Popping in with July goals a little early because we have a full month coming up! It’ll be busy, but considering that family time is the main thing packing our schedule, I don’t mind one bit :) Dave’s brother, sister-in-law, and their three girls are coming to visit right after the Fourth of July, then I’m a bridesmaid in my childhood friend’s wedding in Virginia the following weekend, and then my whole family is headed to Charlottesville for a few days of vacation! A bunch of our family members haven’t seen Charlie (or us :)) since the end of last year, and I can’t wait to spend quality time with them in a setting that’s a little less crazy than the holidays. It can be hard to be so far from both of our families, especially now that we have Charlie, but it certainly makes opportunities like this when we get to see everyone all the more special and meaningful.
Side note: If you have any recommendations for 1. Kid-friendly activities in the Triangle (kids are five, three, nine months, and five months) and/or 2. Charlottesville recommendations for eight adults and one nine-month-old, I’m all ears! :)
June Goals
1. Make some changes to my blog workflow and organization to better fit my new daily schedule and content goals
2. Bring meals to two families and snuggle their sweet new babies!
3. Read two books (My annual A Tree Grows in Brooklyn re-read and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society)
4. Finish my first draft of my personal essay
5. Test out some new products from BeautyCounter (Tested, loved, ordered, joined their team :))
July Goals
1. Enjoy lots of sweet family/friend time!
2. Train for the Run for Life 5K in August
3. “Style” (I say that loosely!), photograph, and blog our home tour :)
4. Host a garden party to share Beautycounter with some local friends
5. Celebrate the dedication of the gorgeous new cathedral in Raleigh (our new parish)!!
6. Try out a new meal planning/grocery shopping system
7. Plan our August trip to Wisconsin to see my Grandma
Here are a few Charlottesville recommendations for you–have so much fun!
-Take It Away for sandwiches. If you’ve ever been to the Cheese Shop in Williamsburg, it’s similar. Get the House Dressing–so good!
-Mas for tapas. I can’t speak for bringing a baby, but it’s a fun evening out.
-Citizen Burger Bar for, well, burgers. :)
-Lampo Pizzeria for amazing, pretty authentic Neapolitan pizza! The only catch is that it’s TINY and doesn’t take reservations, so people start lining up before it opens at 5 p.m. (We like to be there by 4:40 or so) to get a seat.
Thank you so much! I love the Cheese Shop in Williamsburg, so definitely want to try Take It Away!
We’ve always loved story time at the library! Short enough to make it home for nap time, but long enough to break up the day! Marbles Museum downtown is great too! Areas for the really little ones, so much to see and play with, enclosed areas and lots of stroller parking ; )
We just started going to Baby Storytime and love it!! I have heard great things about Marbles, too. Thanks so much for the suggestions, Alana! :)
I’m looking forward to your home tour. You have such a classic style! Yay for sweet family time :-)
Thank you so much, Emily!! Excited to share the progress we’ve made! :)
I don’t have kiddos, but my niece LOVES Pullen Park and they have activities for kids of all ages. :)
Thank you, Elizabeth! Putting it on my list! :)
How did you find The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society? It somehow snuck onto my reading list for this year, but I haven’t heard much about it to be honest!
A friend recommended it to me–it’s her favorite book! I didn’t really know what to expect when I picked it up at the library because there wasn’t a summary on the back or anything, so I just dove in and found it so delightful! One of the most interesting parts is that it’s set in post-WWII Great Britain, and I had never given much thought to what that time period was like. I definitely recommend it :)
Hey Lisa! Such exciting times! We LOVE Charlottesville!! I’ve written a couple posts on our favorite things to do there:
http://www.classiccatherine.com/virginia-wine-country-guide-outside-charlottesville/
http://www.classiccatherine.com/a-charlottesville-getaway/
I feel like all the wineries are pretty kid-friendly, and the whole area is such a great place to spend laid-back leisurely time with family! You will have so much fun!
xoxo,
Classic Catherine
Oooh, thank you! Can’t wait to check out your posts!
I went to college at UVA and by far my favorite thing to do in Charlottesville is go to the vineyards! You can do a tasting or buy a glass or a bottle and bring a picnic. So beautiful and super low-key, and you can for sure bring Charlie along! Some of the best are King Family Vineyards (if you are there over a Sunday, go to one of their Polo matches! It’s like tailgating but with horses in the background and a golf cart driving around selling bottles of wine), Veritas, Pippin Hill or Blenheim. :)
Thank you so much, Caroline! Very grateful to hear from someone so familiar with the area after attending UVA :) We toured King Family as a potential wedding venue a few years ago, so I am excited to head back there and would LOVE to catch a polo match!
Thank you so much, Caroline! Very grateful to hear from someone so familiar with the area after attending UVA :) We toured King Family as a potential wedding venue a few years ago, so I am excited to head back there and would LOVE to catch a polo match!
How was the Potato Peel Society book? Mom gave it to me to read. I’ve been getting some recommendations for Charlottesville as well! Can’t wait!