3rd Birthday, Last Day of School, & Summer Adventures!

I suppose it’s about time I start calling these “weekly recaps” what they really are—monthly ones. Hope you’re ready for a super long post packed with fun updates on what we’ve been up to lately—art projects, big boy room makeover, toddler activities, and all the summer fun that’s officially in full swing. This past month has been a whirlwind of holidays, family visits, vacations, birthdays, and little adventures—and I can’t wait to share it all with you! Grab that coffee because it’s a long one!

I have two favorite foods: pizza and a loaded turkey sandwich. I’m a total sucker for both. Bird Pizzeria has been popping up all over my social media lately—apparently, it’s rated one of the best places for pizza in the U.S. It’s nearly impossible to get a reservation, and even Dave Portnoy gave it a pretty decent review (and as a fellow pizza lover, I love watching his reviews on TikTok). I placed a pickup order a week in advance—you have to do this if you want a guaranteed takeout order—and we decided to make a little evening of it. We packed a blanket and had a picnic in Fourth Ward, the part of Charlotte where Kyle and I used to spend so much time when we first met since he lived right next to it.

People say the experience at Bird Pizzeria is very different dining in versus takeout, so I’m excited to give it another try—this time, dining in. It’s nearly impossible to snag a reservation, but I finally got one… two months from now! 😂 It’s a small spot with a really cool aesthetic and vibe, and their menu has a nice selection of pizza, salads, desserts, and cocktails.

The pizza and salad we had for takeout were just okay, not the hype I was seeing online. I’ve definitely had better pizza in Charlotte. Bird is a fun and trendy spot, not overpriced for a pie, and while the pizza was good, I wouldn’t call it the best. BUT, maybe my mind will change when I dine in! Honestly, the pizza I had during a Wise Acres pop-up is still the best I’ve had in Charlotte! If you’re local, I’d love to hear your favorite pizzerias—I’m always up for trying new spots.

I’ll report back in August after our dine-in experience at Bird, so stay tuned for round two! I’m so excited since it looks so cozy and cool inside.

May is the month for my climbing roses—and they’re showing off this year! With no spring frost to slow things down, everything is blooming early and thriving. None of the plants took a hit, and now my hydrangeas, garden beds, limelights, and roses are all in full bloom mode. It’s so gorgeous out there right now!

It’s safe to say we’ve officially gotten our money’s worth out of our season passes to Carowinds! Since it’s right down the road, it’s so easy (and fun) to pop over for a morning or afternoon with friends. Camp Snoopy is amazing for kids—my son loves it! I love that he gets to ride all the fun rides with his little buddies. It’s such a great way to spend the day outside and make memories.

Well, I’m officially a Croc mom. My son loved them when we were shopping at Academy, and my mom—being the grandma who never says no—bought him his very first pair. Honestly, even though they’re a little ugly (let’s be real), they’re so functional. Easy to slip on, easy to clean, and perfect for keeping his feet cool on these hot Southern summer days.

I found some Croc charms on Amazon for way less than in-store, and now he wants to wear them ALL the time. I think it’s pretty cute—especially since he and his little friends all have matching Crocs now. And pro tip: the white ones are super easy to keep clean with a little Bar Keepers Friend!

One thing I don’t make nearly enough—but love—are my salmon bowls. I posted the recipe on my Substack a few weeks ago, and they only take about twenty minutes to whip up. I start with olive oil–tossed, seasoned lettuce, then top it with fluffy quinoa, goat cheese, and my perfectly seasoned, air-fried salmon. It’s so good! And I always finish the meal off with one of my almond flour chocolate chip cookies!

One thing I absolutely love is my slow Saturday mornings—watching cartoons and cuddling in bed with the warm sunlight streaming in. I used to watch cartoons every Saturday morning as a kid, and it’s become such a fun and calming tradition to carry on. My son loves running into bed with me and snuggling up for 30 minutes of Little Bear before we head downstairs for breakfast. It’s one of those simple routines that just makes life feel extra sweet.

Saturday morning started with making a new batch of sourdough starter—my son lives for the moment I pull out the flour bag! He’s a little baker at heart, and having him help in the kitchen makes it so much easier (and more fun) to get things done.

We also potted our new houseplant in the coolest 3D-printed pour-over pot—perfect for coffee lovers! It’s honestly one of the most unique planters I’ve seen and makes such a fun gift. Everyone who sees it on our side table comments on it. It’s super relaxing to watch, and my son is obsessed with watering it and watching the water drip. I love that it’s from a small business on Etsy! This is a great gift for your coffee lover friends!

Before our beach trip, I baked two loaves of sourdough bread to bring with us. My husband easily goes through four slices a day, my son holds his own, and—let’s be honest—I do too! I loved the idea of having homemade bread on hand at the beach for chicken salad sandwiches, pasta salad on the side, or just toasted up in the morning.

I made our favorite: the sweet and spicy jalapeño pepper jack loaf, and I also tested out a new one with pesto, parmesan, and pepperoni. Oh. So. Good!

Before our trip, we made a quick stop at the library to return last week’s books and grab some new beach reads! Of course, we squeezed in a few last-minute stories with Ilios in the park before saying goodbye to our favorites. I actually ended up buying the Fuddles book because it was my son’s absolute favorite—and he still talks about it nonstop!

If you haven’t checked out our Summer Book Club yet, you totally should. It’s perfect for kids and toddlers, and such a fun way to keep the reading excitement going all season long!

We had THE BEST time in Seabrook Island, SC! I’m already dying to go back. I posted the full travel guide a few weeks ago, so definitely check it out if you’re looking for a stunning beach town to visit.

Every week, a new plant pops up in the garden. I’ve never seen it this tall and full so early in the spring—it’s thriving! (You’ll see it change throughout this recap blog—I’ll snap a photo before I’m done writing to show you where things stand right now, especially with all the rain we’ve been getting!)

This photo was taken when the ranunculus were in full bloom, but now we’re onto dahlias, zinnias, and tons of veggies. It’s been such a fun season to watch everything grow!

The peonies in the pot are the ones I dug up in the woods behind my house (see here!)

Honey Lemon Almond Cookies

When we got back from our beach trip, my son had his spring show at school—and it was the cutest, silliest little performance ever. It’s amazing to see how much he’s grown this year in preschool. He was dancing, twirling, singing, and just being his funny little self on stage. I’ll be cherishing those videos for the rest of my life.

That evening, we threw together a little impromptu birthday celebration at the pool. We picked up a classic Publix cake, Paw Patrol balloons, Empire Pizza, and I whipped up a Caesar salad to go with it all. Simple, fun, and just perfect for a toddler birthday!

The pool was a little chilly, but these toddlers didn’t care one bit—they swam their little hearts out! It was such a fun night celebrating his third birthday. I cannot believe how fast time is going.

In the South, we usually hit the humidity and high temps early, but it’s been gorgeous lately. We’ve had just the right amount of pop-up showers to keep the flowers happy, and I’ve been trying to soak up every moment outside with my son before it gets unbearably hot.

We’ve been living our best outdoor life—sandbox time, long walks, pool days, amusement parks, playgrounds, gardening, picnics with books—basically anything that keeps us out in the sunshine!

On Wednesday, he was so excited to bring in birthday treats for the class! If you’re ever looking for school-friendly treats, the Abe’s brand is so good! Dairy, Nut, and Egg free!

That afternoon, we pulled out the slip and slide he got as a birthday gift from one of his friends—and he was obsessed! This kid loves any kind of water game. He played with the slide nonstop for over an hour.

I only had a few quiet mornings left before the school year wraps up. I did sign him up for his school’s summer camp this year, so he’ll still have something fun to look forward to. This boy loves his school now—which is such a shift from the beginning of the year. The transition was tough those first few weeks, but once he settled in, he absolutely thrived. He’s made so many friends, adores his teachers, and it’s honestly changed him in all the best ways. He’s so much more outgoing, talks nonstop, and is always excited to go. It’s been such a joy to watch him grow this year!

One of Kyle’s coworkers—who is incredibly sweet and always gifting our son Paw Patrol or race car toys from her own son’s collection—had a birthday recently. She was so supportive of my bakery business during that time and is just one of those genuinely kind people.

I had some extra ripe bananas on hand, so I decided to bake a batch of my favorite frosted banana bars as a little birthday treat. I topped them with dye-free sprinkles and wrapped them up in a bakery box to make them extra special.

I love how the frosted banana birthday bars turned out!

Something I’ve been doing lately that makes dinners so much easier is prepping meals that last me a few days, so I can just grab a plate and sit down to eat with my son. One of my current go-to’s: turkey burgers wrapped in lettuce (always topped with ketchup and mustard), plus roasted carrots, broccoli, a scoop of cottage cheese, and a little sweet treat afterward. For breakfast, I keep it so simple I have two fried eggs over wholegrain pita, tomatoes, Arctic seasoning, and I’ll usually finish what my toddler doesn’t on his plate.

I keep the burgers in the fridge and make a new batch a few times a week—mostly because my husband keeps sneaking them, or I end up eating one for lunch too!

We’ve been taking full advantage of the pool ever since it opened at the beginning of the month. There’s hardly anyone there during the day, so we pretty much have the whole place to ourselves. After our morning walk, I pack up the pool bags, snacks, lunch, books, and we head down for the day. We usually don’t make it back home until late afternoon! And you better believe my little one sleeps like a rock after all that swimming and sunshine.

For lunch, I usually pack a little spread with fresh berries, cheese, and crackers—my toddler’s favorite poolside snack. For myself, it’s a turkey sandwich on a whole grain pita with lettuce, cucumber, pepper jack, and a good smear of mustard.

On a no-school day, we headed to Carowinds—of course! My son wakes up and the first thing out of his mouth is, “Are we going to Carowinds today?!” It’s the cutest thing, and you better believe he’s thrilled when I say, “YES, WE ARE!”

Even though Carowinds has plenty of food options, it’s a little too pricy—and not exactly the healthiest, especially since we go pretty often. I don’t mind treating ourselves now and then, but I can’t be spending $35 on a plate of two chicken fingers and french fries every time we go, especially since my son would only eat 1/4 of the plate. I feel way better about packing his lunch. Our go-to? The classic combo: cheese and crackers, berries, and yogurt. It’s simple, filling, and he loves it. Honestly, I’ll probably be packing the same thing when he starts camp next week!

Now ice cream? That’s one thing we’re totally willing to splurge on! After a long day in the sun, my son and one of his best friends got treated to their favorite—Dippin’ Dots. If you’re looking for a dye-free option, the cookies & cream flavor is a good choice. It’s definitely not filled with the best ingredients, but hey—everything in moderation. It’s the perfect every-once-in-a-while treat!

They had THE BEST day!

Saturday morning started with a trip to the car dealership (I’m officially on the hunt for a new car since my lease is up this year!), followed by a quick Costco run. In the afternoon, I got to spend some time with Becca—we did a Cava lunch date and a fun shopping session at our favorite spot, TJMaxx!

On Mother’s Day morning, we headed to my parents’ house to bring my mom some flowers, then made our way to the cat café so my son could get his much-needed cat fix. This kid loves cats. We’re not quite ready to get one of our own just yet—but maybe someday, if the right cat shows up in our lives. So far, the cat distribution system hasn’t blessed me… but I’m patiently waiting.

Later that afternoon, one of my close mom friends and I treated ourselves to a much-needed Mother’s Day pedicure! It felt so nice—especially since my last one was three years ago, before I had my son. This was definitely a good reminder to make time for things like this more often!

Can you make protein granola?” — a text I got from my husband last week. Of course I can do that. And you better believe this recipe will be posted soon because… IT’S SO GOOD! Super crunchy, packed with flavor, and over 15 grams of protein in just 1 cup. Even my toddler loved it with his morning yogurt! Stay tuned—this one’s a keeper.

Like I mentioned earlier, we’ve been getting so much rain lately. I actually love it for my plants—but it’s definitely a challenge with a toddler who’s obsessed with being outside. I usually let him splash around and play in the rain, but if there’s thunder, we stay indoors.

One afternoon after school, we had an indoor picnic for lunch and cozied up to watch our favorite movie, Leo, on Netflix.

Later that day, I went on a walk with a good friend—we thought we were in the clear with the weather, but NOPE. We got completely soaked on the way back to the house.

The next afternoon, my mom came over for lunch and to hang out while I did a little cooking for our neighbors.

I made my favorite celery crunch salad—just like the one from Costco—tossed with olive oil and a generous shake of Arctic seasoning (SO good!). We also had open-faced sandwiches with lettuce, avocado, mustard, turkey, and tomatoes.

These chocolate chip cookies were my go-to at every single market—and they sold out just as fast as the cinnamon rolls! They’re hands-down my FAVORITE. Soft, chewy, and loaded with chocolatey goodness… they’re the perfect comfort dessert. I’ve made them a hundred times, and they never disappoint.

This kielbasa pasta dish is my go-to meal train recipe. It’s the one I make for friends who just had a baby or neighbors who could use a little extra love. It’s hearty, comforting, and always a hit. It reheats beautifully, making it perfect for busy families.

Classic sourdough bread for my toddler’s peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

The weather was finally gorgeous on Thursday, so we made the most of it with a full outdoor day—books in the park, water games, sunshine, and lunch at my son’s favorite spot, Poppyseed Kitchen! My mom and I split the turkey croissant sandwich (so good!), and my son stuck with his usual favorite: the blueberry pancakes. A perfect little Friday outing!

On Friday, I set up the bounce house for an outdoor lunch at the picnic table—and my little one jumped around with his friends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.! I love having this bounce house for easy backyard fun. Sometimes I just don’t feel like packing up and heading to the pool, and this is the perfect pool day alternative. He has a blast with his buddies, and it keeps everyone entertained for hours!

Friday night, I made a delicious dinner for the family. We had perfectly cooked Dutch oven steak, a fresh asparagus pasta salad, and wrapped it all up with my lemon olive oil cake.

Saturday morning started with a delicious breakfast: whipped eggs on sourdough toast with a generous swipe of organic, grass-fed butter.

We headed to the Italian Festival on Saturday morning and had the best time! We picked up some amazing spices from The Ice Man (seriously—so good!) and enjoyed all the fun festival games and bounce houses. It was such a fun way to kick off the weekend!

After the festival, I spent some time catching up on housework and working on getting a few new recipes up on the blog. I usually knock out most of my work on the weekends and early in the mornings before my son wakes up—it’s my quiet, productive time, and I always look forward to it.

On Sunday, we met up with our close friends for a fun day at Carowinds with the toddlers! I packed sourdough sandwiches for the family, and we ended up staying all the way into the late afternoon.

You’d think a full day at the amusement park would wear this little one out… but nope! As soon as we got home, he was asking to go to the pool. After a hot day in the sun, we decided to throw on our suits and cool off for an hour before dinner.

We met up with some friends at the pool around lunchtime the next day. This year—now that my son is three—our pool days have become so much easier. He’s a stronger swimmer, having the time of his life, and it’s been such a joy to watch. You can really see him soaking in the magic of childhood and making the kind of memories he’ll feel nostalgic about someday. It’s the sweetest thing.

We got our very first tomato! I don’t think it was quite ready to be picked yet, but my little gardener was so excited—and I couldn’t say no.

Baked a batch of our favorite chocolate chip cookies for family visiting, and had some extra for my husband to bring to the office.

Baked a few more batches of my pepper jack jalapeño sourdough bread for the week—plus some extras for family visiting!

I can’t believe the last day of school is finally here. It’s wild to look back and see how much he’s grown since that very first day. Time truly flies—what a special year it’s been.

After school, we headed to Grandma’s house for lunch and a pool day—such a perfect way to kick off summer break.

There’s a cute little café in downtown York called Southern Touch Bakery, Coffee Shop & Cafe. It’s actually an old gas station that’s been beautifully remodeled into the coziest spot, serving some of the best BBQ, desserts, coffee, and lunch food around. We LOVE it! Every time we visit my mom, we try to swing by for lunch. Sitting outside under the umbrellas on a nice day is one of our favorite things to do. A sweet southern spot.

My parents just had their pool redone with a brand-new liner, and it looks so pretty! We had to celebrate with our first swim of the season. It was definitely chilly—but totally worth it. We’ve got a little pool-obsessed toddler on our hands, so you know he was living his best life!

The next day, we headed to the nursery to pick up some garden stakes, new plants, and fresh soil for our pots. We spent the afternoon gardening, and it was such a fun, productive day. My son loves getting involved with yard work—watering flowers, filling pots with dirt, and helping however he can. It gets messy but one of my favorite activities we do together.

After our morning book time, we met up with his little best friend at the playground for an hour of play. The weather was perfect.

We decided to stay out of the house for lunchtime and headed to Bossy Beaulah’s! They have the best chicken salad wraps—especially when you dip them in their honey mustard. My son loves their creamy cucumber salad, and I love when he eats any veggie.

I finally finished the photo frame project I’ve been working on! When we were in Kiawah, we spent one morning collecting seashells on the beach. Later, we painted them together, and I didn’t want them to just sit in a bag and be forgotten.

During a shopping trip to TJMaxx with Becca, I found the perfect frame. I printed a photo of my son painting the shells, then hot-glued the painted shells around the frame and filled in the white spaces with sand. I absolutely love how fun and colorful it turned out—it’s such a sweet memory keepsake. He loves it too, and we put it in his room. The beach is his happy place, and now he has a little piece of it right at home.

The dahlias have been getting bigger and bigger! We also finally have some tomatoes, squash, cucumber, and peppers growing! I love all the fresh dahlia cuts each morning.

Later in the morning, after our long walk, we headed to my parents’ house to see my brother who was in town visiting. I spent the whole day playing disc golf with him—it was so much fun! When we got back, we jumped into some pool time and wrapped up the day with a backyard BBQ.

A calm Saturday morning making banana muffins, and hanging around the house with some downtime.

We spent the evening enjoying our favorite—Ilios—and playing backyard games! I also picked up a little $10 plastic pool at Target for my water-obsessed toddler, and honestly… it might be the best purchase ever. He loved splashing around in it, and it’s so much easier than setting up the bounce house every time.

No surprise, we spent Sunday at Carowinds with our friends!

Something I had been looking forward to for weeks was setting up the big boy bed. I ordered the bed, picked out the bedding, and had a feeling my son was ready—even though he never once tried to climb out of his crib. I was waiting for the moment he asked for a big boy bed and was old enough to understand the rules about staying in his room at night.

Honestly, I wish I had done it sooner. He has NEVER slept better. The first night he slept 9 hours straight, the second night was 11, and by Monday—13 hours! He’s not a napper and plays hard in the day. He’s always been a pretty solid nighttime sleeper, but this bed has completely changed the game even more.

I’m not done designing the room yet, but so far—he absolutely LOVES it! He’s so excited about sleeping at night now. I’m going to be changing the prints, still debating on painting the board and batten, and maybe getting some fun new wall decals. I’ll post the bedroom items on my Amazon Storefront.

On Memorial Day, we kicked things off with a trip to Lowe’s to grab some closet organization cabinets for my son’s room, followed by a quick grrocery run. Then we headed to my parents’ house for some family time.

I made a batch of tuna salad (perfect for my pescetarian brother!) and the yummiest queso jalapeño corn dip. That recipe will be up tomorrow—trust me, you’re going to want it for your next gathering!

On Tuesday, I made a batch of our favorite granola bars—the Whole Foods copycat ones—and gosh, they are so good! I wrapped them up individually, which makes them perfect for guests staying over or as a little homemade gift. They never last long around here!

I hope you all enjoyed this (very long!) recap blog—thanks for sticking around! I’ve got some new recipes going up this week that I’m really excited to share. And since so many of you have requested a garden tour over on Instagram, I think that’s going to be on the list too. Stay tuned—lots of fun blogs coming up!

Questions for you!

1. What does a day in the life of your summers look like?
2. Are you growing anything in your garden?