Blueberry Picking

Ya'll where has Summer gone? I can't believe we are already 20 days into July! It is flying right by. I feel like there isn't enough hours in the day or enough free weekends do check off all our fun things on our Summer Bucket list. Does summer end when school starts back? Or should I be taking advantage of those weekends too? Mere leaves for Camp Webb Monday. It will be the first time she has done something like this. I am not going to lie, makes me nervous.....a lot. But I know she will have tons of fun. The following weekend we will be spending in Lexington with Mere's soccer team at the Bluegrass games. I have lots planned for the 2 days we are there. Lexington has the best shopping! Then a few weeks later school starts....yikes! I still want to do a tent camping trip, go canoeing, a family bike ride in Loveland, an FC Cincinnati game, the zoo, and Smale Park! But we were able to knock off Blueberry Picking a couple weeks ago. . I found a farm on Facebook , Bright Star Acres , and the kids and I went on a Saturday morning during my vacation week.  We arrived around 9:30 and it was already a scorcher out. The farm was gorgeous with amazing views of rolling green countryside . It was a quick 20 minute drive from our house. We all had a great time just doing something simple and inexpensive.

I took to Pinterest to try to find a yummy recipe to use our blueberries . I am not much of a baker. Just not something I usually enjoy. But this recipe was simple and turned out delish. I may or may not have ate almost half myself 🤦‍♀️😂!! I found the recipe Here.

Easy Blueberry Dump Cake 

• 1 20-oz can crushed pineapple, drained
• 6 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional (we left this out since Mere has a nut allergy)
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 16-oz yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

5 on Friday : Summer Reading

It is no secret that I love to read. There is nothing better than getting lost in a good book. Although when they are so good and you can't put them down , it might be a problem ! Or when you have to ignore your kids just to get to the end of a chapter or stay up way to late lol. I thought I would share a few recent recommendations that I loved and a few on my book shelf waiting to be read.
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1. The Lying Game

Did anyone read The Woman in Cabin 10? I read it maybe last summer. It was so good so when I saw the Lying game was also by the same author I knew I wanted to read it as well. It did not disappoint. It kept you guessing and in suspense til the very end.   It is a chilling novel of friendship, secrets, and the dangerous games teenaged girls play. I read this on our quick trip to Charleston.  I had it finished in 2 days. Ya'll I could not put it down.

2. The Death of Mrs. Westaway

Another Ruth Ware book that I have seen several other bloggers raving about. If it is as good as the last two I have read , I can't wait.

3. Sharp Objects







If you were a fan of Gone Girl then you will love Gillian Flynn's latest book. Apparently it is also an HBO Limited Series starring Amy Adams.  Reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls in this book that I couldn't put down.  For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. I was happy the kids spent the week at soccer camp in the evening so I could finally have a chance to finish  the book.

4. Something in the Water

Does anyone follow Reese Witherspoon's Book club on Instagram? I love everything about Reese and she has recommended lots of great books. This one follows a shocking discovery on a honeymoon paradise that changes the lives of a picture-perfect couple. I have been on a psychological thriller kick this summer and if you are a fan of Ruth Ware or Paula Hawkins you will want to add Something in the Water to your reading list like me!


5. Then She Was Gone

Another book on my list to read about  the perfect daughter. She was fifteen, the youngest of three. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic post-exams summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her. And then she was gone. Sounds like another book I won't be able to put down until the last page!


Honorable Mention: on my "want to read list"
*  The Wife Between Us
*The Female Persuasion
*When Life Gives You Lulelemons






What is everyone else reading this summer ? What can I add to my list?



Prizer Point

A couple weeks ago Nick and I were both off for a week. Since we went to NYC in December, are planning to go back again this December ,  and have possibly 2 other small trips in the works ( anniversary getaway and glamping in Asheville, NC. Seriously how amazing does this place look??) we decided to skip the beach (well Nick and I snuck away for 2 days to Charleston and the Isle of Palms at the beginning of June. ). We still wanted to get away with the kids for a few days but didn’t want to spend a ton of money and drive to far . Our kids can’t sit in the car 10 minutes without bickering so the idea of going more than 5 hours wasn’t what we wanted. I started searching Lakes and campgrounds with cabin rentals in Kentucky. I came across Prizer Point located on Lake Barkley. I immediately knew the kids would love it. We rented one of their deluxe lake front cabins with a bathroom (very important!!). Our cabin had a porch swing  with an open floor plan that sleeps 5. There is a full size bed and a full size bed under the bunk. Our kiddos loved the bunk beds! There was a partial kitchen and we weren't really prepared for everything we needed. I should have researched a little bit more. They had a microwave, sink, mini - fridge, coffee maker (bring your own coffee though), and cups. That was it. We should have brought all our cooking supplies we would normally use when tent camping. Everything else like towels and washcloths were provided. There were also lots of other cabin options to rent or you could also reserve a campground spot to tent camp or bring your camper.

What we loved most about the resort was all the activities that were included in our stay. They had 2 pools, fishing, pedal cart track, playground, giant chess set, basketball and soccer field, jumping pillow, paddle boards, paddle boats, kayaks, biking and hiking trails.  If you wanted to spend extra money you could rent a boat or golf cart. It also cost extra for the inflatable water park at the Lagoon. There was also a marina store and restaurant. We took advantage of the paddle boarding and fishing. Mere loved paddle boarding and was a natural. Nick and Max had the most fun fishing. FYI there are tons of dragon flies buzzing around near the water and cabins. I was not a fan of those little things at all!

All in all it was a great little getaway. It was a 5 hour road trip. We only stayed 2 days and honestly it wasn't long enough. We could have used one more day. But is any trip long enough? Not in my opinion. I get the vacation blues towards the end of a trip. They hit me hard ya'll. The good part was at the end of this little road trip I had 5 more days off work to enjoy with the kids. I had lots of things planned for us. Truth be told, I am not a good stay-cationer! I need to go go go. The only time I can let my self truly relax is on vacation AWAY from home. After a vacation the most I need is 2 days to regroup to "real life". But I guess that's the price you pay for lots of little trips throughout the year. I think next year may look a little different!! I am already planned our trips for then! Ha.

Squirt Gun Art

I was on the hunt for fun things the kids and I could do while I was on vacation after spending several days at Lake Barkley with out spending a ton of money. I had put squirt gun art down on our summer bucket list and figured it was a good time to check it off. The kids were super excited to do it as well!



The supplies: 
- paint
- canvases
- cheap squirt guns 



The easiest way to fill the squirt guns was to first add the water and then the paint. We filled the water to about half the gun. Once you add the paint just shake it up. No rhyme or reason when filling. You just need to test it out to find the right consistency. We set up the canvases out in the  yard around a tree. The kids quickly got down to business and made some cute art work. We left it outside for several hours to let dry. They turned out really cute. Max mixed his paint up on his canvas so the colors swirled together instead of the squirts or paint I was going for. Hey but that’s art. Everyone is unique. I loved hanging them up in the hall with their other art work. It makes me happy passing them daily.