Thursday, May 17, 2012

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens....

These are a few of my favorite things.... As I type this post, I am humming the words from the Sound of Music. On really rough days, this list comes in handy and thank goodness all items are accessible. The only difference between my list of favorite things and Oprah's is this.... There is no giveaway involved. LOL! I'll start with 10 favorites. Feel free to tell me how you feel about my list.

  1. My pink and white polka dot Snoozies. It's like wrapping my feet in cloud and hanging out around the house.
  2. A Grilled Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam sandwich. Two words: Delicious and addictive. I saw Bobby Flay make one on his show and I had to try it. Of course, I am using my homemade Strawberry Jam.
  3. Banana Pudding Milkshakes from Chick-fil-a. I hate that the shake is always for a limited time. At least, I have some to look forward to each Spring.
  4. Coupons, need I say more?
  5. My Oster 10 speed blender comes in handy when my sweet tooth is attempting to over power my will. I throw some fruit in the blender and make a quick fruit smoothie to end the battle.
  6. My Kindle. No matter where I go, I always have entertainment or motivation right at my fingertips.
  7. Wet Wipes. I have yet to find a stain that couldn't be tamed by a wipe!
  8. Ivory Body Wash I have tried several body washes and most leave me too greasy, too dry or with too much residue. Oddly enough, I can't use the Ivory soap bar because it makes me itch.
  9. C.O. Bigelow Moisturizing lip shine. I CAN'T concentrate with dry, ashy lips. This seems to be the only lip balm that doesn't just sit on the top of my lips like an oil slick. It actually moisturizes.
  10. California Burger at Steak-n-Shake because its the closest thing to an In-n-Out Burger on this side of the Mississippi!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

I've been to the mountaintop

Previously I mentioned that we were going to dive head first into everything that Georgia has to offer as far as state parks, museums, culture and history. Our latest installment of "All things GA" takes us to a hike at Panola Mountain located in Stockbridge, GA.


It has been on my list for a while but seemingly bothersome minute things like strollers, potty training, pregnancy and bed rest always got in the way of fun. Now that none of that above applies, the crew and I rose early (for a Saturday anyway) and headed for that giant beacon of granite. We walked the smaller self-guided hike that was just a little over a mile long instead of the 2.5 hour guided tour with a Ranger because our girls are still a little too young endure the terrain and the distance of a longer hike. My girls handled the 1+ mile hike like champs because that's part of our weekly workout anyway at a neighborhood park.


I love my hat because it is practical...


The weather was perfect. It was sunny with a few clouds and a gentle breeze, that was a relief when in the shade the tree's understory. The view from the summit was very pretty and I could have stayed longer to enjoy the view but I was starting to get hungry. Tonya + Hunger simply doesn't mix well and should be avoided at all cost. My girls most enjoyed watching the animals in their natural environment. Payton couldn't understand why the lizards kept running from her... that child is fearless and I like it!



After lunch we enjoyed another light trek around Alexander Lake. We watched the turtles sun bathe on a log in the center of the log. My husband was so excited that he scared the turtles back into the water to safety. Mike was convinced that he would capture a turtle and bring it home with us... Good thing for me that the turtles returned back to water in time. I am not interested in having a turtle. That's just one more thing to clean up after. No, thanks!