I adore the tradition of printed holiday cards. I look forward to creating ours each and every year. Because it is one of my most beloved Christmas traditions, I insist on taking just the right photo, handwriting my envelopes, and taking care to make them as special as I can. The last few years, even though I’ve loved doing it, the busy holiday season and all the obligations it brings has forced me to push back the creation of our cards later and later....

After that first run, I was disappointed how much of my stamina and speed I had lost since the Fun Run in April. I was frustrated with myself for having given up but so glad that I have a new goal to set my eyes towards. As I trudged along the track, “When Can I See You Again?” by Owl City came streaming through my iPod. This line from the song jumped out at me: And then I really started to listen to the lyrics....

Though our family has lived in Charlotte, North Carolina for almost a decade, I was utterly clueless about the long history behind the delicious Carolina Sonker Trail in Surry County, NC. When an editor from Taste of Home reached out to ask what I knew about the classic blueberry sonker from our state, I had no idea what she was talking about! I quickly discovered that fruit sonkers are the specialty of one particular county in North Carolina and that there’s a trail of restaurants that serve them only an hour and half from our home in South Charlotte....

We are taking a family road trip to Washington DC this summer to visit Tim’s grandma. We’ve been looking forward to this trip for months and everyone is super excited to see family. I’m not sure how much time we’ll have to actually take the kids sight seeing this go round but I still wanted to chat about Washington with the girls before we go. I reserved a bunch of books from our library and we’ve been enjoying them for the last week or so....

Nightly text from me in reply: “Yes, a Kopp’s Turtle Sundae.” Knowing this road trip was coming up more quickly by the day, my memories of our visits to Kopp’s Frozen Custard in Milwaukee started taunting me with my favorite frozen treat of all time. For weeks I’ve looked forward to finally enjoying it after 4 years of missing out. Frozen custard is a richer, creamier, smoother ice cream than anything you’ll find on the grocery store shelves....

Whether you’re planning your very first trip to the beach with the kids or just want to explore the ocean and her creatures from the comfort of home, these gorgeous ocean books for kids bring the sea to life. This list of children’s books about the ocean features picture books illustrated with charming images of the most popular sea creatures: whales, sharks, octopus, dolphins, turtles, and fish of all kinds....

It is Road Trip Season! I wait all school year long for these precious few months where our family can hit the road in search of adventure together. I spend those long months in-between daydreaming about the destinations we’d like to explore and plotting ways to make it happen. Whether it’s to a new spot or an old favorite, the key to traveling with kids is having a plan. I grew up with a dad who insisted we have a travel itinerary for every trip we took because having a plan actually gives you the freedom to then break your own rules and branch off and explore new things....

Charleston is just a 3-hour drive from Charlotte, so when we first moved here it was at the very top of my list of places to see. As soon as we could manage, we bundled up the kids for a road trip to check out the Holy City–Charleston’s nickname earned for the high number of churches that populate the streets. Over the last few years, Charleston has become one of our family’s favorite places to visit....

First Stop: Welcome Center Visitor Centers are so often bypassed or overlooked at the start of a family vacation, but when they are as cute as the one in Amelia Island, they are absolutely worth a stop. Conveniently located right downtown in Fernandina Beach, it takes just a minute to walk over to the Welcome Center before you stroll around for shopping or a bite to eat. Snap a picture with the kids at the David Yulee statue out front and tour the Gilded Age train depot that has been turned into the visitor’s center....

My husband and I “ran away” for a romantic weekend getaway in Greenville, SC to celebrate 21 years of marriage. We chose Greenville because it is an easy drive from Charlotte, NC and we knew there would be plenty of all the things we wanted to do, but most of all for the plenty of dining options for our trip. There are dozens of fantastic restaurants to pick from in Greenville, but we had just a short 48 hours in town to make it count....

I didn’t plan to come home with designer luxury goods or gold-gilded tea sets. I simply wanted some fun shops for us to browse and find nice-quality items to bring home from our adventure. If you get a little creative with my list of the best gifts from London, you can shop at even the pricier stores and still find something special to buy and bring back to the states....

Handyman Tim and I celebrated 12 years of wedded bliss over the weekend. It was slightly tortuous knowing just how close to so many amazing vacation destinations we now live and yet not having access to a babysitter for the girls. So faced with the decision to stay home or take them along, we made last-minute plans to head out on a new hybrid adventure: The Romantic Family Vacation. 12 years....

It only took one pat and our entire family was googling what it takes to start an alpaca farm! Have you ever pet a real live alpaca?? I would never have imagined how plush and velvety soft these adorable creatures are! We spent the morning at the annual Carolina Alpaca Celebration in Concord, NC where we all completely fell in love with alpacas. Alpaca farmers from all over the south gather to show their alpacas and alpaca fiber products in a shopping gallery....

Optimist Hall, the amazing food hall near uptown Charlotte, is such a popular lunch spot for the working crowd and a date night hang out for young adults. But for our family? It is one of our favorite places to go with the kids when we’re all in the mood to try something a little different. We’ve been dining out at Optimist Hall for the last several years whenever we get the chance to go out in uptown Charlotte and my kids now love it so much, they beg to visit....

This week we headed to the SEA LIFE Aquarium in Charlotte-Concord. I was proud to be invited to join their 2015 Parent Council so we’ll be sharing updates from SEA LIFE with you over the coming months. This week is an exciting time at the aquarium as they celebrated #SharkWeek with the introduction of a brand new zebra shark named Freedom to their exhibits. The girls and I just got back from the media event where Freedom was introduced to her new friends: The girls and I have been guessing all week how they would transfer the shark into the tanks....

We spent an entire day of our trip to Pigeon Forge at the Dollywood theme park. It was our very first visit ever and I was blown away by how much there was to see. My girls were still fairly little and not quite ready to ride the amazing rollercoasters that Dollywood is famous for. Instead, we had to seek out the fun things to do with little kids that would be much more their speed....

There’s something inherently romantic about sharing a delightful meal in the great outdoors surrounded by nature’s beauty. A picnic date offers a charming and intimate setting to create lasting memories and impress your special someone, especially on a first date. But how do you plan a picnic that will sweep your partner off their feet? Learn how to craft a picnic experience that is nothing short of perfection. From selecting the perfect location to planning a tantalizing menu, these tips will walk you through every step, ensuring your picnic date is an enchanting affair....

Nothing is more devastating to a family trip than to have someone get seriously sick on vacation. I planned our epic family Halloween Disney trip for 6 months. I made handmade costumes for the Halloween party at Magic Kingdom that cost us a significant part of the trip budget and was completely non-refundable. Only to have my youngest daughter pick up the worst stomach bug she’s ever had in her entire life half way through the trip....

Our family is counting down the days until our next trip to the beach. We are so excited to wiggle our toes in the sand and do some wave jumping! We wait all year long for our annual weekend at the shore and do our best to capture all the memories to tide us over until the next visit. I always try to plan out a little informal beach family photos session of the girls for one morning during the trip....

Discovery Place Science has been one of our favorite family things to do in Charlotte for years. When we started our homeschool adventure last fall, I immediately signed up for an annual membership with visions of frequent visits to the museum. Then life got busy and I confess we haven’t made the time to go all the way uptown since August! Though our annual membership saves the entrance fee, it doesn’t cover parking....