Baytowne Wharf

As I mentioned earlier, my friends and I visited the Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin, FL recently.  It is a fabulous little shopping and eating area within a gated community in Sandestin.  It really could not get any cuter!

We arrived with intentions of eating and doing some shopping and that is EXACTLY what we did.  There were lots of restaurants and little kiosk places to grab a bite.  We chose Hammerhead's and it did not disappoint.  We shared an appetizer of Shrimp Queso (yummo!) and I had the Shrimp Po Boy with fries and a sweet tea (my fave!).  I am not exaggerate with I say this sandwich was longer than my forearm and overflowing with delicious, fresh fried shrimp.  A little ketchup and I'm in shellfish heaven.  L ordered the fried catfish and K got an all-American cheeseburger.  Both looked yummy, but I didn't taste--I was too busy diving mouth first into my Po Boy.

After our delicious meal, we took a walk out onto the pier and then headed out to check out some of the shops.  The first place we stopped was Coconut Kids--an adorable little boutique with some of the cutest kid clothes I have ever seen.  I am here to tell you, this Mudpie flamingo outfit would have been mine (or rather C's) had I had the extra money to get it!

Then we walked on down to a few more shops to just look around.  I love to window shop, but I can tell you, these shops are not for the cheap or thrifty.  But they are tons of fun to walk through and dream!  After some window shopping (and slight sticker shock) we decided that our sweet tooth needed to be satisfied.  I had never had gelato, so we stopped for some.  It did not disappoint.  I love all things chocolate, and this little store was just adorable.  I love that they garnished the simple scoops with a tiny cone.  Too cute!

Then we stopped in the candy store to look around and grab some souvenirs.  K got some special bones for her dogs, L got some salt water taffy, and I came home with two different types of fudge--peanut butter chocolate and cookies and cream.  They were both delicious and 'Hubs approved.'

Baytowne Wharf is a fun and very family friendly place.  There was a play area, zip line, jumping areas, and other fun activities for your little ones and tons of shopping and delicious restaurants for your family to enjoy.  I would love to go back and spend more time just enjoying the scenery and good eats.

Girls Beach Trip

Recently a couple of my high school besties and I traveled to Santa Rosa Beach for a fun-filled few days and a wedding.  Another high school friend, ML was getting married on the beach in Destin, and basically we were able to use that as an excuse to take a few days away from life and veg-out with our toes in the sand.  We stayed in a really quaint loft that K's husband's aunt and uncle own and let us stay in free of charge!  What a blessing!  We spent our mornings and early afternoons on the beach soaking up the sun and reading books, and then we headed in for showers and eating seafood.  We enjoyed an unusual experience at Louie Louie's and a yummy meal at Hammerhead's in the Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin (more on that to come).  We also enjoyed a LONG night (I don't think I have ever waited that long for food before) at the Harbor Dock restaurant in Destin after the wedding.

There is not much better than having good lasting friendships that go all the way back to middle school and high school.

K, L, and me after the wedding on the beach

I {heart} the beach

With summer nearly half over (and for students, it is almost over period), I got to thinking about how much I love the beach.  I am leaving soon to go with some friends for another friend's wedding, so I decided to take a little look back at some of our family's recent trips to the beach.

As a child, I grew up going to Panama City Beach pretty much every summer with my parents and brother.  And it is still my favorite beach--probably because I know where to stay, where to eat, where to shop, and generally how to get around--but I am open to trying new beaches as well.

June 2010:  my sweet B a couple of months before his second birthday

 June 2010:  our family--before we were a family of 4

July 2011:  We decided to go to the beach just a few weeks after C was born--we needed a vacay!

 July 2011:  However, C and I spent pretty much the entire vacay doing this--hanging out inside--while the Hubs and B played at the beach.

Those are some of our most recent trips to PCB, but we have been to other beaches as well.  We traveled to Destin with some of our closest friends for a lovely vacation a couple of years ago.

July 2010:  one of my favorite family pictures ever!

 

July 2010:  The only thing better than a nap is a nap on the beach!

My parents recently purchased a timeshare which means we get to try out a new beach all the time.  Last summer we headed to Hilton Head, South Carolina and had a really nice time.

 July 2012:  My sweet C crawling fearlessly into the Atlantic Ocean!  Don't you love the sunglasses!

 July 2012:  My baby boy LOVES running in the waves.  He cannot get enough of it.

July 2012:  Not the best family picture ever, but here we all are in the dunes.  I do love a family pic on the beach.

This year our fam hit Daytona Beach on the way home from Disney World.  Sadly, I left my camera in the room to avoid getting sand in it, and the Hubs phone was on the fritz and would not take any pictures while we were on the beach.  But I assure you, there was plenty of frolicking and merry-making in the frigid Atlantic waters that day as well.  Hopefully, we can find a day to make a trip to the beach with the kiddos before school starts back for the Hubs.

Swimming Lesson Success

As I mentioned in a recent post, B has been taking swimming lessons twice a week from Miss K, a local teenager and family friend.  It has been extremely successful, and B is swimming exponentially better than he was at the beginning of the summer.  He can now swim with his face in the water and even holding his head up out of the water.  And on Wednesday, he had a huge breakthrough!

That's right.  He jumped off of the diving board!!  Miss K and I had been trying to get him to do it for a couple of weeks.  But it took some peer pressure to actually get it done.  His friend D and all of his siblings were finishing up their lessons when we got there and they hung around for our lesson.  Seeing D and his big sister jump off the diving board inspired my apprehensive little guy to do the same.  I was so proud of him.  And after he jumped in a couple of times, he would then jump and swim THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE POOL!!  I was so excited.  It is definitely a relief to know that your child knows what to do in the water should they fall in.  Now to get C swimming.  :)