nonetheless. 
*Kid not included 
Lunch Time! 
Enjoying chocolate cake a little too much maybe? 
Swedish meatballs of course!
We chose to stay at the Crowne Plaza in Midtown because it was centrally located and we’ve always enjoyed the amenities and services provided. They are part of the IHG hotel group that we are members with and build points (aka free stays) through. This one did not disappoint!
Sitting Area 
Kinda loved the inset walls with accent lighting. 
Bedroom with a view 
“Happy Birthday” cheesecake from Crowne Plaza! 
Seriously YUM! 
The first thing Emmy did was “make her bed”. Sorry but this is just too cute for me! 
The little things 
Catching our breath before heading out for evening festivities
One of the reasons we chose the IHG hotel group is the budget variety accommodations. We love that we can keep it low key and family friendly in a Holiday Inn Express, but we can also upgrade for a little extra fluff and pizazz to the Crowne Plazas or Intercontinentals. I love that no matter which one we choose, we get amazing, quality service from the staff and feel like VIP’s every time. This one totally took the cake with the manager coming and giving us her personal number and saying that if we needed anything, to not hesitate to call her. She said that she personally deals with all the Elite members and VIP’s and she’d be happy to help make our stay the best we’ve had. It was certainly an amazing experience and hopefully we’ll be back before too long!
Ponce City Market
Once we checked into our hotel and freshened up for the evening, we headed to Ponce City Market for a little exploring! If you’ve never been, I highly recommend it! Just note that you can’t get on the rooftop with anyone under 21 past 5PM.
We showed up at 4:58 so unfortunately we didn’t make it for the ultimate views and activities, but there was still SO much to see and we had a great time! There are tons of fun and unique shops, as well as high end chains inside and out. In addition, there was an overwhelming amount of fun food and dining options and neat little side areas to chill and enjoy hanging out.
Trying for a cute little Instagram shot… 
But we’re 4 so it didn’t work that great. 
The original power, switch board 
Kinda feeling like I need an epic hat 
I feel in love with this little flower shop and wish I had a reason to by some! 
For real, yo! :,D 
Espresso cup ‘n’ saucer goals! 
It’s a good thing I never got into the “southern mama” bow style… she was not enthused and I’m sure she’d disown me as soon as possible. 
Despite the wide variety of food options, we opted to go back to the hotel’s dinner spot called NEXT because we were all super exhausted from hours of walking and we didn’t wan’t to be too wiped out for the next day. We already knew the food would be good but Isaac and I both agreed that this was one of the best dinners we’ve had out of all the other places we’ve been to eat in general. I’m currently trying to figure out how to get this salmon dish again! After dinner, we checked out the terrace. Even though it was closed for the season, we were able to take a quick peek at the gorgeous, nighttime city views.
Mac ‘n’ Cheese with grilled chicken! YUMMY! 
I got the salmon with the veggie medley and it was one of the best dishes I’ve eaten at *any* restaurant! 
All cozy for the night
This morning we woke up and enjoyed some coffee and chilling in the room and adjusting to the time change. Because Georgia is one hour ahead of Alabama time zone wise AND it was daylight savings, our bodies were off by about 2 hours. Pretty nuts but we made the most of it.
After we finally got our butts in gear, we got dressed, packed up, then grabbed a quick breakfast sandwich and coffee for the road and headed out for our next main destination for the weekend. And yes- you can totally tell I’m a low key, easily enthused mom by my birthday trip activity choices. Granted, kid free, they might be a bit more adventurous but I also love having Emmy on our adventures with us.
Fine Fabrics- Norcross, GA
I have been trying to go visit this textile shop since last fall! I finally made it! I cannot begin to express my ecstatic disposition as I walked through the door and saw the insane amount of variety, the affordable pricing, and the general atmosphere of creativity. I’ve been searching for an *actual* textile shop and will definitely be making this my number one go to for all my future projects!
I’ll take one of everything, please! 
Pretty sure I’m going to have to make myself a fall coat out of this! 
Just one of the 3 isles of zippers. 
Isaac and Emmy very kindly let me stay in there as long as I wanted and even went and sat in the car so I could gaulk in peace. Thank goodness I wan’t planning for a specific project or I guarantee I wouldn’t been in there about 3 hours vs. 1!
Cypress Street Pint and Plates
After much deliberation, we ended up at this place for a big lunch before our trek home. If you haven’t been before, we highly recommend trying it out and giving both the BBQ egg rolls and the pizza egg rolls a whirl!
Pizza Egg Roll 
BBQ Egg Rolls 
We made it home right at 5:30 so we got the car unpacked, I got my Walmart grocery pick up order submitted for the morning and Isaac and Emmy got some energy out and rode bikes. I also got to go for a 30 minute walk by myself which was so nice! The weather is nice and cool but not cold making it the perfect strolling weather. So here we are!
Unfortunately, I won’t have a Monday post for you due to all the crazy but hopefully I’ll have it up on Tuesday. This is a big week so if you want in on the insanity, follow my InstaStories on Instagram and comment, ask questions, get inspired, what have you! I’d love to see you around! Hoping your Monday is amazing and you’re ready for the week ahead!
Big Loss - Big Resolution 
Have you tried putting a couple drops of lemon oil in your water? That really helps me when I need some flavor! Or grapefruit or tangerine. Just make sure it’s a glass bottle!
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Yep. I’ve tried so many different flavorings including fresh fruit/ citrus, oils, mio, the little liquid flavoring things, etc. I’m super weird- to me the flavorings make it worse. I’m hoping it’s more a habit thing.
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