Author: Big Mama

Hello.

I’m so glad you could join me for this momentous occasion. What occasion you ask?

I took Caroline to eat at IHOP for the first time in her life yesterday.

I know. I’m a terrible mother. It’s like she hasn’t had air until now.

In my defense, I bet Prince George will be at least ten before the Duke and Duchess take him to an IHOP.

Our day began uneventfully because it’s summer and that’s how most of our days have looked over the last several weeks. But eventually I realized we needed to run some errands because we were out of dishwasher detergent and dog food and we needed new chairs for the beach. Also, I didn’t want to clean the bathrooms and that was my other option for the day.

(I don’t mean to make our lives sound like a modern day Camelot. It’s just how we live.)

(Also, maybe life would be more exciting if I was like Des on The Bachelorette and found out at the last minute that the love of my life wasn’t into me. How could she have misread the signals? It’s not like they had only known each other for five weeks while filming a reality show. Except that they had only known each other for five weeks while filming a reality show.)

(No. I’m not actually watching The Bachelorette this season but I am still reading the recaps because it’s not like I’ve had a personality transplant.)

Anyway, we ran to Academy which ranks as one of my least favorite destinations. But I felt like it would probably have the best selection of beach chairs. Sadly, I was wrong. There was only one style of beach chair left and it was the kind my grandparents used to have with the itchy mesh tape-like stuff. No thank you. If I wanted a waffle imprint on my rear end, well, I’d be weird.

So we left Academy empty-handed and realized we were starving. Probably because it was 1:30 at this point and we hadn’t eaten lunch. Time gets away from you in the summer. I threw out our usual lunch options and then Caroline said, “I really wish I could eat some blueberry pancakes.”

And that’s when I realized I have failed as a mother in the “Open 24 Hours Restaurant Experience” which includes the option of eating breakfast at ANY POINT during the day. It’s pure crazy madness. I told her there was a place we could go where she could get blueberry pancakes complete with whipped cream on top. A place where the pancakes flow like milk and honey.

We walked into IHOP and she just looked around for a minute. Taking it all in. I understood because I have never walked in an IHOP that doesn’t make you feel a little bit like you’ve stepped back in time.

She ordered the Rooty Tooty Fresh and Frooty, Jr. breakfast with blueberry pancakes, a sunny side up egg, a link of sausage and a piece of bacon. And she ate it all.

Without even seeing you I feel like you aren’t taking in the enormity of that statement. She ate ALL that food. She cleaned her plate. This has happened maybe three other times in her whole entire life. She is a child who has been known to live on a cheese stick and a solitary grape for three days.

As she wiped the blueberry syrup from her mouth, she announced, “THIS IS THE BEST PLACE EVER!”

This was the moment a lifelong fan was born.

After we enjoyed our delicious breakfast for lunch we headed to Target where we found fantastic beach chairs complete with cupholders in the armrest and a built-in pillow.

And, thus, it was the perfect day.

Except for the part where we went to Academy.

We have four weeks of summer left.

Four weeks.

Which is still a long time in the whole scheme of things but I know I’m going to blink and it will be time to set the alarm again.

There are all these little warnings that it’s almost here. Caroline has soccer practice every night this week and that makes it feel like the real world again. We have some place we have to be at a certain time again. Granted, that time is 6:00 p.m. and doesn’t require an alarm, but it does make us have to rethink long days at the pool.

And then we accidentally went shopping for school supplies on Sunday.

I didn’t mean for it to happen. But we were in Target and I had the list and, well, one thing led to another and we ended up with a cart full of notebook paper and six dozen sharpened Ticonderoga #2 pencils and a three-ring binder. Forgive me, summer, for I have sinned.

Honestly, when I realized I’d missed the cut off date to order the pack of school supplies from the PTO I wanted to gnaw my arm off because, in the past, school supply shopping tends to take a sweet forever and involves me having to say NO multiples of times to extraneous things like a pink fur trimmed mirror for the locker she doesn’t even have in elementary school.

But this time it went so well. She only wanted plain notebooks in solid colors. She didn’t attempt a Crayola upgrade in the form of the 48 count markers with built-in glitter. We stuck to the list. Mostly. I mean I’m not an ogre. There are some erasers shaped like fruits and Sharpies in all the colors. Truth be told, I love a Sharpie so that might have been an easy sell.

We also bought two swimsuits at 50% off, a pair of camo shorts and new goggles. So I felt like we struck a good balance between summer frivolity and back to school practicality.

Then yesterday we drove out to Nordstrom because Caroline has had her eye on these Nike tennis shoes and they’re on sale right now. But once she actually tried them on she wasn’t a fan. However, we made our way to the clothing department where she picked out a few shirts to try on and then announced that she wanted me to wait outside the dressing room so she could come out and show me.

And that’s where I still am twenty-four hours later.

I am the Rip Van Winkle of the mall.

It was nice knowing all of you.

Not really. But that’s how it felt. For the love of all textiles, how long does it take to button a few buttons? It was excruciating.

After we left, I insisted we make a brief stop by Zara to check out their sale. And I found a top I’d been wanting on sale for $15. I mean it was legitimately only $15 without rounding down or anything. I felt so good about my economical top that I ventured into Free People to try on a shirt I’d seen online and I was thrilled that it wasn’t nearly as cute in person. Now I am free to quit thinking about it. I’m a free person from Free People.

And then we drove through Chick-Fil-A. And went to soccer practice. And then I met a group of girlfriends for dinner. You have no idea how much I wish I could make this all sound more exciting than it actually was.

But that’s summer.

And I plan to enjoy it fully for the next four weeks.

So I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I’d gone to Nashville to film a video opener for the dotMOM Conference. Which caused several of you to email me and ask two questions:

1. Will you be at the dotMOM Conference?

2. What is the dotMOM Conference?

The answer to the first question is YES. Sophie and I are emcees for the dotMOM Conference in Chattanooga this September 20-21. We like to think we bring a certain level of professionalism and sophistication to the the whole event. Except for the opposite of that.

The answer to the second question is a bit more complicated. The short version is that it is an incredible conference for anyone who is or has ever been a mom. It’s for moms with kids at all ages and stages, whether you’re teaching them to use the bathroom or trying to figure out how to communicate better with their spouse. And this year’s main speakers are Jen Hatmaker, Vicki Courtney, John Croyle and Angela Thomas. Plus, Lauren Chandler will be leading worship.

Sophie did a fabulous job explaining all the ins and outs of dotMOM on a great post she wrote a week or so ago. You can click here for all the dotMOM information you could ever hope for.

And just for your viewing pleasure, this is the video from last year’s conference.

All I can tell you about the new one is that Angie Smith and the tiara make a reappearance. And Pinterest might be involved.

Would love to see you in Chattanooga this fall!

Here’s the honest truth. I’m tired of looking at summer clothes. And I get that it’s hot. It’s going to be hot here for at least another two months. That’s fine. I’m not saying I’m ready for summer to be over because that would mean we’d have to go to Target and buy school supplies and the debate over whether to get a notebook with a horse or a dolphin on the front would make me feel like the Apocalypse is quickly approaching. I’m just tired of looking at the clothes summer has to offer.

I’m a fan of fall and winter clothes. I like boots. And leggings. And jeans. And sweaters. I love a jacket. But a tank top? Not so much.

All that said, I struggled to find things today and finally ended up with a few things, many of which are more for fall than summer. But it is what it is.

1. shadow lace cardigan

This is on sale at Anthropologie right now. I think it would look so cute with skinny black pants and tall boots.

2. sequined kaleidoscope dress

This is also an Anthro sale item. I love the colors.

3. too-nic legit dress

This falls in the category of “not a dress” to me. But I love the length and it would be perfect belted or just loose with leggings.

4. faux leather biker jacket

Please don’t ask me why the model is sad. I don’t know. I wasn’t in on the photo shoot and don’t know her life. Maybe she’s sad this isn’t a real leather jacket. I still happen to think it’s very pretty.

5. john wind modern prep cuffs

I love these John Wind cuffs. So fun for summer if you aren’t over summer clothes like I am right now.

6. summer dreams shift dress

And this actually tempts me. I love the color and the style. Plus, I think it could transition into fall.

7. selvedge chambray shirt

This is a great chambray shirt. You could wear it now over a tank with a pair of shorts. Or wear it this fall with colored jeans and boots. Best of all, it’s an extra 40% off when you use the code Style40 at checkout, along with everything else on sale at J.Crew right now. There are some good deals to be had.

8. rugby crew tee

I bought this shirt in blue earlier in the summer and have worn it a ton. It’s super soft and perfect to throw on with shorts or jeans.

9. corrugated high/low sweater

This is on sale at Nordstrom right now and it’s the kind of thing I love to have to wear with jeans when the weather cools off.

10. timex antiqued case watch

I like the vintage look of this. And it’s a great price.

That’s it for today.

Y’all have a great Friday.

I got home from Tyler yesterday afternoon. It was a fun trip, but so quick and busy that it almost feels like it didn’t happen. Even though I know it did because otherwise why was I on an airplane?

That’s really all that’s been going on around here. Well, that and browsing the Nordstrom website trying to decide what I might want to buy while the big sale is going on.

And now I’m going to share that information with you. Because I know you were probably dying to know even though you didn’t ask. Here is my thought on early sales: Stick to the basics. Most of the time when I buy a trendy item months before the actual fall season begins, I end up regretting it. But this is a great time to buy some nice staples at lower prices, like a good pair of jeans or boots or a jacket.

You will also notice that the last two items are actually things for Caroline, not me. Because she has this weird habit of outgrowing her clothes.

Here are my five picks: (I’m sure there are more, but I’ll save those for Fashion Friday tomorrow.)

1. mixed media roll sleeve top

This shirt was sold out in almost every color just yesterday. But it’s back. I love the longer length and am definitely getting the green.

And maybe the purple.

2. michael kors chain link bracelet watch

This isn’t the exact watch I posted last Friday, but it’s pretty darn close. And it’s a great price for a Michael Kors watch.

3. dolce vita luanna boots

There are several pairs of really great boots on sale right now in various price ranges. I really like these because they’re reasonably priced, attractive and come in brown or black.

4. north face oso hooded fleece jacket for girls

I bought this jacket in hot pink for Caroline last year. And I don’t say this very often, but we got every penny’s worth out of it. She wore it constantly.

It’s super soft, very warm and, if you live in Texas, totally works as a winter coat.

5. asics gel nimbus tennis shoes for girls

Umm. My child has started growing out of shoes at a frightening pace. In fact, she announced yesterday that her soccer cleats are starting to feel too small which makes me want to cry because we bought them in May.

That’s why tennis shoes on sale are a good thing. Maybe I ought to go ahead and buy these in at least two sizes.

So those are my top five picks right now because they are the items I know we’ll actually wear.

I realize this has been fascinating. And if you happen to share my current obsession with the Nordstrom sale and know about a must-have item, I wish you’d share.

I’m on my way home from Tyler right now and knew there was no way I was going to be able to write any sort of coherent post because my brain will be shut down for the next twenty-four hours.

But the other day Caroline and I were watching old videos of her (It’s one of her favorite things to do) and we came across this one. It’s still one of my favorites and I feel certain it will make you smile if not laugh out loud.

Fishing Story from Big Mama on Vimeo.

God love her.