Spouse

  • It’s the Little Things

    I am thankful for my husband. He blesses me in so many ways throughout the week. Honestly, too often I take the many acts of kindness he does for me daily for granted. He shows love to me even when I am a mess.

    Most mornings he is up early to make me breakfast and coffee to help get me out the door for work. Often dinner is ready by the time I get home from work. He is willing to try out a different restaurant or go on an adventure with me.

    Whether we’re tackling home projects or enjoying a date night, I love spending time with my handsome man. He treats me well, loves me despite my craziness, and is an amazing Dad to our girls.

    There are countless reasons why I feel blessed to have him as my partner and best friend. I am grateful to have the opportunity to walk through life with him by my side. He really is the calm to my chaos.

    Today I came home from running errands with one of the girls and the dishes were washed, groceries picked up and these beautiful flowers were waiting for me. His little acts of kindness are daily reminders of how truly blessed am I.

    The older I get the more I am reminded that each day really is a precious gift. May we always cherish our shared moments together. My prayer is that he recognizes the depth of love for him—not solely based on his actions, but because of the remarkable person he truly is.

  • Old Post 1940 Coffee Shop & Wedding Venue (Easley, SC)

    We visited the Old Post 1940 Coffee Shop & Wedding Venue in Easley, South Carolina. It is a 1940s United States Post Office that was renovated into a pretty wedding venue and coffee shop. It was a neat wedding venue near downtown Easley.

    They had a small coffee shop serving organic coffee. We each had a coffee and looked around the venue. The coffee was good, the building and location were nice. If you are looking for a venue near the Easley area you should check this place out. If you have a large event there is not a lot of parking at the building but there is a decent size parking about a block or so away at Old Market Square.

  • You Make Everything Better

    It’s the simple and thoughtful gestures that can make the biggest impact in our lives. The other day I opened up my lunch bag and found this sweet note from my handsome man. It was a special surprise and made me smile.

    Sometimes it is the little acts of kindness that make you feel the most loved and appreciated. Life is crazy busy but taking a few minutes to show someone you care can make a huge difference in their days.

    I am very blessed and sometimes I forget how truly lucky I am. Thankful for this little note because it was a great reminder that I am loved and do matter to someone.

    If you are looking for ways to show your spouse or someone you love that you care, I would encourage you to take a few minutes to leave a surprise note in their lunch bag or on their mirror or in their car. It’s a simple yet effective way to brighten up their day and let them know that they are special to you.

    Everyone wants to be noticed, loved, and valued. These little expressions of love really do matter!

  • Penguins Winter Family Puzzle

    Every year we typically do a puzzle during the winter. This year “Penguins” was the puzzle of choice!  I enjoy doing the puzzle, but if it stays out for a really long period of time it starts bothering me so usually we try to do it in a timely manner. The various members of the family can walk by and put in a puzzle piece here and there. Also, during family movie time the puzzle gets some more work done on it. Once we finish we will leave it out for a few days, take a photo of the puzzle then we donate it. Does your family have a winter activity you do together at home?

  • Big Apples & Beautiful Plants

    The big apple and beautiful plant on my desk!

    These past couple of weeks I have been in a bit of a funk…. Some little unexpected things happened that I let pile up and bother me. Instead of letting these incidents roll off of me and turning my focus towards the many blessings in my life I let these little disappointments and inconveniences capitalize too much of my energy.

    All I have to do is look around me to how truly see blessed I am and yet at times I struggle with being content.  My negative attitude is not benefiting myself nor those who are in close proximity of me (family, friends, co-workers). In reality it is probably pretty toxic to myself and those who have to be in my presence.  While my life is not even close to being “perfect” mostly because I manage to mess it up more than I care to admit, it really isn’t bad by any means either. There are a lot of people that are going through far more challenging situations.

    As I was thinking about some of these recent events, situations and incidents that got me into this little funk I was reminded of big apples and beautiful plants.  I know it sounds random, but sometimes it’s silly little objects that help bring clarity and focus to my messes of life. Often times these objects remind me of the person who thoughtfully and gave or made them for me which in return makes me smile.

    My husband will randomly get me something that he knows I will enjoy.  An apple is a common fruit found in my work lunch, one day he surprised me with a very large apple as my work snack. It made me laugh because the apple was so big it barely fit in my lunch bag and ended up being part of my snack and lunch.   I love all kinds of plants and flowers, however, I have a black thumb which means it is a miracle if I keep a plant alive for a year or more (yes, I have managed to even kill a cactus….). One day he brought home an adorable potted plant for me.  I took it to work and had so many files on my desk that day that it ended up finding a home next to my monitor and in front of my main work space.  He is thoughtful and knows how to make me smile. The photo above is the day I had the big apple next to my beautiful plant. While these are just two visual examples of ways I am reminded of him and the many blessings in my life there are many more if I take a moment to look around me.

    Unfortunately, there are many days when I am busy with tasks that I overlook the big apples, beautiful plants, and the many other little reminders of the multitude of blessings in my life. Some days I get sucked into tackling a variety of “to do” items or choose to focus on disappointments which tend to weigh on me instead of working hard while appreciating the positive blessings all around me.   It’s time to break out of this funk and remember who really is in control of my life.  When left up to myself I get off track, my focus is not on what truly matters in life, and I am not the easiest person to hang around.  I am ready to get back on track, anybody else ready?

    A few ways to encourage us to turn our focus towards positive blessings:

    • Look – What do you see around you that makes you smile or brings are certain special person to mind?  You probably have more blessings than realize you once you take a few minutes to look around and think about it.
    • Relax – The to do list is always growing, don’t set unrealistic expectations for yourself.  You can relax every once in awhile without being considered lazy, it’s actually healthy for us.
    • Breathe – Take a few deep breaths, it helps clear your minds and relaxes your body
    • Focus – Choose to focus on the good parts of your life.  The hard times and inconveniences will come, but they do not have to monopolize all your time and energy.
    • Time – Spend quality time with family, friends, and people you love. Life really is short, make a point to invest time in people.

    Here’s to a life full of many blessings!  May we always remember what’s truly important and if we forget hopefully we’ll get back on track quickly.

  • Beach Fun at Huntington Beach State Park (Murrells Inlet, SC)

    Enjoying the rain on the beach!

    We had a wonderful time on the beach at Huntington Beach State Park.  It was a mix of sun and rain!  The rain didn’t stop us from heading to the beach for some fun in the sand and water.  We stayed at the Huntington Beach Campgrounds, it was a nice walk to the beach.  Access to the beach wasn’t too far from our campground and it was pretty quiet.  Only a few families were on the beach near us.  If you walk further down the beach it got a little bit more crowded especially on the nicer days.  Thankful for an opportunity to get away together and enjoy some time at the beach.

    Digging in the sand and watching the little critters

    On the run

    Fun on the beach

    Birds, Sand and the Atlantic Ocean

    Sand art

    My crew

    All smiles

    On the move

    Atlantic Ocean

    Dusk walk on the beach

    Sun is going down and the rain clouds are moving in now.

    Enjoyed our time at Huntington Beach

  • Muller’s Famous Fried Cheese Cafe (Helen, GA)

    When my husband and I were visiting Helen, Georgia we decided to try out this small family owned authentic German or Czech food cafe.  We decided to try it because some of our family heritage is Czech.  Since it had a lot of dairy products on the menu Jake and I went together on our last day in the area.  They are known for their “fried cheese” sandwiches.  We have a child who cannot have dairy so figured if we wanted to eat at this restaurant it was a good day to do it.

    We had the fried cheese sandwich as an appetizer.  Even as an appetizer it was pretty rich and we ended up bringing the majority of it home.  If you like cheese sticks you may enjoy this treat.  It was a little much for us, but tasty.  Jake had a Pork Schnitzel and I had a Chicken Schnitzel.  We split a bowl of Homemade Goulash Soup with Beef.

    Overall:  We enjoyed the service and the quietness of the cafe.  The meal was richer than what we were used to eating so we could not eat much, but the food was good.  We typically do not eat a lot of fried food and brought some home to eat as leftovers.  If you like rich and cheesy food than you may enjoy this restaurant.  They are only open a limited amount of hours some days and closed others, check their hours prior to going.*

    *We would not recommend this place if you have any member of your party with a dairy allergy as they would have limited menu options.

    Inside of the fried cheese and ham sandwich

    Homemade Goulash soup and Chicken Schnitzel

  • Trambahn Card Game

    Fun 2 person game!

    On a recent trip Jake picked up the game called Trambahn from Mayfair Games!  It was a fun 2 person game to play.  I didn’t win, but had a blast playing it.  It comes in a small hard box even though it is technically a card game.  It is a game that you will most likely want to play on a table because the cards will be spread out throughout the game.

    The game is built to reflect Munich around the end of the 19th century.  Each player tries to build and expand their own tramways while new routes are being created, stations are built, and existing routes gain additional trains.  The game take about 30 minutes.  The rules are easy to understand and it is fun to play.

    Thankful for a husband who enjoys playing board and card games as much as I do.  Also, grateful for the opportunity to stop and play a game together every once in awhile.  It is a fun and relaxing time together.

    If you are looking for a fun, easy, two player and card game you should check this one out!

  • Oasis Cedar Creek Cabin (Cleveland, GA)

    Beautiful with the wood, large windows, and open floor plan!

    My husband and I recently had a weekend away in Cleveland, Georgia while the girls were on a school field trip to Charleston, SC. The Oasis Cabin we stayed in was beautiful!  It was in a great location with the peacefulness of the woods and mountains while conveniently located near Helen, Georgia if you wanted to go out to dinner or exploring.  We ate at the Cowboys & Angels restaurant while in Helen which was very good.  It was a much needed weekend away together.

    The cabin was perfect and furnished with a lot of fun extras.  It had simple yet beautiful decorations, not the typical “bears, fish, and other cabin decor”.  The bath robes were very comfortable and we enjoyed playing several rounds of pool together.  We played board games, ate out on the deck, and relaxed together.  We could occasionally hear the construction workers who were building a couple of the surrounding cabins, but nothing too distracting.

    There were some cleaning issues that we had with the cabin, but after emailing Cedar Creek Cabins with the information we originally felt like it was worth visiting Cedar Creek Cabins again to see if the experience is better.  Now we are not sure if we will visit any of their cabins in the future.

    We are still very thankful for a special weekend together.  We went home refreshed and relaxed!  Just wish the people taking care of the cabins followed through with their promises and that the cabins were cleaned better.

    View from the pool table – looking towards the kitchen and bedroom areas

    PROS:

    • Gorgeous cabin with a spacious floor plan, huge windows and a lot of nice features
    • Pool Table & Board Games
    • Fairly Private Back Deck
    • Charcoal Grill
    • Keurig Coffee Machine was really nice + they left a few coffee K-Cups to use as well as a re-usable one if you brought your own ground coffee
    • Washer & Dryer
    • Blender – wasn’t aware of this one prior to arriving, but we love smoothies
    • Plenty of Storage for Food & Snacks in the cupboards
    • Comfortable King Size Bed
    • Super Soft Bath Robes
    • Automatic Recliners in the Couch
    • Fireplace
    • Jacuzzi Bathtub the huge tub that was really comfortable, does take awhile to fill up though!
    • Large Walk-in Dual Shower
    • Hot Tub on Deck nice, but needed more chlorine had a mildew growing in it by the second night so we did not get into it again after that night
    • 2 TV’s – one over the fireplace and the other by the bed & jacuzzi tub
    • Nest Thermometer was easy to use
    • Landscaping looked freshly done and really nice (new mulch)
    • Nice Loveseat Wicker Furniture on the Deck could sit or lay down on it.  We played games on the deck, ate snacks, and relaxed
    • Small Community Playground – it was small and a little faded, but was a nice touch for any families coming to visit with small kids.
    • Nice neighborhood – We felt safe enough to walk through the neighborhood and found several other families doing the same as well.

    Super soft bathrobes!

    CONS:

    • Check the Dishes prior to using!  We found a lot of dirty dishes that had been put away, possibly from the previous renters, but most of them should have been noticed by the cleaning staff.  For example – Several of the knives in the knife rack on the counter were very dirty with chunks of food on them.  Multiple items (plates and cups) in the cupboards had food chunks on them and the bowls had liquid in them.  If you opened the silverware drawer it was obvious by just looking that the silverware was not cleaned prior to being put back into the drawer.  After pulling out several dirty items we ended up washing everything before using it.  Thankfully we brought extra dishwasher soap and a bunch of disposable items because we ended up running all the silverware and a bunch of dishes through the dishwasher prior to leaving.  If you are going to require guests to wash the dishes prior to checking out then the housekeeping staff really should do a quality inspection of the dishes when cleaning the cabin to make sure that they are actually clean prior to the next guests arrival.  Honestly, it was gross and would have been an easy thing to correct while housekeeping was already in the cabin cleaning.  We realize that it was most likely the previous guests that put dirty utensils, pots & pans, and serving items back in the cupboard, however, it was pretty obvious just by glancing that the dishes were put away dirty especially when opening the silverware drawer or pulling a plate out of the cupboard or a bowl with standing water in it.  No one wants to wash dirty dishes from the previous guests in a cabin while on their vacation.
    • Top rack of the dishwasher was missing the right end cap causing the rack to come off the roller or get stuck in place.  Wasn’t a big deal other than it made using the top rack of the dishwasher more difficult to use.
    • Bring extra toilet paper! We had 2 partial rolls of toilet paper that was supposed to last for 4 days for 2 people (the one on the roller was almost gone and the one on the back of the toilet was already half used).  We ended up getting more toilet paper to get us through the weekend.
    • Fireplace thongs would be very helpful when maintaining the fire.  Not a huge problem just would make it more convenient for the guests staying in the cabin.
    • Basic Cooking Supplies especially if you plan to cook.  Maybe we cook more than the average guests or have stayed in cabins with a lot of “extras”.  There was no cooking spray, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or pyrex dish or pie plate to cook in.  One jelly roll pan and a set of pots & pans was it for baking.
    • Ability to be a Gated Community, however, the gate was never locked (even though we were given a gate code) and we were in and out multiple times every day
    • Rough Road with a lot of large pot holes the last half mile or so to the entry of the entrance.  This is probably more of a county maintenance issue, but visitors need to be aware of the road condition as it is one you’ll want to the cabins so take it slow to avoid potholes.
    • Some construction noise. This cabin community was obviously still being built.  Several cabins next to us were still being built, overall the noise from construction was minimal (mostly hammers, saws, and normal construction noises).  We could hear one of the workers radios playing if we were outside, there were several port-a-potties near our cabin, and they did work on both Saturday and Sunday so there was construction activity even on the weekend.
    • No Cabin Signage. Had to call them to figure out which cabin it was because there were no signs and we drove around the entire complex twice.  They told us where it was located and said that the construction workers had knocked over the sign and one was on order.
    • Need updated directions. Followed the directions exactly, but it appears that they have added more cabins and roads since writing the instructions because they did not lead to the correct cabin.
    • High Speed Internet – while they did have internet it did drop a few times or was really slow.  It may have been from all the construction around us because we noticed it most on Friday of our stay.
    • Landline Phone – while it was nice having the phone in the cabin we got multiple phones call from people trying to solicit money and/or services.  After a day we ended up unplugging the phone because the only time it rang was when someone was trying to advertise their services and we had our cell phones that worked decently while at the cabin.

    Overall we had a refreshing and relaxing time together.  The cabin itself was gorgeous and other than the kitchen the rest of the cabin was fairly clean.  The housekeeping not checking the dishes and the property managers failure to follow through with their promises were our biggest disappointments, really all else was minor and expected with a new community.

    We contacted the property managers and they were apologetic regarding the dirty items in the cabin.  They also offered to give us a discount on our next stay in any of their cabins.  We let them know that we were staying at another one of their cabins again in April with our kids.  Gave them the dates, the cabin we were staying in and everything, but never heard back from them again regarding the discount.

    We held off posting the review because we wanted to give them a second chance prior to posting it.  We feel like they dropped the ball in a few ways and not convinced that it would be a company we would use again which is sad because they are within a reasonable driving distance from home making it a convenient weekend place to visit.  Plus the cabins could really be a wonderful relaxing and enjoyable place to stay especially if you don’t have to clean up the previous guests messes!

    PLEASE for the sake of your future guests make sure that the cabins are cleaned better no one wants to pull out dishes with the last guests food on them AND don’t offer to fix issues or offer a discount on future stays if you do not intend to honor that promise.

    View from the kitchen & dining area bedroom, jacuzzi tub, and shower

    Relaxing on the deck lounge.  Comfortable and relaxing!

    Decorations were simple and elegant.  Not the typical “cabin” decor which was really nice!

    Loved hanging out with my man for the weekend!

    Relaxing on the couch in front of the toasty fire!

  • Cowboys & Angels Restaurant (Helen, GA)

    Jake and I went away for a weekend while the girls were on a Student Council Leadership Conference.  We stayed in Cleveland, Georgia not far from Helen.  After Jake was done with work we headed into Helen to grab a bite to eat.  We had looked at a few restaurant reviews prior to going so we had an idea of some of the places we may want to check out.

    Once in Helen we parked on the edge of town and took a stroll through the quaint little shopping area.  We passed several of the restaurants that we were considering.  We finally settled on Cowboys & Angels Restaurant When we first arrived there were only a couple tables inside (but they were reserved) and several tables available outside.  We considered staying because it was probably going to get cooler as it got darker.  The hostess and staff reassured us that they had outdoor heaters.  They found us a table in an area that would be a little warmer and a little quieter.  A musician from Nasheville, TN was singing on the outdoor patio, but wasn’t too loud.

    The weather was a little bit cooler, but it was still comfortable.  The staff was quick and accommodating.  The food was delicious.  Jake had the Longhorn Burger with Broccoli.  I had the Grilled Maverick Chicken with a House Salad both were delicious.

    Pros:

    • Location is in the heart of the shopping and tourist district of Helen, GA
    • Food was delicious and for a reasonable price
    • Atmosphere was good with live music
    • Hospitality was excellent and pleasant with prompt service from the staff

    Cons

    • Limited indoor seating.  If it is a cooler day when you visit and the restaurant is busy you may be eating outside.
    • NOTE: Staff indicated that they were in the process of expanding and hope to have more indoor eating space in the future (not sure of the exact plans or timeline).

    Overall:  Yes, would definitely try again on a future visit to Helen, GA.  They would probably benefit from more indoor seating especially during the cooler months, but I can imagine it would be a really neat venue for eating on the porch & patio throughout the Spring and Summer seasons.  The food was great and the service was excellent so if you are looking for somewhere to eat while visiting the area we recommend you check them out.