quick trip to destin, florida.

 

My cousin and his family moved to Destin, Florida earlier this year and we finally made it down to see them.  It was a long drive (about seven hours!) but oh man, it was worth it.  Those few days at the beach were good for our souls.  Words or photos can’t even begin to describe that aqua clear water and those pristine white sand beaches.

 

We did a little exploring ourselves the first couple of days.  One highlight was definitely our time in Grayton Beach.  We hit up the cutest little coffee shop (because anywhere I go, I WILL find a cute coffee shop:) before some time at the beach, then strolled around the town and enjoyed the food scene.  It was SO fun and definitely brought back some pre-kid traveling days memories … ooohh to be young and free again;)  If the kids hadn’t been having numerous meltdowns, Niall and I probably could have strolled around for hours.  Ah well — we’ll take what we can get!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ‘Airstream Row’ in Seaside was great — with so many options, everyone was happy.  Niall and I opted for Raw and Juicy which was delicious and hit up The Meltdown on 30A for Méabh and Eamon — the kid’s grilled cheese even came with the crusts cut off:)  We just had to try a donut from Five Daughters before hitting the road.  At this point, it was like a thousand degrees out and the kids were not too happy — so we enjoyed our sweet treats on the road home!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our last full day we waited until after nap time to hit the beach which was a good choice.  We stayed long enough to see a 6 pm wedding ceremony … it was such a gorgeous evening, I’ll always remember it.  I could have stayed for hours.

 

 

 

 

 

I carried Eamon up the stairs and looked back at the beach to snap one last shot — Destin, you were amazing and we’ll be back!  But now — I’m more than ready for some fall weather.  Hoping it cools down within the next few weeks … until then, I’ll be dreaming of these beaches:)

dairy free pumpkin spice smoothie

 

Come on, fall!!  Summer has been great.  It really has.  But I’m ready for cooler days, non-humid air, changing colors and all the autumnal feels.  The ever trendy pumpkin-spice-everything season is upon us — but honestly, it still feels like the middle of summer here in Georgia.  All the spices were half off while I was grocery shopping a couple of weeks ago though and I couldn’t resist the ‘pumpkin pie’ spice!  I have been enjoying this smoothie every morning for the past week — it sort of makes me feel like I’m still celebrating the upcoming pumpkin season — with a little summer twist:)

 

A few quick tips before you start … I usually buy two big bunches of bananas at once and end up peeling, breaking into pieces and freezing a few once they are perfectly ripe.  Frozen banana works well for smoothies and keeps it nice and cold.  Also, I cooked and blended two sweet potatoes the morning I first made this smoothie.  I stored the leftovers in a glass bowl so that I could just have it ready for the next few days.

 

Anyway, moving on!  Eamon is a huge fan of this one — this recipe makes one BIG glass, so if you have someone constantly stealing sips like I do, there should still be enough:)  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

DAIRY FREE PUMPKIN SPICE SMOOTHIE

1 banana
1 cup spinach
1/3 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional -- I like a little extra cinnamon flavor)
1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
handful of ice cubes

Directions:  Blend all ingredients until smooth.  If your smoothie is too thick, add a dash of water.  Enjoy a bit of fall flavor in your glass:)