Category: arkansas

Game Day Parfaits with Fresh Fruit, Yogurt, and Jell-O for Your Tailgating Party #TeamJellO

This shop has been compensated by #CollectiveBias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

1 #teamjello #shop #cbias game day parfaits

We are so ready for the start of football season around here. As a die hard Arkansas Razorback fan transplanted in Texas, I try to make sure my team spirit shines through on game day. When it comes to snacks for a tailgating party or watch party, I love to keep it simple so I get to enjoy the game with everyone else. Today I’ll show you how to create game day parfaits and a parfait station for your guests with fresh fruit, yogurt, and Jell-O Jigglers team spirit molds.

#teamjello #shop #cbias game day parfaits mini mason jars

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Family Travel: First Stop on Our Southern Road Trip ~ Little Rock, Arkansas

Our Crazy 8 Week Road Trip with a Toddler

This summer we are embarking on an eight week road trip across Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, and possibly Florida.  With a one year old.   To the casual observer this might seem totally crazy, but we are really excited about it.  The trip will be a combination of work, play, and family time.  I am referring to it as Gypsy Caravan Summer Tour 2012, in reference to a summer spent similarly in 2006.  We have gotten a lot of surprised/horrified reactions from friends because of the length of the trip and the age of our child.  There is this idea out there in the world that you can’t travel with a toddler.  I believe that we can and hope that I won’t be proved wrong over the next 2 months.  
I plan to sit here a lot.  

We are packing our bags and finishing up details for our trip right this minute.  I hope to chronicle it for you here on the blog.  We have our housesitter lined up, and Jackson the Wonder Dog is at Camp Grandma and Grandpa for the immediate future.  There was a small baby biting incident a few weeks back that I’ve yet to write about.  Let’s just say Jackson is lucky that my parents love him and have a big backyard.  We have a big checklist going of all the things we need to do and pack before we leave.  The excitement is building.
We’ve had a TON of questions from friends and family about our trip, so I decided to address a few here.

 Can’t. Wait.  

Where are we going?  Our first stops will be Amarillo, TX, and Salida, CO, on the way to Young Life’s Trail West Lodge in Buena Vista, CO.  I will be working at Trail West for a month as the women’s summer staff coordinator.  After our month at Trail West we will be staying a week in Vail, CO, possibly a stop to see friends in Pagosa Springs, CO, then almost a week in Red River, NM.  We will then head to Little Rock, AR for a wedding and to see family.  After that there may be a beach trip involved, but that is yet to be determined.

Wait, I thought you were becoming a stay at home mom.  What’s with working all summer?   Yes, my last day as a Young Life staffer is June 30th.  I will be working at Trail West as a volunteer.  We believe in the mission of Young Life wholeheartedly and are thankful for the opportunity to serve at Trail West.  After that I will be a full time mama.

How can y’all afford this?  Did you throw the Dave Ramsey budget out the window? Nope, we budgeted FOR the trip.  That’s the beauty of a budget, you can add stuff to it.  We have a vacation fund as well as some very generous friends who are loaning us places to stay.  Our month at Trail West is free because we are working, and our gas to and from camp is reimbursed.  We budgeted for food, gas to other places, hotel stays on the road, and incidentals.  We plan to do lots of free stuff and have lots of free quality time.  If you have free fun ideas for us in any of the places listed above, PLEASE pass them on by emailing me, tweeting me, or commenting below.  Our neighbors are also housesitting for us in exchange for lawn mowing services.  Thanks neighbors!

That’s great and all, but are you seriously hauling a one year old across the country?  Yes, yes, we know it is crazy and we think it will also be awesome.  Our little boy is such a joy and hopefully we be so on the road with lots of park stops on the way and hotel pools to swim in.  I will be tweeting all summer with the hashtag #toddlertravel so you can see how it goes.  If you have any travel with toddlers advice, I’d love to hear it.

What about your life in Dallas?  How can y’all just pick up and leave for 2 months?  We will obviously miss our friends here.  I have a gypsy soul and need to just GO sometimes.  Dallas is hot as hell in the summer time, and sooo humid.  We live in an old rent house that is very difficult to keep cool.  Jed is a teacher so he is off til mid August.  I love being able to just leave.  For years I kept my passport in my purse, just in case.  That habit faded with marriage, a child, and a job that needed me 24/7.  My longing to wander will be satisfied for a little while by this adventure.

Do you think we’re crazy, or do you wish you were packing right now, too?

My Hometown Baby Shower

 Even though I’ve lived far away for the last 6 years, my sweet friends from home threw me a baby shower this past weekend.  Jed was on spring break, so we headed to Little Rock on Thursday for a little extra quality time with my family and friends.  We stayed with my parents as usual, but this time there were 7 dogs at the house as well as 7 people.  It was a bit crowded, to say the least.  I’ll post more pics of Dogapalooza ’11 later, but for now you’ll have to be entertained with Julie’s (one of the hostesses) pictures from the shower.  Crystal, another hostess, hand painted the letters shown above for the nursery.  I am in love with them.  I can’t wait to hang them (or more likely make Jed hang them) on the wall above the crib.  So cute!

 Here I am, with my giant belly.  This child is growing like crazy and moving like a fly girl on “In Living Color.”  Does anyone remember that show?  I wanted to be a fly girl so bad.

 Check out that spread, y’all.  My friends worked so hard and made lots of delicious food for us.  We had an incredible brunch of creme brulee french toast, fresh fruit, 2 different quiches, croissants, and brownies, and 2 different cakes.  The cakes were beautifully decorated to match the paintings that Crystal created for the nursery.  I’ll have pics of both later.  Julie created the diaper cake in the middle, which is now decorating the nursery.

 My niece, Caroline, was a big help unwrapping the gifts.  

 Trisha, my mom’s best friend, and her daughter Sarah have known me since Sarah and I were 4 years old.  Now she is the mama of sweet Maya, and I’m pregnant with my first.  I love that we are still great friends after  27 years.

 Marci, Julie, and Crystal put so much hard work into this shower, and I am so grateful for them.  They are dear friends that I’ve known forever.  Julie and I met very young playing in my neighborhood, then went to junior high and senior high school together.  We’ve been roommates in the past and had a great friendship across the miles for a long time.  Marci and I met in junior high youth group and became friends and partners in crime soon after that.  Crystal and I met in college and were finishing each other’s sentences after a week.  I love these girls and they and their families are some of my favorite people in the world.  They are all mamas already, and have given me so much great advice.  They really get me and it is so important to have people like that in my life.  I miss living near them and hope to again someday.

Do you live in your hometown, 
or are you making a new life far away?

Be sure to check out the Spring Fling Day 4 Giveaways:
A Headband with Sweet Interchangeable Crocheted Flowers from Momma’s Kinda Crafty
A Gorgeous Spring Bouquet of Hair Accessories from My Mommy Can

A Rustic Bachelorette Weekend

Last week I told you about the simple and artistic bridal brunch for my friend who recently got married. After the brunch all of the bride’s friends whisked her away to the Red River near Heber Springs, Arkansas, for a rustic, laid back, and super fun bachelorette weekend.

I found the cabin on the Vacation Rentals By Owner site. It was pretty affordable when we split it among all the friends attending. We brought our own food and drinks and saved a ton not going out on the town. The bride just wanted to get away, so it was a perfect place to make that happen.
The cabin overlooked the river and though the scenery was not in the prime season, it was still lovely. The living room had an awesome fireplace that provided the perfect gathering place for our time together. I made baked brie and tomato soup that we enjoyed all evening, and my friend Crystal made an amazing cake.
It was an amazing weekend that made the bride feel loved and cared for before her big day. The photo above shows the bride (in orange) with some of us. This was the crew that hung around as long as possible enjoying the peace of the woods.

How have you celebrated bachelorette parties?