TBB Asks // Summer Lovin' Q & A

My darling friend Andrea hosts the most fun Q & A link ups over at The Blended Blog at the start of each month.  I'm excited to join in on the fun with her and the gals there today!  Let's get right to that summer fun, shall we?

Walk or Bike Ride?

While I really enjoy both, if I had to chose one or the other I'd pick a walk.  Sweet family walk and talks are a nearly nightly activity for my family in the summertime.  I cherish every moment of that time spent together chatting about anything and everything while enjoying the great outdoors together!  A family bike ride is definitely on my summer bucket list too! ;)

Favorite Picnic Food?

I just finished prepping a Trip Report Tuesday Disney post that included the perfect picnic food!  This is a fruit and cheese picnic platter from Gaston's Tavern in Magic Kingdom.  Cheese, fruit, a croissant, and a hard boiled egg, what more could you need?  A LeFou's Brew to wash it down is always good, but that's not as easy to recreate for picnics as this perfect platter was!

Pool or Lake?

My answer to this one depends on the activity.  I prefer to swim in a pool, but for all other activities (boating, picnicking, etc.) I vote the lake!  

If you've been around here for a bit you likely know that our local lake is one of my favorite spots to spend time with family.  We also enjoy kicking off the summer with a getaway to the Iowa Great Lakes each year.  We just returned from celebrating Jason's big 4-0 there over the weekend and it was an absolute blast!  

*A big THANK YOU to everyone who left such sweet comments with birthday wishes on Friday's post!  Y'all make my heart smile!

I'm not sure which was better, the food or the view!  

Favorite Flavor of Ice Cream?

Ben and Jerry's The Tonight Dough is hands down my FAVORITE flavor of ice cream!  So yummy!

Ice Cream Cone or in a Dish?

Dish!  One large enough to share with my hubby?  Yes, please and thank you!  This beauty is the No Way Jose at the Beaches and Cream Soda Shop between Disney's Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts!  Highly recommend!

Flip Flops or Slides

Flip Flops!  These cuties (and a twin pair for my oldest daughter) were a serious score at Kmart a few years back!  They were on sale for $5.99 plus buy one get one half off!  Less than $10 for both pairs and I'm still wearing them!

Jean Shorts or Jean Capris

For summertime I say shorts, because the temps make those much more comfortable.  In the spring months capris are always a welcome piece of my wardrobe too.

Favorite Summer Fruit

 

Photo from a display in Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

"Pineapple princess", he calls me pineapple princess all day

As he plays his ukulele on the hill above the bay

"Pineapple princess, I love you, you're the sweetest girl I've seen.  Some day we're gonna marry and you'll be my pineapple queen"  

Pineapples are my favorite fruit and clearly lead me to song!

Corn on the Cob or Cut Off the Cob?

Corn ON the cob is the most scrumptious side on a summer night!  To be honest though, my husband and I have made a meal of it more than once!  My in-laws often have sweet corn growing on their land and let me tell you, fresh sweet corn alongside a BLT is one of my favorite summer suppers!

Favorite Summertime Song?

This is what the girls and I sing when "school's out, scream and shout!"

Favorite Summertime Activity?

Those aforementioned family walk and talks!  Heading out together for a sweet stroll in our favorite scenic spots makes for the perfect combo of family time, exercise, soaking up Vitamin D, and taking in the beauty that our area has to offer!

Favorite Berry - Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, or Blackberry?

Strawberries and blueberries together in a sweet smoothie!

Bikinis, Tankinis, or One Piece?

Tankini

Dresses or Skirts?

Dresses

One Word to Describe Summer?

G L O R I O U S !


Thanks for popping by today!  I'd love to hear about your summertime faves in the comment section below!

Join me in the adventures to come!

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Five Loves on Friday // BEST Week Ever!

Happy Friday, friends, and that it truly is!  Happy, happy, happy!  I think this may be the most excited I've been to type up a Five Loves post in quite some time!  I have so much goodness to share with you today!  It helps that I'm typing it from our new computer chair too!  Ahh, sweet comfort!  

Ready, set, spin, let's do this!

*It's all so good that I'm not playing favorites with order here today.  These loves are listed chronologically, friends. ;)

One  //  Let's start this post with a happy dance, because...

We completed our eighth year of homeschooling!  I couldn't be more proud of my girls or more excited for the summer fun to come!

Two  //  Dinner at my Sweet In-laws'

Monday evening Jason's parents invited us out for a fantastic feast!  My father-in-law grilled us up scrumptious steaks that we were talking about them for days afterward.  They were perfectly complimented by several sides (bread, potatoes, veggies, and more) whipped up by my sweet and hospitable MIL! 

We live a ways apart and don't see each other all that often, so it was truly a treat to catch up over all that deliciousness!  Since this week marked the start of our summer vacation, the girls were able to stay overnight and enjoy some extra time with grandma and grandpa.  The next day they visited their great grandma, took a beautiful stroll around a lake near her home, and went out shopping.  I'm thankful we all had an opportunity to enjoy quality time together this week!

Three  //  Celebrating my Sister

Tuesday was my sister's birthday!  Those of you who follow along on instagram may have caught this 80s shot of the two of us I posted in celebration of this fun occasion!

We were thrilled that of all the ways she could spend her Special Day, she chose to have her family and my own meet at our parents' place for a birthday bash! 

We had such a great time together as a family!  We laughed til our eyes filled with happy tears, which is always a sign of a day well spent!  She received some wonderful gifts, the two I included above were handmade with much thought and even more love!  Our dad is such a great craftsman and he created the coolest triple tiered stand for her!  I look forward to seeing the ways she decorates it up, surely adorably!  My Little One created a watering "can" and even hand painted a design on it in her aunt's favorite color!  I hope these gifts, and the gathering of those who love her so very much, made her feel as special as she is to us all!

Four  //  Happy Mail

You guys, we had such a GOOD mail week here!  I often save the best for last, but right now I can't wait to jump right into the BEST care package I've received this year!  It came from the great state of California, the home of my blogging bestie, Chrissy!  She never ceases to amaze me with her continual thoughtfulness, generosity, and awesomeness in general!  Check out what she filled this fun "just because" care package with! ...

Disney goodies galore!

Aren't these buttons SO cute?!  They made me even more excited for our next Disney vacay!  She ordered them from My Park Flair.

From BlueFairyBodyShop on Etsy

She wasn't kidding!  This lip balm is the bomb! ;) 

Chrissy recently scored a tour of Walt Disney Animation Studios!  While there she picked us up this cool pin of Stage 1, where they filmed the original Mouseketeers!

Isn't this little Belle she sent Princess the sweetest?!

Chrissy makes the cutest mouse ear headbands, as seen in my Trip Report Tuesday post this week!  (You can find her Etsy shop here:  AdventuresInDIYShop)  Shortly after Little One got her own sewing machine Chrissy mentioned the possibility of teaching her how to make her own ears.  We LOVED the sound of that, but weren't sure how that'd work with her half the country away from us.  What an amazing surprise it was to open this care package and find an "Ear Making Kit" prepared especially for Little One!  As you can see from her reactions, she was over the moon about this gift!  Chrissy included all of the supplies needed, each prepped and ready to go.  Once we'd received the package she emailed us with step-by-step instructions.  You know you'll be seeing those ears in future trip reports, friends!

Next up, the new Tervis tumblers I ordered!  

After my Draper James cheery cherry tumblers turned out to be so great, I couldn't resist ordering more for the entire family!  Right now they're offering stackable specials -  10% off when you sign up for emails, free shipping when you buy 2 or more (no code needed), and buy 3 get 1 free (promo code: 4MOM, good through 5/15/17 for anyone interested) so, I couldn't resist adding a couple more to the cart for myself as well!  These were my picks...

I should add that this is not an ad, friends!  I just can't help but share things we love with y'all!  I still can't get over how well they keep our drinks cold!  Jason left his out in the car for hours while we visited his parents and his drink still had ice in it on the drive home!  Also, the fact that they're dishwasher safe makes my life so much simpler! ;)   

Next, my palm tree adoring, list loving heart skipped a beat when I opened this prettiness...

Lilly Pulitzer Island Time Notebook 

This mini notebook in the same pattern as my blogging planner was calling my name!  I anticipate filling its pages with oodles of lovely lists this summer!

Lastly, I got a perfectly themed, pink piece for our upcoming lake trip (& all the annual ones to follow). 

Anchor Bracelet // Charming Charlie

It was on sale, plus purchased during free shipping.  How could I resist?  

Five  //  We secured our next DISNEY VACATION reservations!

This week we put our 2017 Disney Vacation Club points to very good use booking some beautiful accommodations for our upcoming Disney Christmastime vacation!  I'm excited to share those deets with you today!

We will be resort hopping between these three beauties this trip...

We'll begin with a couple evenings at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort!

{image source}

We tried and failed to get reservations here earlier.  Jason put us on a wait list, but we really didn't expect anything to come of that.  However, this week availability opened up and the reservation was ours!  Thank you to whoever cancelled their trip allowing us the studio that we can hardly wait to enjoy! ;)

{image source}


Followed by a few nights at our Disney Vacation Club  Home Resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge!







 Photo credit:  Tom Bricker of www.DisneyTouristBlog.com

We'll finish our trip with a week at the newest addition to Disney Vacation Club accommodations,  Copper Creek Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge!  

These DVC Villas are so new in fact, they aren't even open yet!  They'll start "welcoming home" guests this summer.  I caught a preview of the resort and couldn't stop swooning over the 1 Bedroom Villas.  I was so pleasantly surprised that we were able to score several nights there!

{image source}

For any one interested in seeing more about this new addition to Disney's DVC offerings, I'll include an overview intro vid and just below it, a Copper Creek rooms preview...

*If you are reading this blog post via an email subscription you can view this video here.

*If you are reading this blog post via an email subscription you can view this video here.

While we've enjoyed dinner here in the past, we have never stayed at Wilderness Lodge. We couldn't be more excited that our first stay here will be during the Christmas season as Disney Tourist Blog has named it the "undisputed MVP of Christmas at Walt Disney World"!  

 Photo credit:  Tom Bricker of www.DisneyTouristBlog.com

The DVC rooms are located right inside the main building so we'll enjoy this gorgeous tree and festive atmosphere throughout our stay!

It's a good thing I've been anticipating summer fun in the sun so much or all this planning would have me sipping hot cocoa, singing carols, and daydreaming that it's time to pack! ;)

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today!  It's been a treat to share the joys of this week with you!  Wishing you a weekend of wonderfulness straight ahead!

Five Loves on Friday // End of Summer Edition!

As summer wraps up, today's loves are devoted to simple joys that would be a treat to add to your last minute summer bucket list! 

Recipes for a Fun & Delicious Summer!

It's OFFICIALLY SUMMER!  Let's celebrate with some Chatting Over Chocolate links to SUMMER FUN & YUM!

Five Loves on Friday + an Announcement

Happy Friday, Lovelies!  Excited to share 5 things that made my heart happy this week!

1.  We celebrated my niece hitting DOUBLE DIGITS!

2.  Girls' Craft Day!

Monday we enjoyed an awesome day of grilling, chatting, and crafting with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Tina & her lit'l cutie pie E!  We may have done a little more talking than crafting, but I learned how to create an awesome new triple frame project!  I love learning new crafts ...and chatting over Ghiradelli chocolate chip cookies! ;)

3.  Our pool is officially open for Summer Fun in the Sun!

3.  Library Love.

5.  Feature Fun!

I was tickled pink to have my 104 Days of Summer Vacation post featured at What's Cooking with Ruthie's Super Saturday Show & Tell, and as Sharon of Life After Empty Nest's favorite at the Summer Bucket List Link Party!  I also spotted it in a Kids Summer Activities roundup at The Rollins House. :) A big THANK YOU to Ruthie, Sharon, and Jenn!  You made my day! 

ANNOUNCEMENT:  

My Five Loves on Friday posts are OFFICIALLY ON SUMMER VACATION!  

I've decided to take a break from Friday posting in order to spend MUCH MORE quality time with my sweet girlies than I do with my Mac this Summer! ;)

*I do still plan to continue Magical Mondays, Wednesday Pinteresting posts, "35 by 35!" on Thursdays, along with some scrumptious recipes and crafty tutorials here and there too! ;) Not abandoning Chatting Over Chocolate, just breaking from Five Loves so I can enjoy more time with my Loves!

Our Summer will be sprinkled with...

Looking forward to soaking up the sunshine 

& savoring each precious Summer day with my sweeties!  

Happy Friday, friends!  Thanks for stopping by! Don't be shy. Please say, "HI!"

Don't miss a bit of the Summer Fun at 

Chatting Over Chocolate!:

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Linking up here:

Five Loves on Friday

HAPPY FRIDAY! You know what that means.  It's Five Loves time!  Excited to share a handful of things that made this a week to remember!

Pinteresting Ideas for SUMMER FUN with the kiddos!

Is everyone excited about Summer?!  We sure are at my house!  I recently shared our Summer Fun Jar with 104 Ideas for Summer Vacation, but you can never have too many ideas for fun ways to spend these precious Summer Days, can you?  So, today I'm sharing some of my favorite kid crafts and activity pins with you!