Thirsty Thursday: Rita's Ice and Rue 365

We had a showing this evening, so after cleaning the house most of the day, we hit up Rita's for an after dinner treat.  With a 98 degree day, it sure hit the spot!  The pina colada is the best, by far!

Have any of y'all seen this on Rue La La?  It's called Rue 365.  I was perusing RLL today, and saw the offer.  I'm not sure how long the offer will last, but I may take advantage of it.  Basically, you pay $100, and you get free shipping for an entire year with RLL (normally it's $9.95 to ship), PLUS you get to choose TWO $50 Gift Cards shipped to you from Madewell, Hudson, Stuart Weitzman, Theory, Tory Burch, or Vineyard Vines (your choice of TWO!).  I shop on RLL so much, that I feel like having to forego the shipping every time for the next year, AND on top of that getting two $50 gift cards from my two of my favorite stores (Tory Burch and Vineyard Vines), I may just have to do it.  Let me know if you did it!  If you're interested, click HERE for a free invitation to Rue La La.  They always have the BEST deals, and there's never an obligation to buy anything, ever!

Like today, I ordered this...

Amrita Singh Austrian Crystal Elephant Bracelet

(in the Arm Candy boutique)

Retail $100, Rue La La $29.90

Hope y'all have a nice evening!  My sister (#3 of the 6 girls) is getting married this weekend.  Tomorrow, it all begins with the bridesmaid luncheon.  Can't wait!

Photo Credit: 1

Wednesday Whereabouts: Weekend Re-cap, $25 Target Gift Card Giveaway

Celebrating my youngest sister's birthday (#6 of the 6 girls)

Attending W and E's friend's Knights and Princesses birthday party (she's the one on the left)

Enjoying a pool day at a neighbors' pool on Sunday.

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And because I completely forgot to post yesterday, my apologies! here's a chance for you to win a $25 Target gift card.  In ONE comment, let me know you "Like" Groopdealz on Facebook and tell me your favorite deal they're running right now.  That's it!  Oh, and if you share this giveaway you'll get an extra entry. The giveaway will run through Sunday, July 29th at midnight.  I'll choose one lucky winner.  Good luck!

Happy Wednesday!

Monday Manners: Emily Post's Manners: One to Three Year Olds

10 Months Old. Don't you love his new kicks?

P.S. This image is misleading. He's not standing on his own yet. He was leaning on a table, for about five seconds.

I hope y'all had a wonderful weekend!  The hubs was out of town, a fun trip to the mountains with friends.  The kiddos and I enjoyed celebrating my youngest sister's birthday on Friday night, a little girls' birthday party on Saturday, and a pool day at the in-laws, on Sunday.  Pictures to come on Wednesday.  Weekends seriously fly by!

Manners: For One to Three Year Olds

I LOVED this section of the latest Emily Post's Etiquette!  Hope you enjoy it as much I did/do!

Communication
Magic words.  Among the first words you teach your toddler are the classic magic words Please and Thank you.  Children will tell you years later that saying "please" is the first manner they learned.

Greetings.  Toddlers may hide behind your knee, but even the shyest can learn to say a clear "hello" with a smile.  This skill takes practice, so help them along.

Conversation.  Read books, go to different places, watch television together, and listen to music.  Then talk about what you've just done together.  Even if they have a small vocabulary, toddlers can respond to things you hold in common especially as they approach three year olds.

Table Manners
The children in this age group can manage a meal lasting twenty or so minutes.
- While they're at the table with you, be sure to include them in the conversation.
- Give them soft foods they can manage with a spoon.
- Bibs are still their napkins.
- Food is for eating.  Throwing or playing with food is a definite cue that they've reacher their limit and you need to end their meal.  Be firm, and help them leave the table.  They can still play in the same room.

Out and About
- During visits to the doctor or dentist for their checkups, children learn to wait.  Read them a book or play a quiet game to show them strategies for waiting.
- Demonstrate courteous behavior with service people everywhere.  Children learn by watching you.
- In the car, never negotiate when safety is at stake.
- Be firm about car seats.
- Keep a small bag of activities that your toddler can do while riding in a car.
- Yelling, screaming, crying, kicking - pull over and park.  Begin driving only when your child has calmed down.
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Did you notice how the chapter never mentions iPods, iPads or Smart Phones, as a way to "wait patiently" or as a reward, or a distraction in the car?  Read books to your children, and let them look at books.  It's simple (you're showing your child attention, while educating them at the same time).
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I'm so happy for Emily and Jef!  I knew after seeing Jef with Little R that they would click!  I really, really hope that everything is happily ever after for them.  And they'll be right here in Charlotte!  Supposedly, Jef's already been spotted at the Barnes and Noble, and Dean and DeLuca near hear.  I'll be on the look-out, and snap a pic if I see him!

Hope y'all have a great start to your week!

Fashion Friday: My July Birchbox!

My July Birchbox arrived this past week, and I think I love it even more than my June one (didn't think that was possible).  I mean, a stila lip glaze?  That's worth the $10/monthly subscription!  And on top of that, I received many other awesome goodies!

For the July Birchbox, they teamed up with Glamour.

Love the color of this lip glaze.  Neutral, with a hint of gold shimmer.

Haven't tried this yet, but a 50ml bottle retails for $85.

This high gloss for my hair made my hair feeling very smooth, and I had noticeably less frizz.  Should have done a before/after pic.

You can never go wrong with these blotting wipes.  I used to use them a lot when I taught.  They're perfect for wiping oil from your face, without removing all of your make-up in the process.

Honestly, these minteas are a little weird tasting.  Maybe I'm just not used to this taste, but I prefer spearmint and wintergreen, to ginger pear.

Birchbox tossed in these earbuds, right on with the neon trend.  You can never have too many of these!

If you're interested in getting in on receiving this surprise box of goodies each month, click HERE.

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So I know I soooo shouldn't be giving Katie a hard time, after all she's been going through, but I came across this photo in this week's US Weekly.  The article didn't even mention it, it was more about Suri, but look at Katie's stomach!
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Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!  The hubs is off to the mountains for a trip with some friends.  The girls have a birthday party to attend tomorrow.  My youngest sister, #6 of the 6, is having a cook-out to celebrate her birthday tonight.  And The Bachelorette finale is on Sunday night!  Will you be watching??

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MC!  LOVE YOU!

TGIF, Y'all!

Thirsty Thursday: Grilling Out with Rolling Rock, So Lucky Gifts, Baublebar, Sheridan French

A refreshing Rolling Rock is perfect for any cuisine this summer, especially grilling out.  Have you seen their latest cans?  Love the Kelly green look.  Would look even better in a pink coozie!

 So Lucky Gifts Mojo Rub (can be found in So It's Dinner Time - Mexican Style, with Margaritas)

We mixed ours up with a little olive oil.

We rubbed the Mojo into the salmon, covered it with lemons and tossed it on the grill.

Time to eat!

So Lucky Gifts sent me a packet of their Mojo spice about a month ago, and the hubs and I were anxious to try it out.  We used it to season the salmon above, and boy, was it delicious!  We even made sure to save some, to season some beer can chickens we made last week.

If you're interested in trying the Mojo spice, or anything from So Lucky Gifts, click HERE.  While they pride themselves on being gluten-free, there was nothing missing from the spice mix we received!  I'll be back in August to let you know about one of their grilling boxes.  If you're looking for a gift basket, for a gluten-free friend or not, check them out.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed.  I'd compare them to Dean & DeLuca.  An added bonus: enter SSPREP10 to receive 10% off your order.
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I received this from Baublebar yesterday, and paired it with a simple navy tank today.  A great statement necklace!  If you're interested in it, it's a Noble House Designs necklace for Baublebar.  Today is the LAST DAY of this Designer Popup, so make sure you grab it before this deal is gone!
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My sister (#4 of the 6) had her baby yesterday!!  I drove up to Asheville to meet her, before visiting hours ended.  She's the sweetest, most precious thing!  It's amazing how quickly you forget how teenie they start out.

On my way!

My dad, meeting his newest grandbaby.

 One proud grandmother.

And a very PROUD aunt, too!

A true miracle of God, each and every time.

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I realized I never showed y'all the Mia Tunic I decided on, from Sheridan French.  Here it is.  I wore it to a child's 2nd birthday, this past Saturday.  Love everything about it!

Hope y'all enjoy the rest of your Thursday!