Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Pumpkinland & Apple Picking

 Last Friday we kicked off our fall bucket list and crossed apple picking off the list early.  In the past we'd gone early to mid October and found the apples were better now even with less to pick because of Covid.  This weekend I'm looking forward to using many of them for apple crisp, muffins, etc.

After that we made our first visit to Pumpkinland and picked some pumpkins to start decorating our front porch.  Tatum was most into helping pull the wagon and riding in it.  Looking forward to lots more fall fun to come!



Tuesday, September 22, 2020

This & That: End of Summer

 We have jumped right into fall this past week or so and have been having the nicest sunny, cooler days.  It's hard to believe going to the pool and things like that were just a couple weeks ago.  We finished up the summer with many pool days.


Golf continues to be Tatum's favorite sport - he plays daily around the house with his many clubs and putting sets, packs his clubs for walks with me to stop and play outside and goes to the country club with Derek any chance he gets.


Just before Labor Day we got some baby brother announcements out into the mail for a few family members and friends - crafting and activities like this are getting more fun with Tatum and he has tons of excitement for baby brother - a few baby updates finally coming soon!


Weekend before last when we were up in New York we enjoyed wedding events the whole weekend - we had a great time kicking things off at the rehearsal dinner.


It's been so nice getting back into a weekly routine now that summer is over, Tatum is in his preschool pod and I've had time to catch up and get things done.  It's been earlier to bed, earlier waking up and many days you can find me taking a break with Tatum during nap time.

Monday, September 21, 2020

Weekend Wedding Scenes

Last weekend we headed up to New York to celebrate our best friends' wedding.  It was rescheduled from June and smaller than expected but we all had the best time celebrating them - they had the perfect wedding weather too.


Derek and I were both in the wedding as well as Tatum, who was the ring bearer - he had a blast and also loved getting to stay up late all weekend and all the attention too. 

Friday, September 11, 2020

First Day of School

 


Back to school all ready!  This year Tatum will be in two day preschool - hopefully in person at somepoint.  His school is closed for now and reevaluating in October.  For now we have a preschool pod with some neighborhood kids that meets twice a week.

We did the same easy back to school breakfast as last year of powdered sugar donuts and posed for his pictures.  He was so excited about his backpack and going to school with friends even if it wasn't into the actual school as planned.



Thursday, September 10, 2020

Gender Reveal

Over the summer we had a gender reveal party with a few friends.  We kept it simple with roast beef sandwiches, chicken wings, pasta and salad plus items for the kids and desserts.


We were thrilled to share the blue news of baby brother.  With Tatum's gender reveal we had confetti poppers so we kept with the theme and did confetti balloons.


With Coronavirus we tried to keep it small with a few neighbors and told family at the lake with a homemade cake and other family via FaceTime with Tatum holding up a baby brother sign - fun to spread it all out.

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Nantucket Travel Guide

Like Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket has been on the bucket list for a while, especially after reading so many Elin Hilderbrand books.  It was worth the hassle of getting there and a beautiful island with so many fun experiences.

Travel & Overview:

Smaller than Martha's Vineyard with one main town, the streets in town are a little more spread out which makes things like pushing a stroller easier!  You know you're on Main Street when you see the cobblestone and if staying close to the heart of town, you can walk to most things.

Definitely on an island here - it was breezy and windy (I wore a headband a lot!) and could get much cooler at nights.

Stay:

Nantucket Hotel & Resort: This is where we stayed and it was a great spot.  Walking distance into town, great for families with two pools, shuttle service to the beach and shuttle service to pickup your luggage at the ferry as well as cottages and hotel rooms.

White Elephant: Another  great spot for families with hotels and cottages (and other locations around the island - lofts, inn) and right across from Children's Beach, walking distance into town.

Eat:

Millie's: Delicious Mexican food and worth the wait - our wait was about an hour but during normal summers  they said 2-3 hour waits can be normal.  You can walk to Madaket Beach to play or watch the sunset so it goes fast.

Brant Point Grille: Probably our favorite meal on Nantucket, the fresh tomato and burrata from Bartlett's Farm is amazing and the lobster mac and cheese is hard to pass up.  Lots of open grass for kids to play (usually lawn games are out) and boats in the distance.

Something Natural: The best sandwiches - they are huge, we got whole sandwiches when we could barely eat half but very tasty.  Lemonade/ice tea, chips, fresh cookies - great for a picnic - usually there are picnic tables outside there but we ate on our cottage porch.

Provisions: Great spot on the wharf for coffee, breakfast items and sandwiches.

Juice Bar: Always a wait and for good reason - the best ice cream on the island and tons of flavors to choose from.

To Do:

Beaches: Brandt Point was my personal favorite - great for kids and you can watch the boats come and go.  Children's Beach was another great spot for families as it's walkable from the hotels. Jettie's is bigger but not many waves so again good for kids - many people were complaining about jelly fish stings thought. Steps Beach has the most gorgeous entry, definitely instagram worthy.  Madaket is a great spot with plenty of beach, lots of waves and the best sunsets on the island.

Shopping in Town: Favorite shops listed below, I've even place an online order since being home.

Endeavor Sailing: This was a first time sailing for each of us and such a fun way to spend an afternoon.  I was a little nervous for the minutes we were out on the Nantucket Sound and water was really splashing but the calmer sailing in the harbor was great.

Sconset Bluff Walk: A mile or so long walk behind the gorgeous homes of Sconset.

Sunset in Madaket: The best spot on the island for a sunset and one not to miss - it was gorgeous.

Shop:

Nantucket Peddler: Right near the Hyline and our favorite spot for Nantucket gear - they have all you need

Kidding Around Nantucket: The cutest kids store - I've even placed an online order for the boys since we've been home.

Peach Tree Kids: Another cute kids shop, preppy/summery outfits and toys.

Nantucket Surf Shop: Good spot for classic Nantucket items.

Vineyard Vines: Martha's Vineyard might have the original but Nantucket has the nicer store in my opinion - there was more options for both Derek and Tatum here.

Four Winds Gifts: Christmas ornaments, souvenirs, gifts to take home, etc. this is your spot for it all

It's a Shore Thing: home items and nicer gifts.

Nantucket Book Works: Adorable old fashioned book store with books, a special Nantucket section and a great kids area with toys/books in the back.

Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Baby Brother

Very excited to share that baby number two, a little brother is coming in January!  We're all very excited, especially big brother, Tatum!