Weekend Recap!

We had a great last weekend of summer vacation! I hope this weather continues far into September and October. Wishful thinking, I know!

We made this weekend an extra long one to cap off a fun and memorable summer! This is the first summer I have not worked full-time or worked on a client project so that I could focus on a summer with the kids. It was wonderful!

On Thursday, we made a visit to the Columbus Zoo. Our kids love the zoo which never disappoints! Ceci's best friend met went with us which was even more fun. They had not seen each other since the beginning of summer and were thrilled to be reunited. If you have not been to the Columbus Zoo, you must! It was simply one of the best. 

 On Friday, Dan and I took Ceci on her birthday date. We gave her the option to have a birthday party with friends or to spend the day with Mommy and Daddy. She jumped on the idea of having us to herself for an entire day doing her favorite activities! I admit that it was way easier and more fun for us too! 

 Her first request was a round of golf! 

  

We love having a course in our neighborhood!

She requested Mexican for lunch! Then she made her first stop at Justice. It was a dream come true for her and torture for me! Yikes! It is just not my style for little girls. We were able to compromise and found a few cute items. 

Of course, she needed a mani/pedi before dinner!

Ceci requested sushi for dinner which is her favorite! She loved having an adult dinner with us.

Jeni's for dessert! She was exhausted and requested we head home soon after. 

We had a great day and loved celebrating Ceci!

Saturday and Sunday were a little more low key. We went to an open house for school on Saturday and met the teachers and some other families. On Sunday, we hit up the pool one last time. We decided that we need to go back to having a membership at a pool that opens Memorial Day and closes Labor Day not with the school year. 

Hope everyone has a great week!

xo,

Stephanie 

Cecilia's 7th Birthday!

On Sunday, our Cecilia turned seven! Because my phone is on it's deathbed and my camera is older than her, I have few pictures and I did not shout to the world of social media - "Happy 7th birthday, Ceci!"

We did celebrate our sassy, smart, creative little girl though! And the celebrating is continuing into this week which she loves. 

Ceci and I did sit down to a little birthday conversation. It went something like this:

How old are you? Seven! 

What makes you happy? People playing with me

What is your favorite animal? Kitties, dolphins and dogs

What is your favorite thing to eat? Shrimp and sushi (yep, so true!)

What is your favorite thing to do? Cuddle (maybe next year I shouldn't ask these questions at the end of a long day. Mommy will insert here - reading, singing, doing cartwheels - as some of her favs)

What is your favorite TV show? Disney Channel

What are you really good at? Cartwheels (She is determined to get her one handed cartwheel perfected by the end of summer!)

What is your favorite movie? Hotel Translyvania

What is your favorite color? Blue & pink

What is your favorite song? Katy Perry - Last Friday Night

Who is your best friend? Lane

What do you and Mommy do together? Shopping! (Hmmm...)

What do you and Daddy do together? Play golf

What is your favorite sport? Volleyball and golf

Where is your favorite place to go? HHI General Store (for next year's vacation, the only excursion I am going to plan are multiple bike rides to the general store for ice cream, donuts and slushies!)

What is your favorite book? The Secret Garden

What do you want to be when you grow up? Gymnast (I was surprised she didn't say Artist which is her usual response...clearly, she has cartwheels on the brain.)

 Happy 7th birthday, Ceci! We love you! 

xo,

Stephanie 

Weight Loss & Fitness Update - Week 2

A quick check in to hold myself accountable - down 1/2 lb from last week and 1 1/2 total. This was a pleasant surprise because I thought I felt 10 lbs heavier after cupcakes and ice cream this weekend! But I will take it.

Diet

Trying to log into My Fitness Pal as I have time and being conscious of what I am eating and portion size. 

Fitness

Thursday - spinning, upper body free weights, abs

Friday - 2 mile run

Monday - 1 mile run, Tone & Strength

Check out Week 1 here and my Goals here.

Thanks for stopping by! 

xo,

Stephanie

Weight Loss & Fitness Check-in

It's Tuesday so that means I am checking in with a weight loss and fitness update. It's all about accountability, right? Right.

So, we've been back from vacation for 10 days now and settling back into our summer routine (yes, we do have one). Last week was tough with a lot of drama, attitude and sass. By Saturday, all was calm again...or as calm as life can be with three littles. 

If you follow me on My Fitness Pal, then you know I did not log my calories like I should. Also, part of catching up with home, work and volunteer activities made trips to the gym more difficult. 

Having said all of that, I was down 1 lb from last week!

Diet

Not enough counting calories and eating too many carbs. I try to maintain a ratio of 50% carbs - 30% protein - 20% fat as recommended by a nutritionist. Also, she recommended I aim for 1300-1500 calories per day. This is WAY more than My Fitness Pal had me at but it did work when I stuck to it in June-beg. of July. 

Exercise

Tuesday - Spinning, upper body free weights and abs

Friday - Elliptical and Tone & Strength class (works in cardio too)

Monday - 1 mile run, Tone & Strength class

So, my goal for this week is to log all of my food and to increase my workouts. I am sore from yesterday's workout and that feels good! 

Hope everyone has a great day! 

xo,

Stephanie 

Book I Read in June & July

Is it really August? Summer is flying by...surely a sign that we are having fun! 

In June, I shared some of my favorite books and a few I was looking forward to reading this summer. Below is a look at what I read in June and July! 

 

    

 

// The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah //

Put down whatever you are reading and go get this book! So, so, so amazing! I had no idea because if I had, I would have read this book ages ago. It is a story about two sisters in France during WWII. One works hard and plays by the rules. The other speaks her mind and is a bit of a loose cannon. This story had me from the very beginning and left me in tears. 

// Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews //

As I mentioned in my June post, I am a big fan of MK Andrews and was excited about this newest release. I did not hold out until our beach vacation because I was so excited to have my hands on it. Sadly, I was disappointed. I didn't believe the story and it didn't tie together for me. It was still a fun read but not one of my favorites.

// The Castaways & The Island by Elin Hilderbrand //

Elin Hilderbrand is a new-to-me author whose stories take place on Nantucket. These are the first two books I read from her and they were both great reads. I, especially, loved The Castaways. Currently, I am reading Barefoot so stay tuned for that review next month. 

// The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller //

This is a story of two neighbors, one older and one younger but both finding their way through life. Perhaps it was the author's intent or maybe it was just me but it had me questioning the characters decisions and pondering the reasons they made them. I really enjoyed this book! 

// The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows //

This book was on my list for a long while before I finally decided to read it. It is written in the form of letters back and forth between characters. It is sharp and witty and I really enjoyed it. The authors do a good job developing the characters and showing their personalities. I wish I read it sooner! 

// Gray Mountain by John Grisham //

I may have read this in May...I cannot remember. This was the first Grisham I've read in years! This story takes place in coal country which was interesting to read about. There were some intense parts and I couldn't wait to see how it ended. 

// The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold //

This is the story of a 14 year old girl who is brutally murdered but her body is never found. She narrates the story from heaven as she sees life on earth. It was interesting to think about heaven and earth in a different way. The characters were all well-developed and showed how they struggled and survived this tragedy. I admit that it was hard to get into at first but I ended up really enjoying this read. 

So, please don't think that every book I pick up is a winner! A few that I just couldn't get through: The Paris Wife (although I think I will come back to this when I am low on options), Happy Never After (Mary Kay Andrews), and The Bone Clocks (bizarre and confusing...I only lasted a chapter or two. I will not be going back to this read.). 

What are you reading this summer? I always love a good book recommendation! Be sure to follow me on Goodreads to see what I am reading next!

xo,

Stephanie 

The Honest Truth

This is a post I've been thinking about doing for awhile but 1.) I wasn't sure I wanted to share so publicly and 2.) I knew I wouldn't have time to provide regular updates so I kept it on the back burner. Now that we are back from our trip and ready to get back into a daily routine, it is time to share! 

I hope that anyone else having this same struggle will know they are not alone and will find motivation through my successes.  

So, the honest truth, is that losing weight after baby #3 has been HARD! With the first two babes, the weight was off within 6-8 months. Even when I gained weight in college, I would start running and watch my diet and the weight would fall right off. Now we are 27 months later and I am 20 lbs from my pre-baby weight and 30-35 from my goal weight. 

Every Tuesday I will post an update on my weight loss, workouts, diet, struggles, etc. I not only want to lose weight but I want to be fit and toned. So far this year, I have lost 12 lbs (it was 15 before vacation!) and 12+ inches. The last time I was measured was in the spring so my guess is that my inches are much more now - my clothes agree! 

I am going to use My Fitness Pal to track my calories and % of fat/carbs/protein I am eating. It is the easy to use and free - win, win. My username is StephanieLDodd if you want to follow me. For my workout routine, it will include a mix of spinning, running and weight training. 

So, follow me along on my weight loss and fitness journey! 

xo,

Stephanie 

Our week at HHI

Summer vacation 2015 has come and gone! 

We enjoyed a sunny, hot week on the beaches of Hilton Head Island, SC after a couple days in Charleston. We spent the week catching waves, making sand castles, riding our bicycles and relaxing. Well, relaxing as much as you can with three kiddos! For the first time in many, many years, I did take a book to the beach AND I read it! 

Can this be my view every day?  

 Wondering how I was able to read a book with a toddler? This helped along with naps on the beach.

This little girl couldn't get enough of the ocean and "surfing" on her boogie board.

 If I were an interior designer, this would be my inspiration! I need to live someplace that has palm trees and spanish moss. And warm weather year round.

 Ready for a morning bike ride. He did not leave my side most of the trip which was the complete opposite of his oldest sister who was too busy with her cousins to need mommy!  

 This was the vacation of the "sparkly eye toy" aka Beanie Boos. They were everywhere and the girls wanted them all! 

 Evening crabbing. 

 We had some amazing food in HHI! We visited our usual favorites and found a couple new spots that we loved. Skull Creek Boathouse is hands-down our favorite place to visit in HHI. The food is amazing and so is the ambiance. We stopped here when we got into town for lunch and sat outside. After our drive from Charleston, it was good to enjoy a cold drink and kick off our beach week! 

Who wouldn't love this view? 

Entertainment included. 

 Tuna three ways - I dream about this meal! Amazing. 

We almost always go to Skull Creek twice during our visit. Trip #2 was less than perfect (understatement!) - as we were walking in a thunderstorm hit making the outside unavailable, creating a 3+ hour wait, and making us very wet. Thank goodness the drinks were flowing and the company was fun! The kids were troopers and still had a great time! 

Another favorite is Santa Fe Cafe. How beautiful is the painted dessert soup presentation? It tastes just as good. 

 We, also, tried a new restaurant that we LOVED called Poseidon. The food was so, so good and it is across the street from our plantation. It is owned by the same company that owns Skull Creek so we weren't surprised it was delish. The restaurant has a decent size indoor area and a large outside seating area along with a big bar. It is covered with fans and TVs. Upstairs is a 21+ bar and there is a raw bar. It is located across the street from the new Shelter Cove community park. I enjoyed the pickled beet salad and seafood bisque - both were wonderful and big portions. Other things around the table that got rave reviews were the fish and chips, smoked fish dip and mussels. 

And I couldn't end this post without giving a big THANK YOU shout out to my in-laws for making it happen! This year's beach vacation was extra special because we celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. We celebrated with a delicious dinner at our beach house prepared by Downtown Catering. If you are in the area and want to host a dinner party, I highly recommend them. The staff was easy to work with, they had the best menus (in my opinion), and were the most affordable.

Auggie was not happy when we told him he could not have a cupcake before dinner! We all got a good laugh out of his reaction. 

I am going to do a separate post about our trip to Charleston. So many good things to mention and share!  

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer and making lots of memories! Have a great week! 

xo,
Stephanie