5 on Friday

Here's my top 5 for Friday this week:

1. AUBURN FOOTBALL - College football starts this Saturday and as always I'm pumped.  After last season, the only place to go is up - Right??  With a new coach #gusbus and a new quarterback, I'm hoping Auburn grows this year and pulls out a few more wins - and of course an Alabama loss ;)

2. SAM aka our new foster dog.  If you've been reading my blog, you may know that we have fostered for the Southeastern German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue before.  Well, we got the call again and foster #3 was transported to us from Florence, AL on Sunday.  He's about a 2 year old neutered male full of puppy energy.  Sadly, I'm sure he belonged to someone prior to ending up at the shelter because he knows how to sit and didn't hesitate to jump on our bed the first night.  He's super sweet and will make a great family dog.  He's not on the website yet, but if you're interested in him let me know!

3. BELLA ISLAND MOONLIGHT CANDLE - I picked up this great candle at Tarjay this week after reading about it on this blog.  It smells amazing, and let's face it, sometimes you just want the candle for the cute container too!

4. BACK ON THE DIET TRAIN - after a week of indulging in fried seafood and sweets on vacation, it's time to get back on the diet train.  I counted calories pretty diligently last winter/this spring and lost almost 10lbs.  I really saw the number on the scale drop when I cut out diet coke.  Honestly, for me, the number on the scale has never been my issue - it's more about how my clothes are fitting.  When I couldn't fit into my shorts last summer, it became a goal, and I'm happy to say I was wearing my old shorts again this summer.  After counting calories for so long, I kinda learned what I could eat in a day and eventually stopped keeping track, but after this summer, I think it's time for a little refresher course.  This app is my calorie counter of choice:

5. BLUEBERRY QUINOA SALAD - Last night, I was on my own for dinner since Cameron went to the University of South Alabama football game with friends.  Secretly, I kinda enjoy when I'm on my own because I get to eat "girl food" as Cameron calls it.  Usually, its Greek food (salad, pasta, or takeout from the Greek restaurant down the road) or some type of pasta.  This time I decided to try out this salad I found on Pinterest.  I did substitute a light raspberry vinaigrette instead of the suggested dressing in order to cut down on some calories.  It was delicious!  Strawberries are my go-to fruit for salads, but I really enjoyed the blueberries, and the quinoa added some protein to keep me full.

Hope everyone has an amazing Labor Day weekend and War Eagle!!

Tailgate Time - Dress to Impress!

College football kicks off this weekend.  Any southern girl knows that when it comes to football season and tailgating, the outfit is very important.  Shorts & a t-shirt just don't fly anymore!  At Auburn (and many other schools in the SEC), it's not uncommon to see girls in dresses & heels.  (Personally, I always opted for more comfortable footwear.)  When I was in undergrad, it was difficult to find outfits in your school colors, and I was quick to scoop up anything orange I could find.  Over the last few years, more and more boutiques are offering gameday sections, which I love - it's just a few years too late! :)  I have to stop myself from stocking up on all the cute orange & blue outfits out there.  Let's face it - my days of spending every Saturday tailgating on campus are over.  BUT that doesn't mean I don't like to still dress the part for our "tailgate" parties here in Mobile.  I thought I'd share some of the cute things I've found around the internet.

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I already picked up the striped dress on a recent shopping trip to Target.  I also found an orange miniskirt on the clearance rack at Jcrew Factory - just too good of a deal to pass up.  I'm thinking about adding another one of these cute dresses to my closet, too. Hope you've got your gameday gear ready!  WAR EAGLE!!

Family Vaca

We just got back from a week-long family beach vacation.  For the last 4 years my parents have rented a condo in Orange Beach, AL for a week so the family could spend a little quality time together. My brother and his family come in from Austin, Tx, my parents come down from Memphis, TN, and Cameron and I make the long drive from Mobile :). I was especially looking forward to this trip since I would be meeting my new niece that Chris & Emily adopted in March. Of course, she was as precious as I imagined!

We spent the week lounging on the beach, playing in the pool, and relaxing in the lazy river. 

future diva

I have a picture of Elijah chasing the sea gulls every year.  The first year he was crawling after them!

nothing like an empty beach

We even got in a trip on the boat with a private dolphin show and a blue angel flyover. 

Elijah loved driving the boat with Uncle Cameron

power nap with Gramps

Blue Angels fly over

Emily & Zoe

And a stop at Robinson island. Unfortunately there wasn't much playing in the water because the jellyfish were swarming!

waiting for the hermit crab to move

We did have a few stormy days, which has been par for the course this summer.  But sometimes it's nice to watch a storm roll in on the beach 

I picked up a few of seashells.  Don't talk to my husband about my seashell hoarding issues...

Of course there was plenty of lounging in the condo as anyone who has vacationed with young children knows. 

You know I had to get her in something monogrammed!

sitting up by herself for the second time (I missed the first time)

Oh and eating out too!  

our view from Tacky Jacks

Cameron and I went to a new restaurant/bar, The Gulf, one rainy afternoon. We'd heard it was good and it lived up to our expectations.  Great atmosphere!  We will definitely be back!

strawberry mojito

love this seating area!

They have the cutest gift shop.  I'm thinking maybe this is what I should do with all my shells...

It was great vacation and special thanks to my parents for making it happen!  Now to get back to the real world...