Celebrate in Style with Basic Invite: Your Ultimate Graduation Stationery Destination

Graduation is a milestone that deserves to be celebrated in the most memorable way possible. As a mother of three beautiful daughters and a content creator for brands like Ivy City Co and Studio Oh!, I understand the importance of making every special moment count. That's why I'm thrilled to share my experience with Basic Invite, an online stationery company that goes above and beyond to make your graduation invitations and grad party cards truly unique.

Unlimited Color Options

One of the standout features of Basic Invite is the incredible range of colors available. With over 180 different hues to choose from, you can customize every element of your card to match your style and theme. The instant online previews allow you to see your changes in real-time, ensuring that your graduation invitation is exactly how you envisioned it. This level of customization sets Basic Invite apart from other online stationery companies.

Custom Samples

Making sure your invitations are perfect is crucial, and Basic Invite understands that. They offer the option to order a printed sample of your actual invitation before placing the final order. This allows you to feel the paper quality, see how it will print, and ensure that everything is just right. It's a level of service that gives you peace of mind and confidence in your choices.

Complimentary Envelopes and Address Capturing Service

Every invitation order comes with free white peel-and-stick envelopes, ready for addressing. If you're looking to add a personal touch, Basic Invite offers upgrades to printed envelopes with guests' names, return addresses, or both. You can also choose from a variety of envelope colors to complement your event theme. Gathering addresses can be a hassle, but Basic Invite's address capturing service makes it a breeze. Share a personalized link on social media platforms like Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, or through text to request addresses from friends and family. The addresses are stored securely in your account and can be used during the design process.

Elegant Foil Options

For those looking to add a touch of elegance to their invitations, Basic Invite offers foil cards in gold, silver, and rose gold. You can choose between flat or raised foil on all foil designs, adding a luxurious feel to your graduation announcements.

Special Offer

To make your graduation stationery even more affordable, Basic Invite is offering 15% off with the coupon code: 15FF51. It's the perfect opportunity to get high-quality, personalized invitations at a great price.

Connect with Basic Invite

To get inspired and see more of their beautiful designs, follow Basic Invite on their social media platforms: Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. As you celebrate this significant achievement, let Basic Invite help you make it unforgettable with their exceptional graduation invitations and grad party cards. With their endless customization options, quality samples, and convenient services, your graduation stationery will be as unique and special as your journey.

Cozy Earth Holiday Gift Guide

Cozy Earth, where comfort meets luxury in every item is the secret to winning gift giving this holiday season. Whether you're shopping for a special someone or treating yourself, Cozy Earth offers a wide range of products that are sure to impress. Let's dive into some of their best offerings:

1. Bedding Collection

Transform any bedroom into a cozy retreat with Cozy Earth's bedding range. Choose from a variety of sheet sets, duvet covers, comforters, blankets & quilts, bedding bundles, shams, pillowcases, mattress pads, and pillows. They even have a special collection for babies. The materials used, like viscose from bamboo and linen, promise ultimate comfort and quality.

🔗 Explore Cozy Earth's Bedding Collection: Shop here!

2. Bath Essentials

Elevate the bath experience with luxurious bath sheets, towels, hand towels, washcloths, bath mats, and bath bundles. Don't forget their plush robes, perfect for lounging in comfort after a relaxing bath.

🔗 Discover Cozy Earth's Bath Essentials: Shop here!

3. Women's Apparel

Cozy Earth offers an exquisite range of women's apparel. Find the perfect gift in their selection of pajamas, loungewear, tops, bottoms, dresses, and robes. Their clothing items are designed to provide both comfort and style.

🔗 Browse Cozy Earth's Women's Apparel: Shop here!

4. Men's Apparel

For the men in your life, explore Cozy Earth's collection of apparel including pajamas, loungewear, shirts, pants & shorts, socks, and accessories. These pieces are perfect for those who appreciate a blend of comfort and class.

🔗 Explore Cozy Earth's Men's Apparel: Shop Here!

5. Accessories

Accessorize with Cozy Earth's range of socks, sleep masks, scrunchies, and dryer balls. Their bamboo sleep masks and scrunchies are among their best sellers and make for thoughtful, practical gifts.

🔗 Accessorize with Cozy Earth's Accessories: Shop here!

6. Oprah's Favorite Things

For something truly special, consider items from Oprah's top picks from Cozy Earth. These selections have been featured as Oprah's favorite things, making them an excellent choice for gifts.

Shop Oprah's Favorite Cozy Earth Products: Shpo here!

Remember, each product at Cozy Earth is crafted with the utmost care and attention to detail, ensuring that you're giving a gift that's not only luxurious but also ethically made and sustainable. Happy shopping! 🎁✨

This post is sponsored by Sanofi and Regeneron. 

Ari was the BEST baby! In the beginning, she was relatively easygoing despite our go-go-go  lifestyle, but, over time, we began to notice changes in her health. She was still under a year old when we took her to the ER for some breathing difficulties and for throwing up when she would  cough. They sent us home with a nebulizer and a diagnosis, and that’s where her – and also our – journey with moderate asthma officially began.  

My husband and I had never experienced the challenges that come with a moderate asthma diagnosis – it was overwhelming at first. But since then, we’ve experienced so much that’s taught us a lot along the way. 

One memory that stands out was a trip to the lake when Ari was about three – we were swimming with friends and I noticed Ari was out of breath and having long coughing fits. After weeks of proactively monitoring her symptoms, we realized there was pollen sitting on top of the water. After this “a-ha” moment, we started being extra vigilant about her asthma management to combat her flare ups. 

Over the years, we’ve also had to adapt Ari’s daily routine to ensure she can stay on top of her symptoms. When she started cheerleading, we worked with her coach to ensure she was always getting enough breaks in between drills to minimize the risk of her experiencing a flare up. We want her to be able to participate in more of the things she loves, while still making sure we, as her parents, are being proactive when we can. This includes helping her to recognize her symptoms on her own, so she knows when her moderate asthma has been triggered. 

Being 9 years old, she is at an age where she can understand what it means when her lungs hurt. Ari will now say “I feel like I can’t get good air,” in recognition of her symptoms, allowing us to act more quickly. 

Although Ari knows she has moderate asthma, she has never met someone who also shares her same diagnosis. But, this past summer, we traveled to NYC and changed that! In New York, we met other families living with moderate-to-severe asthma and connected with them on some of the similar obstacles that we’ve all faced along our journey. 

We participated in a video shoot for LungZone, an educational program from Sanofi and Regeneron that sheds light on the “a-ha” moments that caretakers of kids living with moderate to-severe asthma experience – moments that have empowered all of us to get the tools and resources to help our kids achieve better asthma control. It was so nice to be surrounded by people with relatable experiences, and to hear advice on things that worked for them when managing their child’s diagnosis!

I felt so inspired by the conversations we had on set, and it made me reflect on how Ari was oblivious to the severity of her condition in early years. While I have distinct memories of Ari being hospitalized due to her troubled breathing, Ari is clueless. However, she was impressed that I had shared guidelines and education with her cheerleading coach about her moderate asthma diagnosis. She had no idea I did that! There’s a lot to know and as her mom, it’s important for me to proactively manage her moderate asthma so she can keep doing the things she loves! 

My husband and I know that Ari’s experience living with moderate asthma can be a lifelong battle, and we are doing our best to make sure she has the best childhood possible.

Thanks to Sanofi and Regeneron for encouraging me to share our journey with moderate asthma. I hope other families will be inspired by our story! 

If you or someone you care for has uncontrolled moderate-to-severe asthma, consider reading about DUPIXENT® (dupilumab). DUPIXENT® is an add-on medication for adults and children 6 years and older with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe eosinophilic or oral steroid dependent asthma that can help improve lung function and help prevent severe asthma attacks.  

DUPIXENT® blocks two of the key sources of inflammation in the lungs and can help those living with moderate-to-severe asthma breathe easier and fight their asthma symptoms every day. DUPIXENT® has been shown to help prevent severe asthma attacks and can reduce or eliminate the need for oral steroids, in some patients. The most common side effects in patients with asthma include injection site reactions, high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), pain in the throat (oropharyngeal pain), and parasitic (helminth) infections. Ariana is not on DUPIXENT® as part of her treatment plan, but you can read more about people’s experience with this treatment here.  

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION & INDICATION 

Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT®

Before using DUPIXENT, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you: 

• have a parasitic (helminth) infection 

• are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. You should not receive a “live vaccine” right before and during treatment with DUPIXENT. 

• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether DUPIXENT will harm your unborn  baby. 

o A pregnancy registry for women who take DUPIXENT during pregnancy collects information about the health of you and your baby. To enroll or get more information call 1-877-311- 8972 or go to https://mothertobaby.org/ongoing-study/dupixent/. 

• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known whether DUPIXENT passes into your breast milk. 

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.  

Especially tell your healthcare provider if you are taking oral, topical, or inhaled corticosteroid medicines or use an asthma medicine. Do not change or stop your corticosteroid medicine or other asthma medicine without talking to your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by the corticosteroid medicine or other asthma medicine to come back. 

DUPIXENT can cause serious side effects, including: 

• Allergic reactions. DUPIXENT can cause allergic reactions that can sometimes be severe. Stop using DUPIXENT and tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms: breathing problems or wheezing, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat, fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded, fast pulse, fever, hives, joint pain, general ill feeling, itching, skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, nausea or vomiting, or cramps in your stomach-area. 

• Inflammation of your blood vessels. Rarely, this can happen in people with asthma who receive DUPIXENT. This may happen in people who also take a steroid medicine by mouth that is being stopped or the dose is being lowered. It is not known whether this is caused by DUPIXENT. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have: rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of your arms or legs, or persistent fever. 

• Joint aches and pain. Some people who use DUPIXENT have had trouble walking or moving due to their joint symptoms, and in some cases needed to be hospitalized. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or worsening joint symptoms. Your healthcare provider may stop DUPIXENT if you develop joint symptoms. 

The most common side effects in patients with asthma include injection site reactions, high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), pain in the throat (oropharyngeal pain), and parasitic (helminth) infections. 

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.  These are not all the possible side effects of DUPIXENT. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit  www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. 

Use DUPIXENT exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. It’s an injection given under the skin (subcutaneous injection). Your healthcare provider will decide if you or your caregiver can inject DUPIXENT. Do not try to prepare and inject DUPIXENT until you or your caregiver have been trained by your healthcare provider. In children 12 years of age and older, it’s recommended DUPIXENT be administered by or under supervision of an adult. In children 6 to less than 12 years of age, DUPIXENT should be given by a caregiver. 

Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information including Patient Information.

INDICATION 

DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of moderate-to-severe eosinophilic or oral steroid dependent asthma in adults and children 6 years of age and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines. DUPIXENT helps prevent severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) and can improve your breathing. DUPIXENT may also help reduce the amount of oral corticosteroids you need while preventing severe asthma attacks and improving your breathing. DUPIXENT is not used to treat sudden breathing problems. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with asthma under 6 years of age. 

DUP.23.08.0708

This post is sponsored by Toro, but as always the opinions posted here are my own.

 Summer is FINALLY almost here, which means we are spending the next few weeks “spring cleaning” and getting our yard spruced up! We love entertaining and having friends over, and typically the first thing you see when you get to someone's house is their yard! We have been wanting a striping mower for a while now, so we have teamed up with Toro to try out some of their products! We decided to go with the 60V Max Stripe mower as well as the Brushless String Trimmer. We loved that you could use the same battery for both these tools and you never have to worry about getting gas (or smelling like it!!) 

Let's look at some of the features of the two products we received! 

First up, the 60V Max Stripe mower is 25% lighter than other battery powered mowers, which makes it easy to push through the yard! You can also customize your speed with an adjustable speed control knob. This mower also offers SmartStow which makes it easy to fold, lock, clean and store, saving up to 70% of your valuable garage space!! 

The brushless string trimmer can use the same battery as the mower, which makes it so easy to switch between jobs! The battery can last up to 50 minutes and is so lightweight but super durable! 

These items are super easy to find. It's as easy as clicking here where you can also get $20 off on a handheld tool.BUT, now is your chance to WIN your very own summer of stripes! Use my code: KATIE when entering and you can double your chances!! I can’t wait to see who wins! 

Click the image to shop and enter the sweepstakes!

Over the winter, a friend and I did some research and found some really cool places to eat, shop and explore in Wayne County, KY! There are SO many hidden gems in this small town and I can’t wait to share the ones we visited with you!!

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IVY BLISS BOUTIQUE

Our first stop was clothes! I have shopped Ivy Bliss online before but had never made it into the storefront. Let me just tell you- she has done a beautiful job with this place! There are shoes, tops, jackets, dresses- you name it, she probably has it! I tried on some spring clothes and then snagged a couple of outfits for the weekend. She has a dressing room in the back as well as tons of spots for photos! All of the outfits you see in this blog are from Ivy Bliss!

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HAPPY HOPPERS

This coffee shop has everything you could wish for! They offer seasonal specials, the everyday mixes and some signature options. There is truly something for everyone here and the coffee is SO good! They also have muffins and breakfast or lunch sandwiches and plenty of space to sit and enjoy whatever you picked! They also offered some outdoor seating as well, which I took advantage of once it warmed up a bit! This place is so cute and the service was 10/10.

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RAE + PALM

After grabbing some coffee, we went downtown to do a little more shopping! We went into a new store Rae + Palm. They had some of the cutest decor I have ever seen! They had everything from coffee mugs to tea towels, to decorative pillows. Everything was so carefully placed, it looks like it came straight out of a magazine. They carry a lot of classic and timeless items which I absolutely love. We took a ton of photos here so you can get a better idea of the items they carry. They are not online yet, but a visit to the storefront is a must when visiting Wayne County!

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POOL HALL

The Pool Hall is iconic here in Wayne County! If you visit, it is an absolute must!! The burgers are made fresh, right in front of you, then you can get the works if you wish with your choice of salt, ketchup, cheese, mustard and onions. I went with everything but ketchup and I could have eaten 10 more haha! The atmosphere here is very chill, and there are a few tables to sit at as well as some pool tables! You will not be disappointed, I promise!!

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WILDFLOWER MARKET

After lunch we went to Wildflower market, which is across the street from the Pool Hall. This is such a cute shop with a little bit of everything! They have coffees, cupcakes, homemade soaps, teas, and more! I wish I could send the smell of this shop through the computer, because it was just so good! They also do cupcakes for events too, which I will definitely be utilizing in the future! They have so many flavors and combinations and they were so delicious! Stopping in here for a pick me up is a must!

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BLACK STALLION

Next we decided it was time for a drink! We headed over to The Black Stallion where they have a full bar out back on their enclosed patio. They also have a full food menu with everything from steak, to pasta, to salads, to burgers, you name it! This would be a great place to take a group because there are tons of options for every kind of eater. They also have a full bar, so you have tons of options there as well. I went with a frozen strawberry margarita, which was SO good!

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MILL SPRINGS

After all the goodies we consumed, it was time for a hike! We headed over to Mill Springs, right on Lake Cumberland. Mill Springs is a historic watermill built in 1877 and the grounds surrounding it are beautiful. We were walking near the waterfall and saw an otter swim right past us and jump down into the lake! It was quite the site to see!

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CONLEY BOTTOM RESORT

The last stop on our tour of Wayne County was Conley Bottom Resort. My family and I spend a lot of our summer here and we love it! They have houseboat rentals, pontoon rentals and have an entire store full of lake day essentials. They are currently building a restaurant, but offer pizza and ice cream as well as snacks inside. Conley Bottom also has a campground for nightly rentals and permanent RV sites as well.

Wayne County also has another marina, Beaver Creek, on Lake Cumberland. They offer houseboat and small boat rentals. They have covered an uncovered slips for rent as well.

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As you can see, this small town in southern Kentucky has tons to offer! Whether you’re looking to shop, eat, grab a coffee or dessert, or get outside- there are options for everyone! There are quite a few murals throughout the city as well as some huge, painted Adirondack chairs that would make for the perfect photo opp! Make sure to tag @livelakecumberland in your photos when you come down, so they can share as well! Safe Tavels!

Xo- Katie

Before Thanksgiving, Corey and I started planning our February getaway. We try to take an adults only trip in winter to get away from the cold for a long weekend! We knew we wanted to do an all-inclusive resort and I have been wanting to go to Cabo for at least 15 years, so our search began! When I found Pueblo Bonito, I was instantly obsessed and knew we had to go there!

We decided on The Towers at Pacifica for 3 nights! We were traveling from Kentucky and it was about a 6 hour flight in total. When you stay at the Towers, you have access to a butler around the clock! You also have access to the whale watching VIP lounge and are able to check into your room from there, where we were met with drinks and the most delicious guacamole, chips and salsa!

During our stay, we popped around to a few of the other resorts Pueblo Bonito owns, and were able to get there by their free shuttle. Our butler helped set up all of the transportation and reservations! Below is a breakdown of our time spent at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica and a list of the places we ate! I truly cannot express how delicious and fresh all of the food was here!!!

DAY 1:

Upon arrival, we went straight to the whale watching VIP lounge to check in and get some snacks and drinks. The lounge has a stunning view of the ocean and we saw 3 whales pop up within 5 minutes of being there! Our butler said that whale season was November-April and it was an incredible sight to see! Afterwards, we went to our room where our bags had been delivered for us; we changed and headed straight for the pool to relax for a couple of hours before dinner!

Night 1:

Night 1 we visited the onsite restaurant, Peninsula . We chose to dine outside on the balcony overlooking the ocean. This restaurant was stunning with white tablecloths and beautiful decor. We ordered the catch of the day appetizer which was fantastic! For the main course I had the shrimp in lobster butter and Corey had the Carne Asada. The service was top notch and we left dinner very full!

After dinner we went down to the beach where they had fire pits and chairs set up around them. It was so cozy, we ended up staying there for a few hours just talking and hanging out! Everyone we met whether it was staff or just other travelers, they were all SO friendly.

DAY 2:

On day 2 we were up at 6:30 AM Cabo time. We got dressed and headed back up to the VIP lounge for some coffee and breakfast! We hung out up there for a while just enjoying the warm morning and sunshine! Something we hadn’t seen or felt in far too long! After that we had an appointment for a couples massage. The spa was everything we needed and then some. 55 minutes of pure heaven. Corey and I both left there feeling brand new.

The rest of the day was spent at our cabana on the beach! You could order drinks and snacks right from there and the bed was suspended so it swung with the wind. This was the most relaxed I have possibly ever been! Until Corey discovered the ping pong table and had to challenge me to some friendly competition! ;)

Night 2

On the second night of the trip we took the shuttle up to LaFrida , which is at Pacifica’s sister property, Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach. This was the best meal Corey and I had each had in a LONG time! The menu was so unique and the server did an impeccable job explaining what everything was and how it was made. We both tried Oxtail (something we had never had before) and I can’t recommend it enough. It was incredible. We ended the meal with the funnel cake and the basically had to carry us out of the restaurant! It was that good!

Day 3

The third day was our last full day and we wanted to do everything!! We started out with a wonderful breakfast at Quivira Clubhouse. The grounds at Quivira were stunning! Corey and I both had a big breakfast with eggs, cheese and chorizo that was out of this world!

After arriving back to Pacifica, we spoke with our Butler, and he arranged for us a trip down to another sister site, Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos. There, were were able to hop on and do a boat tour of the Arch of Cabo San Lucas. I love that we were able to schedule everything right from our resort, and we felt so comfortable! We were also able to order drinks and everything at Los Cabos was included since they were a sister property!

Night 3

For our last dinner We went back to Quivira for the steakhouse! I wish I could have eaten this meal over and over again. We started with the sliced tuna wrapped in smoked bacon. Say no more, right? It was as amazing at it sounds. For the main course I had the filet mignon with macaroni and cheese. 20/10- SO GOOD!

After dinner we headed back down to Pacifica and the fire pits. They had a DJ up at the bar by the pool and we saw some friends we had made earlier in the day. We spent the last night dancing and having an absolute blast. There is truly something for everyone at this resort!!

Our stay at The Towers at Pacifica was out of this world. From the Butler, to the VIP lounge. to the spa day, to the incredible service and meals- everything was top notch. We truly felt so spoiled and it was SO hard to leave this place! We can’t wait to go back!!

For those of you who don’t already know this, our oldest daughter Ariana was diagnosed with allergies and asthma as an infant. She has battled asthma and breathing difficulties her entire life! This was a complete surprise as both my husband and I as well as our families have hardly any issues with either of those things. It has been a complete learning process and we have made it our mission to help spread awareness on what has worked for us along the way!

First and foremost, please find a doctor you can trust and consult with them before taking any advice.

Ariana was first prescribed a nebulizer back in 2018. Before this day, I had no idea what a nebulizer even was, much less the different options there were. We went with what our doctor at the time recommended and had used that one for a few years.

In August of 2021, just in time for the start of peak asthma and allergy season, I discovered that there are more options out there! We had been using a nebulizer that was extremely loud and honestly kind of intimidating for a little girl. She would cry every time we got it out because it scared her! Well, we finally made the switch and asked our doctor for a prescription for the OMRON Healthcare Portable MicroAir nebulizer and the OMRON CompAir Compressor for kids. Our doctor was even impressed by the size and the sound of both. The pediatric nebulizer also comes with a little elephant on the mask so Ari has something to look at while she does her breathing treatment.

Then there is the OMRON Portable MicroAir nebulizer that is so small it can fit inside my cross body purse and we can take it with us wherever we are going. This is HUGE as a mama of a busy 7 year old! I want her to be able to go out and do the things she wants to do without having to worry! It also comes with a mask which all fit right down into the case that it comes with!

While I of course wish my daughter and no children had to deal with asthma, I am extremely thankful for OMRON Healthcare for making a nebulizer that fits the needs of families! They are affordable, and kid friendly and we have been so happy with these two nebulizers for our Ari bug!!

For more information about OMRON and for their tools that they provide for our health, especially during peak asthma and allergy season- Click here!

We took our first flight as a family of 5 to Charleston for Fall Break and it honestly went better than I could have even imagined!! Starting from the top:

1- We flew a new airline out of Louisville called Breeze. They do 3 nonstop flights out of Louisville, one of them being to Charleston, SC. I have now flown on this airline 3 times and have been extremely happy each time. They are a budget airline so everything is pretty cheap, but you have to add everything separately (bags, picking your seat, etc.) The 5 of us were able to fly plus 3 bags for around $800 which I thought was amazing!

As far as the flight iteself, the girls did amazing! They had two rows of 2 seats so Ariana did have to sit in the row in front of us, but we downloaded a movie on her iPad and she was totally fine! The flight itself was only 1 hour so it was pretty quick and easy. Each of the girls had their own iPad with their own shows downloaded (there was no wifi on the flight so this would be a must-do) and we also brought a backpack full of snacks! 10000/10. So much better than driving 10 hours! Here are some photos from our flight-

Once we arrived at the Charleston airport, we had already rented a car from Enterprise and that process was very easy once we got there. I will say I was not impressed by their car seats we rented though and my husband had to fix the straps because they were not in correctly. If you are comfortable flying with your carseats, I would definitely recommend doing that.

We drove 30 minutes to Folly Beach, making a pit stop at Chick Fil A. PSA- there is one about halfway from the airport to Folly and it was a Godsend with 5 hungry people! We stayed at the Charleston Oceanfront Villas. We rented through VRBO and it had everything we needed. This place does NOT have a heated pool which was kind of a bummer since we were there in October, but we survived =) . The location was top notch. It was in walking distance from center street which has restaurants, bars and a cute little coffee shop that I went to daily!

Besides hanging at the beach everyday, we did go into Charleston to do some site seeing! First up was the Charleston Harbor Boat Tour. Definitely a cool experience if you have never been to the area before. We got to see Ft. Sumpter and lots of historic landmarks on the water. The boat served snacks and drinks + alcohol, all for purchase!

After the boat tour we went straight over to the Boone Hall Plantation. Part of this plantation was used in the movie The Notebook and the Avenue of Oaks was something I have wanted to see my entire life. It was absolutely worth the drive. (About 25 minutes from the Harbor Tour). Seriously, if you are heading to the Charleston area, I highly recommend going to Boone Hall. We did a tour of the grounds and a self-guided tour of the home. Sawyer was napping in the car so Corey and I took turns seeing the property with Chandler and Ari. Here are some photos from there!

After we left the plantation we went back to the condo to get ready for dinner! We walked from our condo to Wiki Wiki on Center Street! We had lots of apps, drinks and dinner and everyone loved it! Its a fun, laidback spot and they have lots of options!

The next day, we had family beach photos done with Jewel Lia Photography and she is an absolute gem! She was so patient and kind with my wild kiddos, and the photos turned out absolutely stunning! I can’t say enough good things about her and the experience! The rest of the trip was spent relaxing on the beach and the girls played in the ocean A LOT! We had such a great time and the beach there is so laid back. It was quiet, given it was October and we had a late fall break, so most everyone else had already returned to school. We are already planning another trip back for Spring break!!

We finally transitioned Chandler to a big girl bed!! She is thrilled and I of course had an emotional breakdown about it. Something about your baby moving out of a crib is just bittersweet!

So with that, we weighed all of our options. Do we go with a twin bed? Do we get a padded headboard? Do we get bed rails? There are so many questions and options out there, so I wanted to share what worked for us!

We decided to go with a full sized bed, so that she can use it throughout her childhood, as she grows! Then we were looking at how to keep her from rolling off the bed, because while she does have more room, she still rolls around a lot! We decided to go with the Regalo Baby Bed Bumpers! I loved how soft they were, they fit right under her sheet, and she won’t hurt her arm, leg or head if she hits them in the night.

I attached some more photos below so you can see how they work. Both of them will go under her sheet, but I wanted you to be able to visualize them as well.

You can click the link below to go straight to the website! We have been super happy with them, and Chandler has yet to fall out of her bed ☺️

https://regalo-baby.com/products/single-foam-bed-bumper

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx

Christmas came a little early to the Rankin Girls! They got to open their BabbleBoxx which was full of all kinds of age appropriate activities and toys for all of the girls!

First thing we got out was the Will You Be My Friend? Book, by Sam McBratney. Ari is in 1st grade and is absolutely in love with reading. She was really excited for this and has read it to her sisters a few times now. We also have the Guess How Much I Love You book, and this one is the sequel!

Click the link to shop!

Next was the Silly Skaters Unicorn Inflatable Ride-On Toy by Kid Trax. It is recommended for kiddos age 1-3. Sawyer is 1 and Chandler is 3, so they play on it together constantly. It has light up wheels when it moves, and it’s inflatable on top so it’s super comfy for them.

Ari especially loved the Grab-n-Go Conversation Cards / Let’s Jokes! / Let’s Think! / Let’s Talk! Set from Open the Joy! She has been telling jokes all day and night! I personally loved the Let’s Talk set, because it got me asking her questions I didn’t even know the answers to! They were easy for Ari to read too, which made it even more fun. These would be great stocking stuffers!

Chandler and Ari were so intrigued with the Baby Alive Tinycorn Doll. They thought it was hilarious that you could feed the baby a bottle like a real baby and then it would also use the restroom in its diaper. The girls laughed and laughed and changed their baby, while I was changing their baby sister. So much fun!

Click the photo to shop!

Next up was the Box of 4 Assorted Soaps from the Best-Selling Kids Collections and Hand Cleansing Spray from Beloved Bath. This one was super special to me because they hire people with Autism to work there! My career has been in working with individuals with special needs, so this warms my heart!

Enter the code “babbleboxx” at checkout and save 15% off your entire order now through December 20, 2020. Limit one per customer. Click to shop!

Lastly was the activity Play On! from Bay Area Children’s Theatre. Ari was setting it up for “snowball soccer” and then afterwards they also used the snowballs for their own snowball fight! We were so thankful for some screen-free fun!

Use code ADVENTURE10 to get 10% off all Play On! orders. Click the photo to go to the website!

If you have any questions about the above products, I would be more than happy to answer them for you!! You can comment here, or email me privately and I will get back to ya as soon as possible!!