Top 3 Cafe's to Visit

If you're a coffee lover and fan of cute Cafe's then you might want to stick around for this.

My sister and I have contracted "Cafe fever" recently. We love finding new coffee shops for our coffee pleasures (and pictures). We've found a few that I've totally fallen in love with.

I've collected 3 of my favorite Cafe's we've visited and you don't want to miss this!



ROOTED COFFEEHOUSE

This cafe is charming, and if you love all white backgrounds for your Insta feed; this might be the place for you! Their Mocha Latte was delicious and a great size! They also have beautiful coffee art! We thoroughly enjoyed some "down time" here. Rooted Coffeehouse is located in Evans GA, so if you're a resident, live close or just visiting; I suggest trying it out! I can proudly give 5 stars for this beautiful Cafe! And Check out the amazing pictures we got!

ICRAVE CAFE'

I loved the vintage details of this place! It's cozy. The couches were a perfect color, matching every detail of the room. A very lighted area, once again great for Instagram photos. My sister and I snapped more than a few photos of this awesome place. I purchased a yummy Iced Caramel Macchiato and for my little one she enjoyed sipping on a Strawberry Banana Smoothie (her go-to on every cafe visit). Tucked away in a small little town on Main St, in Leesville, SC. I wouldn't want you to miss it!

JUMPINGOAT COFFEE

     

   
A cafe on wheels? That's right, this cafe is actually on wheels and so far it's my absolute fav! It's authentic. Something I've never seen before! Unique. Also it's family owned. How cute? Did I mention it's on wheels? The decor made it so inviting (see photos of some of the decorations below). While I didn't get to enjoy any coffee (because I already had some before hand) the family and I really indulged in a tasty Strawberry Banana Smoothie. I honestly cannot get over this place! You can find this amazing Cafe located in Destin, Florida! If you're in the area or on vacation; swing by and pay them a visit. You won't regret it! Very friendly service. I believe I'll be visiting Florida and this cafe again!

Lastly, I'd like to thank the sweet owners of ICrave Cafe' for allowing me to use their beautiful photo as my title picture! Also to @gaw_photograpy for some of the pictures displayed above.

I hope you guys will visit at least one of these beautiful coffee shops and if you do, leave a comment!


Ally,
xoxo

Surviving Road Trips With a Toddler!

Okay, so we did a thing. Florida bound for 3 days which was an 8 hour drive! Did I mention we have a toddler? 

So basically you're thinking there's absolutely no way you could take your toddler on an 8 hour road trip right? It took my husband and I a few months to actually figure how we would be able to pull it off. We did though! 

I have a few tips and tricks for a tantrum free road trip to your destination, making it a little less chaotic.

○Portable DVD Player 

This was a total life saver! It won't hurt to drop more than $60 on a DVD player for your car. Moana and Frozen on repeat! I still have the songs playing my head.. Not kidding.  

○Snacks,Snacks and more Snacks! 

Yes, you've probably heard this tip a lot and it's one for the books, because it really does work. Snacks of all sorts. Fruit loops, gummies, chips (Yes I'm aware it's all unhealthy) rules don't apply on long road trips. Don't judge. 

○Human Interaction 

Aubree needed my company. And while sitting in the back seat can be uncomfortable for an adult riding long distances, it made her feel content being able to see mommy's face. Having someone to hold hands with and play peakaboo. 

○Rules Are Meant For Breaking! 

When on long roads trips one must know, rules do not matter! Throw them out the window! Yeah, you read it right. This means the constant snacking, naps, screen time. None of it matters when your toddler is restless from being in their sit for long periods of time. Trust me on this.

○Naps on Top of Naps 

She took lots of Naps! It's important to let them sleep almost the whole trip, this way you have less temper tantrums along the way. 

Leave in The Middle of The Night

At first this seemed like a very bad idea. I thought "her sleep schedule will be messed up", "she'll wake up and never go back to sleep, this will be a disaster". After thinking about it, it's actually genius! She slept almost the entire trip and when she wasn't sleeping she was probably thinking about sleeping. We thought it be easiest to load everything in the car first, change her diaper and head out, with pajamas and all. Hey, it worked!  

Necessary Stops 

Bathroom, breakfast, lunch, diaper changes, gas. We used any one of these reasons to get our toddler out of her car seat, letting her stretch her legs. She loved the freedom of being out of that dreaded car (I think we all did). 

Music

My child loves music and gave us an excuse to play the radio full blast when she'd get fussy. Girl loves to dance.

Toys 

Of course you should pack a few of their fav' toys! Why not? Even if it is the noisiest one of them all. This gave Aubree a variety of things to do, between movies, music, naps and snacks, she was all set and ready to roll! 

Before we knew it, we were there! An 8 hour trip never went by so peacefully! Our daughter doesn't even like 1 hour car trips. I'm convinced all of these things really helped 100%. She was a perfect little doll! 

Overall the trip was a success! One in which I'm really glad we took after all the procrastinating.  

Ally,
xoxo

How You Can (Do) 4th of July at Home!

Happy fourth friends!! I hope everyone had a blast this weekend celebrating "The land of the Free"! We had a blast spending the weekend at the beach, topping it off with my little family.

On today's blog I'll be sharing a short, but sweet list of things we did in the comfort of our own home to celebrate the 4th. 

□PIZZA AND WINGS!
One of the easiest things to buy for any day! And my husband is crazy about pizza so it's a win!

□SPARKLERS! 
This is Aubree's second 4th of July, but this year she actually knows what's going on and loved the sparklers. Also, these things are pretty traditional. As a kid I remember my Grandpa having these every year for our annual cookout! We also added a some silly string (she wasn't so crazy about it). 

□EASY TO MAKE, STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE! See what I did there? 

These things are amazing and makes for a great dessert after pizza!

□MOVIES AND PJ'S! 
A little down time to end a perfect day with your family. So grab a blanket and your favorite movie/snacks. 

Happy 4th of July, 
xoxo

SUMMER VACATION FAVS !

Hello, all my Summer lovin' friends! I know you're so excited to be in the midst of a season for vacations (I know I am) and I'm celebrating by sharing some of my most fav items I'll be packing in my suitcase for Florida this weekend! 

I'll be listing where I purchased everything underneath the photos, with the link that will redirect you to the website!

 1.Vintage floral lace kimono $29.90 found at Love, Peace & Boho

2. Mad Love Keava Footbed Sandal $22.99 at Target

3. ELF BB Cream with SPF 20 $6.00 found at Target 

4. EOS Lip Balm $2.99 at Walmart

5. Floppy Visor Hat retails for $11.99 at Cato Fashions

6. Crochet Triangle Bikini Top $19.99 at Target

7. Crochet Inset Cheeky High Waist Bikini Bottom $22.99 also found at Target

8. Relaxed High-neck Swing Cami retails for $24.99 at Old Navy
I love this tropical top, it's perfect for the beach! 

9. Sally Hansen Airbrush Sun Instant Tanning Mousse $11.74 purchased at Walmart. A little info. This instant tan really does work! It goes on evenly and I love it! 

xoxo, Ally

DITCHING THE PACIFIER COLD TURKEY!

My daughter was 14 months old when I knew it was time to take my her pacifier. I dreaded the thought. I almost bailed on the idea all together! I wasn't mentally prepared for how badly it would probably go. 

I do want to point out that pacifiers aren't all bad. In fact it can prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and best to let your baby use them until 6 months old!

There does come a time however, the binky MUST go! They can't keep them forever, though I will admit I thought once or twice about letting Aubree have her pacifier for as long as possible, but quickly realized how silly it was to entertain that thought. I couldn't bare the agonizing feeling of taking something my baby was so dependant on for so long. 

If your child is anything like mine was, she insisted on having her pacifier during nap and bedtime. Without it I'm afraid she would not fall asleep! This made the process very difficult for the both of us. 

I googled and googled. Read other mom's blog advice on how to go about taking her pacifier. Thought hard about taking the "weaning" direction, but the more I read about weaning her, it seemed to be more trouble than it was worth. 

The mommy instinct was gravitating more toward doing this cold turkey. Believe me it wasn't easy. She screamed bloody Mary the first day I laid her down for a nap. It was the single most heartbreaking thing I've ever done.

Yes, just like most moms, I almost cracked! I wanted to give the pacifier back and forget everything. As if all the screaming and crying never happened! "So why didn't you"? You might ask. Easy. I threw all those prized possessions in the trash, because I knew I'd want to "just start over tomorrow" (no such thing). I kept two for her baby box and that was it! 

Here comes the "aah, I can finally breath again" part. After a week of no pacifier, she was perfectly fine with nap and bed time! Whew. I could finally relax when these times rolled around. I did it! I still feel pretty victorious about it. This mom never budged! It takes consistency to do something like this. Never give up, even through the chaos! Remember the old saying, "it gets worse before it gets better".

In the end, I'm so glad I took the cold turkey method. It was quick. Not easy, but quick! Maybe this method won't be best for you and your baby, but nevertheless I am rooting for the mommy's out there!