SO MUCH FUN | ROSEMARY BEACH

This is the second year we've gone down to kick off the summer down on the beaches of South Walton/30A. We rented a house on Rosemary Beach with some good friends and their kiddos and spent the week laughing, and lounging. We bought enough groceries to last us the week and we grilled and hung out at the beach and pool.. We took long bike rides, had dance parties and a talent show and the kids stayed up late and woke up (way too) early. It was exhausting and exhilarating. Such great fun and friends etched in my memories forever.

xx,

Bunnie

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p.s.  thanks again to my talented friends Maria and Denise for guest posting last week. I was so thankful to have you and really enjoyed what you shared. I hope you did too.

OUT AND ABOUT | IN DECATUR WHERE ITS GREATER

I'm SUPER excited to introduce you to Maria Pinkelton a fellow Atlanta mom, blogger, creative extraordinaire I've been stalking following for some time. I'm so glad she agreed to do a guest post here on the blog (while I kicked off the summer with a  little family time on the road) so you can meet her too!  

Thank you again Maria - I'm going to hold you to the adult beverage outing disguised as blogger research:-)

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Hello, Maria Pinkelton here. As a fellow urban mommy, wife and writer I am so I am happy to fill in with this guest post on Bunnie’s blog.  It is also a joy to have the opportunity to wax on about the city where I live and that I love - Decatur, Georgia. 

After the birth of our son, we knew our time was limited in our 10th floor one bedroom condo overlooking Piedmont Park. There were no three bedrooms available in our building; and although we decided to only have one child; the extra room would be necessary. Our new home hunt led us to the city of Decatur. The schools, shopping and restaurants were top notch; and we would be able to maintain the level of walkability we had in Midtown. This fall will make four years in our town home and while I miss some aspects of Midtown living; our new home has all of the benefits with a bit more space. 

There is a lot to love in the city that is a short ride from Atlanta down Ponce de Leon. Here are a few of my favorite things... 

Shopping. . . 

Salon Red Kids  Looking for a great gift for that special tot in your life? Want to make baby’s first haircut a special occasion? This hair salon/clothing and toy store located at 123 East Ponce de Leon Avenue was the spot our sweet boy had his first haircut; and I highly recommend them for your child’s inaugural clipping. They even put some of the shorn locks into a cute keepsake baggie. 

Little Shop of Stories  Decatur is home to the largest independent book festival every Labor Day weekend. Develop your children’s love of books early with a trip to this bookstore located at 133-A East Court Square. In addition to summer camps and story telling time they offer a great selection of adult literature. 

Square Foot   Looking for a pair of stylish shoes by Fly London, Camp. Tom's or Keen for yourself? Mothers, fathers and kids can each get great footwear at this shoe, clothing and accessory store located at 149 Sycamore Street. 

Home Grown  I am a big fan of local artists and Home Grown a great spot to see a lot of local talent in one location. Located at 412 Church Street you would be hard pressed to not find something that tickles your fancy here. Coasters boasting ITP (Inside the Perimeter) pride, state of Georgia necklace’s and shirts by artist R. Land are just a few of they things that can be found in this store. 

Eating…

Honestly, this city has more restaurants that your kid can shake a Lego at. I will simply list a few of my top pics I think you and the kids will enjoy:

• Big Tex, 308 West Ponce de Leon Avenue - Sunday brunch until 3:00 and a kid’s menu that has choices for every tiny palette. 

• Revolution Doughnuts, 908 West College Avenue - The line is always worth it!

• Brick Store, 125 East Court Square - Their extensive beer menu will have parents happy. Their bavarian pretzels and pimento cheese will have the kids happy. Note: The Hogwarts Camp that is run by local book shop Little Shop of Stories uses this pub as their “Hogsmeade” field trip for its old world stone and aged wood decor. 

• Swirlin' Twirlin', 335 West Ponce de Leon Avenue - What kid doesn’t want frozen yogurt?

• The Square Pub, 115 Sycamore Street - The owners of this eatery travel out west annual to buy hundreds of pounds of green chiles that serve as the cornerstone of their menu. Not a fan of spicy? How about a Reuben Egg Roll or a Fried Avocado? 

• Dancing Goats Coffee, 419 West Ponce de Leon. The only thing that is better than the coffee creations and mini sugar donuts that are found here is its proximity to the Decatur Toy Park (learn more about this gem in the PLAY section.)

Playing...

Decatur Toy Park located at the corner of E. Ponce de Leon Ave and Nelson Ferry Road. The park is owned and maintained by the First Christian Church of Decatur; but the park and all of the toys that live there, are free for all to enjoy. Also know as “ The Island of Misfit Toys” on Foursquare, this spot is full of gently used outdoor toys that have been donated by members of the community. Because of this you don’t have to fill your home with huge toys and there are new toys every time you visit.   The space also offers a traditional jungle gym, swings and a large  green space perfect for kickball or a game of catch. 

Glenlake Park- located at 1211 Church Street this City of Decatur park has it all. Tennis courts, pool, play ground, picnic pavilions and basketball courts. All of this is topped off with the most adorable creek running through the middle of it all that is perfect for duck and minnow spotting. With ample parking and clean bathrooms this spot is a Pinkelton family favorite. 

Want to do more...

The city of Decatur several events and festivals during the year for families. The Touch-a-Truck event in March brings out all of the city vehicles including fire trucks, ambulances, police motorcycles, front loaders and more for kids to sit in and on. July brings the Pied Piper Parade, complete with concert and fireworks and the Decatur Beach Party on the Square. Want to know more about the sweet city of Decatur? Visit www.visitdecaturga.com. 

Want to know more about me? Visit my blog at www.mariapinkelton.com. 

Cheers!

Maria

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Maria Pinkelton is a wife, mom, and freelance writer in Atlanta/Decatur, GA. She also blogs about food, family, and friendships (and other random things that happen when you are the only black girl in the room) over at www.mariapinkelton.com

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xx,

bunnie

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BEACH TRIP PACKING ESSENTIALS AND TIPS

Its quite obvious someone has beach on the brain. I promise this is my last beach post. And then its on to bombarding you with a gazillion ode's to summer. But in the mean time. I'm making my list and checking it twice. Traveling with little people tends to always leave me with the feeling that I'm forgetting something (or someone). So when the time comes I will be doing every stitch of laundry in the house and packing as I fold. I'm starting with theses tips and this list:

Some Tips for Packing:
-  Make a list of outfits you’ll wear each day. Doing so will help prevent over-packing.

-  Choose versatile pieces that you can mix and match.

-  Save space by tightly rolling as much of your clothing as possible. Line the bottom of the suitcase   with your heaviest items first, then put lighter items on top of that.

-  Fill nooks and crannies with smaller items -socks, belts, etc.

-  Always put toiletries in a plastic bag. Believe me, you definitely don’t want to open your suitcase and find that the shampoo (or lotion, or body wash) exploded all over your clothes.
-  Leave some space for anything you might want to bring back!

For the car ride:

Water Bottles Filled

Juice Boxes

Individual Packaged snacks (cereal bars, Pirates Booty)

Movie loaded ipad

Tunes: Despicable Me 2 soundtrack

Dads favorite beverage (Coke!)

Entertainment (Coloring books, reading books, )

For Munchkins

7-10 pairs of underwear

5 pairs of pajamas

Sandals

Flipflops

Sneakers

Sweater (in case you are in a chilly restaurant)

4 swim suits

1 robe/coverup

10 outfits (shorts, dresses, skirts, khakis, combination)

3 pairs of socks

Baby
Diapers

Swim Diapers

Wipes

Kid Spoons

2 sippy cups

double the outfits

Bibs/smocks

Umbrella stroller

Wagon (in lieu of double stroller)

Diaper Rash Cream

For Mama

Sun Hat

Pashmina

Sweater

Pajamas

Swimwear

Tunics/coverups

Day wear

1 fancy dress just in case

2 workout shorts/tops

3 bras

7-10 pairs underwear

flip flops

strappy sandals

sneakers (just incase you get the inclination to run on the beach)

4 swim suits

Perfume/Body Oil

Maxi dress

Linen pants

Toiletries

Shampoo & Conditioner

Hair Moisterizer

Body Lotion

Shaving Cream

Razors

Feminine Hygeine

Lip Balm

Flat Iron

Facial Cleanser

Toothpaste

Dental Floss

Tooth brushes

Perfume

Soap

Comb

Brush

Hair ties

Hair pins

Hair accessories (head bands, barrettes)

Deoderant

Extra plastic baggies

For the Beach

Sunscreen

Insect Repellent

Sun Hats

Toys: Shovel, buckets, floaties

Ipad Kindle with books

Magazines

Plastic baby pool for the babes

Goggles

Beach Towels

Health/Rx

Pedialite

Allergy Medication

Pain Medication

Thermometer

Nail clippers

Bandaids

Aloe Vera Gel

Neosporin

First Aid Kit

Perscription Meds

Electronics

Laptop

Ipad

Chargers

Camera

You can print this list here.

What would you add to this list? Anything you think would be helpful?

xx,
Bunnie

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