Weekend Rewind: Soccer Saturday

Fall soccer is underway.  This is my seventh season coaching and I have had four of the girls since my first season.  We are in our first competitive season (travelling team) and started off the season with a win!  We have been practicing all summer and the girls did great.  We won 11-2.
I especially love it because I too, played soccer as a youngin and still treasure the memories and friendships from those years.  I hope some of these girls get to experience the same thing.

Coin toss

Go Strikers!

 

They either figured out my iphone code or my niece told them.  I found these on my phone after the game.  

 We won!  That is Coach James.  We have been playing and coaching together since high school.

Little ladies.

Have a great week!

Secrets of white teeth and soft soles

Random post today!  I have a few new discoveries that are share-worthy.  I loves great products and how things are always evolving and improving.  Ways to make everyday life more convenient are always welcome in my book.  

First up: tootsies.  I paint my own nails but treat myself to a pedi every 2-3 weeks.  I cannot stand to have rough heels and every morning as I moisturize, I notice if my heels are smooth or need a touch-up in between appointments.  The razor is the old-school heel tool but the tool below is not only a little safer to use, it's super cheap and highly effective.  It looks a lot like a cheese grater and does great with keeping those heels soft and sandal ready.  I keep mine in the shower so I can rinse off right afterwards.  It's lightweight and is perfect.  It's similar to a Ped-Egg if you've tried that but much, much better and less abrasive.  

I ordered mine on Amazon here.      

Next up: Bright, white teeth.  I have a few tips on this.  Back when I was married (2001), I first learned of Crest Whitestrips.  I used a set then and have been hooked since.  Now, I only do one strip every month or two and it helps keep stains away.  If you try to use the entire set at once, which is good to do once (then maintain)...your teeth can get sensitive.  Sensodyne toothpaste is great to use while you use the set.  If you do them one at a time, spread out, you shouldn't feel the discomfort.

For day-to-day, prevention is key.  I drink nearly everything (except clear beverages) from a straw.  I don't smoke and don't drink coffee but I am a southern gal so sweet tea is the norm.  Straws play a big key is prevention.  If straws are not available I usually choose a clear drink.  If that isn't possible, I have found that if must must sip a dark drink, follow with water before the stains set in.

I love trying toothpaste and this is my current fave.  It's minty with some whitening.  I have tried nearly every brand available and will hop around some but this one is good.  

What are your beauty secrets when it comes to white teeth and soft feet?  I love trying new techniques and products so please share.

Weekend Rewind

Phew!  What a week.  Thursday and Friday I was at a conference in Orlando for work and came home exhausted.  My sis Jessica came by Thursday night for a drink at our hotel after a loooong day of meetings. I got home Friday night and Simon and I went to grab dinner.  We ended up having some friends seated next to us so it worked out perfect.

Saturday morning would have been a perfect sleep-in day since we weren't racing but I spent the day at a soccer coaching clinic.  As we elevate in competition, coaching licenses are required so my co-coach James and I spent the day at the field.  It was so dang hot.  90s for sure.  After being over-served Thursday night and up early on Friday I was in no mood to be playing soccer.  We completed the training and got our coaching license.  Success!

I was only about 10 minutes from where my family vacations at the lake so I stopped by for a few to see the kiddos.  

 

I got home a few minutes too late on Saturday.  My husband had decided to do a little housekeeping and started to fill the mop bucket.  Well, he had a buddy call him and was chatting away in his man-cave, meanwhile the sink is overflowing.  I walked in and there was about an inch of water on the floor.  A lot of the kitchen was covered in water.  Simon very calmly got the mess cleaned up with towels and we decided to just call out for a pizza and call it a night.  Poor guy, just trying to do a little housework.  

Sunday we ran some errands and my sister came over to swim.  Simon cooked on the grill and we relaxed the day away.  Ready for another busy week!  Wednesday I am doing an overnight trip with the little kids and Dad and I are racing over the weekend.  Cheers y'all!

 

Weekend Rewind - Racing + Shane turns 14

Is it possible my first-born nephew is now 14?  Seems like just yesterday he was born and next year he can get his driver's permit.  And.....his auntie (me) is still trying to figure out the perfect time to have a child.
S-i-g-h.
Anyways, happy birthday to my cutie pie, sweet nephew Shane.  The first to break thru the brown hair/brown eyes combo in our family.  We have so many great traditions (summer, winter and spring break trips), school shopping together and now we text funny pictures or jokes to each other and have fun pranking the little cousins.

Pops and I snuck out of town Friday night on a four-hour drive to Georgia for racing.  We got there and were welcomed by muddy dirt roads and country mosquitos.  Booooo.  Luckily I snagged my niece Payton's mud boots and was able to venture around and somewhat stay clean.

We woke up early Saturday morning and were able to get our racing in before the storm hit.  My dad and I don't usually race together in the same class on big races but he was certain it would rain and hopped in my class since it was one of the first out.  We ended up 4th (me) and 5th (him) but the best part was we were swapping positions back and forth several times the last laps and were nearly side by side taking the checkered flag.  I am so lucky to have these great weekends together and make so many memories.  

We headed back late Saturday night and Sunday was a lazy day watching the World Cup game, NASCAR and some house cleaning.  This week is a little travel for me at work and we are back racing this weekend.  

Happy Tuesday y'all!  Make it a great week!  

2013 - My favorite memories

My Dad's birthday is later this month and for the last few years, I have made him a photo book to document all the adventures we had throughout the year.  A friend of mine introduced me to them and although they take a long time to prepare, they are definitely worth the effort.  Here is our 2013 year of memories.

Shutterfly often has sales as much as 50% off so get started on your photo book now and when the sale pops up, you are ready to order.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly baby photo books are the perfect way to preserve your baby's precious moments.

Some family you're born with, some you choose

One of my closest, dearest friends sets sail onto a new journey Sunday morning.  My friend of nearly 30 years, Julie heads to Chile with her boyfriend Alex.
Alex got a project at work to install 50 new towers there so off they go.  It's nights like these when you are saying goodbye that you realize some friends are as close as family.
I have known Julie since grade school.  We became fast friends at a very young age and I am proud to still call her my friend today.  She was in my wedding alongside my friend Kate and my sisters.  We have worked together and played together over the years and in just a matter of hours she embarks on a life-changing adventure.  They are expected to be there 12-18 months.
Tonight her sister Christie hosted a going away dinner and we sat around just chit-chatting for hours.  I know her sisters, neices, nephews, in-laws and parents.  They are the type of family that makes their guests feel more like family than visitors.  It was a great time and I will certainly miss having Julie around.
Adios muchacha.  Love you long time! xoxo

Welcome Back

It's been a while since I have been online.  I have been out of town travelling a lot and hadn't taken the time to hop on here.
It is summertime, one of my favorite times of the year.  It has been so rainy here.
We have done the best we can to maintain our family tradition of boating on the weekends but have spent as much time inside my dad's motorhome as we have laying by the water.  Here are a few recent photos.

I am working to plan a mini-vaca with my oldest niece and nephew.  I am also planning my first trip to Ecuador to visit one of my best friends.  In the mix of that, I am racing nearly every weekend and trying to find time to go to Atlanta for a quick trip with my husband.  Before we know it, cooler temps will be here and my tan will have faded away.

Hope you are having a great summer.  :)

Feeling the love in St Pete

I love weddings! We got married in 2001, which seems like a lifetime ago.  Simon and I cruised over to the west side of the state and went to our friends, Bryan & Erin's wedding.

St. Petersburg is just over two-hours from where we live.  I wish we had gone over a day earlier to really explore the city. We stayed in the downtown area and the wedding was walking-distance from the hotel.
Check out this adorable bag of goodies we got when we checked in.

The wedding was in the Museum of Fine Arts and the museum is right on the water.  It was really beautiful.
I didn't get many pictures on this trip but I found a picture online of what the back terrace of the museum looked like.

We got to see lots of old friends and I smiled all night.

Simon and I talked about having a 10-year anniversary party (missed that by two years) but I really get it back on my mind as we go to such great events like last night.

So, congrats to Bryan and Erin Adams, we wish you a lifetime of happiness.  xoxo

Was I saying I had free time?

When I started this blog I felt like I had so much free time.  How quickly that has changed.  I am really busy at work and my personal life needs it's own 40-hour schedule these days too.

I am playing indoor soccer Monday nights.  It is a co-ed league with a couple of long time friends on the team and several new friends.  Our games are an hour-long and the sport, especially indoor is really good for staying in shape.  We've played three or four weeks already and each Monday night I come home and crash afterwards.

Tuesday night is soccer practice for the youth team I coach.  My high school friend, James and I have been coaching several seasons together.  We coached in high school and my niece Payton needed a coach a few seasons back so my sister Holly wrangled me in.  I called James out of the blue and he agreed to help coach too.  Neither of us have kids but both of us have played soccer for a long time and have enjoyed being a mentor to the little ones.  We played yesterday and won 6-1.  The kids were over the moon.  We snapped a photo yesterday at half-time. (James couldn't make it to the game)

My sister Jessica was home sick this week so I didn't play kickball with her Wednesday.  Thursday night I went to my Dad's to get go-karts set up for the weekend.  Luckily he does most of the work on the kart but he does need me to sit in the kart so he can make final adjustments.  It takes an hour or so and then we load everything up in the trailer so we can just pull right out on Saturday.

We had 8:30 games Saturday (my younger niece Logan plays too) and I had just enough time to come home, feed the dogs, change clothes and head to the track.  We ran at Volusia County Speedway which is about a 90-minute drive.  We both had good finishes and got back home at 11:00 last night.  

I woke up this morning, went back to my Dad's to clean-up from last night and finally got back home this afternoon.  Time to do some laundry, tidy up the house and get ready for another busy week.  

Lots going on at work next week, I have another model home to decorate, am being published in two local newspapers for some local home-building news and am headed to a friend's wedding for the weekend.  I bought my first new bathing suit for the season so I am hoping to find a few minutes over the next several weekends to lay by the pool and soak up some Florida sun.  It's been unusually cool so far this season so I am hoping with the new bathing-suit I can trick mother nature into giving us some tanning temperatures. :)