“Take me to the stair steps!”

I can’t tell you how many times I heard that last week. There was inevitably a tiny index finger raised in the air and a look of pure sass and determination on Ellie’s face. We went away for a few days and she was in love with the hotel pool.

The two little flaws in our whole swimming and relaxing operation? Ellie can’t swim and I completely spaced on bringing any sort of floating device for her so that she could wander around on her own. Instead, I served as her water taxi, making countless trips up and down the pool. We escaped a few shark attacks, floated past a mermaid or two, and used the pool’s jets as “sinks” and “dryers.”

Even better than the pool was the beach, where she was much more free to join her sister on adventures. She may not have dived into the waves to collect rocks like Samantha did, but she collected buckets and buckets full of wet sand.

Needless to say, all of our water activities got pool and beach toys on the brain to better prepare for our next little adventure. And I already know one thing for sure: some baking sand toys are definitely getting added to our gear for my Cutthroat Kitchen loving ladies!

I’ve been mighty quiet around these parts lately. I could pretend it was because I’m busy getting ready for our annual mini vacation next week, but that would be utter bullshit. The truth is, I haven’t even started thinking about getting ready for it—which is making me itch a little now that I am thinking about it.

Luckily for me (and you?) I just put together a guest post for the thredUP blog where I shared a printable list of ten pieces that can get you through an entire week’s worth of fun and sun (yes, really). I even made it printable, for anyone who wants to feel all official and physically check off their list.

For more info and a sample wardrobe that’s completely interchangeable, head over to the thredUP blog… and then come back here and tell me what you think! 😉

Is it doable or have I gone straight up cray cray?

With the biggest BBQ weekend of the year coming up (at least in the States), I thought it made perfect sense to share some simple (colorful!) side dish ideas for your barbecue.

Prepare to drool…

Hey girl. Treat Yo Self is a series (inspired by my beloved Parks and Rec) that focuses on inexpensive indulgences that make you feel good without feeling guilty. Because when momma’s not happy, nobody is happy.

Most of the day I try really hard to fuel myself with healthy, clean foods. Yes, there are the occasional stress-induced dives into a bag of chocolate chips. Yes there is fro yo. A lot of fro yo. Still, most of the time I make good choices.

That said, when the sun sets, the girls are in bed and my husband and I are collapsed on the couch binge-watching TV shows, Momma wants some chocolate. Momma needs some chocolate.

Dark chocolate squares carried me through the winter but the other day I tried something new that has totally captured my heart. Even more impressive, it captured my husband’s heart too.

 Bathing suit shopping can be a dreaded event, but a little perspective shift might make it less intimidating. This list of 10 bathing suits for all body types was put together specifically with moms in mind. Let’s promise to get out of the chair and into the water with our kids this year! Completely updated for 2018.

I had a totally magical moment this spring. One of those moments that just blow your mind and completely shake your perspective.

I wore a bikini (important note: not a tankini) and NOTHING HAPPENED.

The world did not implode. People did not point and stare and laugh. In fact, no one noticed a shift in the universe at all. It was just a normal day. You would have never known that it had been ten years since any patch of my torso saw the light of day. You would have never known that it took an extraordinary amount of courage to take off my cover up and chase my kids around the water park.

You know why? Because I’m the only one who ever cared about any of it.

The amount of time we spend tied up in knots about what our bodies might look like and what people might think of them is straight up crazy. Nine times out of ten we’re our own worst critic. Most of the time, women are too busy worrying about their own bodies to give yours a second thought. And men? They’re too busy noticing the good bits to care much about the minor flaws.

And most importantly, if they do take notice, who the hell cares? What does some random stranger’s negativity have to do with your life anyway? Who wants to take on the potential negative thoughts of a whole world full of people? I’ve finally come to the conclusion that I don’t. I don’t have the energy to care what randos at the beach might have to say or think about my body. They don’t have to live in it. And I’d much rather run around making a wild fool of myself with my giggling girls than sit on the sidelines completely covered in fear of the opinions of people who mean nothing to me.

Of course, the key here is wearing something you feel comfortable in—without constantly pulling and tugging and rearranging. Luckily for me, high-waisted bottoms are all the rage right now and they just so happen to work for my body type… and hide the stretch marks that make me all self-conscious.

I rounded up ten fabulous swimsuits for all body types in hopes of helping you find something that will make you feel good. Promise me that you’ll give it a try this summer.