Wells Fargo Championship {Thomas's 1st Golf Tournament}

Yesterday we attended the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament! The weather was gorgeous, the lemonade was delicious and we got 6+ miles of exercise!

 

Originally the date was planned for just the two of us, but at the very last minute we decided to pick Thomas up from daycare and bring him with us. He was sent home from school earlier this week with a fever and has been battling a cough. Although he was doing better yesterday, we decided to grab him on our way so he could get some fresh air and some rare time with just mommy and daddy. So  we stopped at daycare and I snuck past Caroline's classroom like a ninja to grab Thomas and off we went!

 Also, Caroline attended the golf tournament with us last year so we thought it was fun for Thomas to experience it this year too.

We also got to hang out with our friends at the tournament too.

Tournament success!   See our last year's Wells Fargo Championship post here.

Thyme for Herbs (Caroline's 1st Garden)

To celebrate the first day of Spring last weekend we planted an herb garden with Caroline. Well, technically Matt planted the garden and I ran around taking photos of Caroline contributing a 65 scoops of dirt and 72 buckets of water. But I'd say our herbs are off to a healthy start...   Every year I promise myself I won't buy cilantro or basil because they are doomed from the get go, but oops I did it again. There is just something so enticing about the perfect green leaves sitting all pretty on the Home Depot shelf.

I think we're on dirt scoop 13 at this point...

...scoop 27...

...scoop 43...

...scoop 65. Phew. On to watering! 

For the past few weeks Caroline has been really in to watering the plants at home with Matt so as soon as we told her we needed to water her garden every day you would have thought I told her the new Doc McStuffins baby was coming to our house. She was so, so, so excited.

More watering. She's just so damn cute I couldn't help but take a million pictures.

Alas, the perfect over-potted and over-watered herb garden!

Let's hope we can keep it alive!

Check out these posts for previous less exciting herb gardens:   2015 Thyme for basil 2014: Too pregnant to plant herbs 2013 Herb Garden 2012 Herb Garden 2011 Herb Garden

Five on Friday!

Earlier this week I shared some fantastic news on Instagram. For all of you who have been praying alongside of us, I just want to let you know that the Lord has heard our prayers and answered in the form of a miracle! On Tuesday Dad went in for his third round of chemo and the doctor went over the results of his recent CAT scan. The tumor in his lungs has shrunk from 6.7 to 2.4. This is truly the very best news we could have received - an answer to prayer. We still have a long way to go but we are incredibly thankful that dad has been feeling great (embracing the shaved head!) and are all so optimistic that we are all going to get past this. So I want to thank you all for your continued prayers and for not forgetting about us during this time. Please don't let us fall of your prayer list. We are so thankful for you!

For those of you who are new, you can catch up on this journey (here).

We have a really busy, exciting weekend ahead! On Saturday night we will be attending the 4th Annual Casino Night benefiting the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte. Matt's firm is sponsoring the event and we are so excited for a fancy night out! Also on the books is my favorite consignment sale of the year which we will be getting up bright and early for tomorrow. Then on Sunday my sister arrives for a few days!

I guess we should get on to the Five on Friday, right? Now that we are officially into March I have spring on my mind...

- ONE - Last weekend I crawled into the attic and pulled down some spring stuff, including Caroline's Easter basket! I cannot wait to fill her basket up with goodies this year. Earlier this week I dropped by the dollar spot at Target and hit jackpot for Easter basket items too! I know it's early for shopping but I couldn't pass up the deal so I grabbed some sunglasses, a plate, sippy cup, bunny ears, bubbles and more! Now all I need is to add a few snacks and some Easter books! Here are a few of the books I'm deciding between for Caroline...

Duck & Goose, Here Comes the Easter Bunny // The Berenstain Bears and The Easter Story // Guess How Much I Love You // God Gave Us Easter // Happy Easter, Mouse // The Donkey Who Carried a King // Llama Llama Easter Egg // The Runaway Bunny // The Easter Story

- TWO - Speaking of Easter, every year I whip up THE BEST CARROT CAKE EVER. No really, it is the BEST. It's a lot of work but so worth it. Anyway, I cannot wait to make this cake soon. You can find the recipe (here).

 - THREE - One of my favorite springtime activities planting tons of new flowers, plants and my herb garden! I am really hoping our hydrangeas we planted last year are going to pull through and bloom this year.

- FOUR - Time to put away the dark polishes and bust out the light pinks! I love springy manicures! Lucky, Lucky Lavender is one of my favorite OPI colors for spring.

- FIVE - I am anxiously trying to use up the last of my fall hand soaps and candles so I can get to my favorite fresh scents of the season.

Wanna join Darci, April, Natasha and I on the Friday fun? You can link-up on any of our four blogs every Friday! All you have to do is...

1.) Write your post about five things you're lovin' this week (or any five things you want to share!).

2.) Share the logo on your blog and link back. 

3.) Link-up at the bottom of the post so some new readers can check out your five things and say hello!

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Grow a lemon tree!

I'm not sure what's gotten into me lately but I have become obsessed with the idea of growing a lemon tree in my house. After weeks of researching a variety of citrus trees, I decided I needed a Dwarf Meyer Lemon Tree. It is one of the hardiest and most productive of all dwarf citrus trees, you can grow it inside or outside and they are the easiest to maintain!

{via}
  However, when I got to the nursery I was pretty disappointed in the difference between an $18 and a $112 lemon tree. Since I only had permission to purchase a $20 tree, I sadly picked up the teeniest tree they had {which I was convinced was a lime tree} but is promised to grow 3-5 feet. After all, this was going to be quite the experiment so I knew I would be angry if I killed a $100+ plant!

 {my dinky dwarf meyer lemon tree}

While I was at the nursery, I took the opportunity to ask for some advice on growing my lemon tree. I also did a little research and this is what I've learned:

Potting: Re-pot the tree in a larger container to avoid root crowding. If you notice yellowing leaves, it is time to replant into a larger pot. Top off the pot with a little bark or mulch to help retain moisture.

Indoor/Outdoor Transitions: Place your tree in the sunniest area of the house during the winter to avoid freeze, and bring it outside during warmer weather. If the tree remains indoors during the entire season, bees and other insects will be unable to pollinate it. The tree requires 6-8 hours of direct sun daily. When transitioning indoors or out, start by placing the tree in partial shade for a couple of weeks so it can adjust to the new temperature. If temperatures dip below 55 degrees F at night, the tree will go into dormancy, so double check temperatures before transitioning.

Note: Check for insects on the leaves before taking your tree indoors for the cold months.

Watering: Water often, but do not over-water. Over-watering is the #1 killer of lemon trees. The soil shouldn't be wet, it should always be kept moist. Humidity is also imperative for your lemon tree to thrive. Using a spray bottle, mist your tree once or twice a day. The leaves will absorb the moisture and transfer the water to the fruit.

Note: The leaves will be a dark green if there is enough light, and begin to yellow around the edges when not enough is provided. A wilted tree means too little water. A tree with yellow leaves or folded leaves can indicate too much water.

Pruning: After the bloom or fruiting seasons, prune your lemon tree {once a year} to keep a nice rounded shape by cutting twiggy branches from top. Leave most bottom branches since they produce the most fruit. As the lemon tree is blooming, you will notice that 2 or more clusters of fruit appear at each bud. As the fruit begins to grow, remove all but one or two of the fruit, giving the remaining ones more access to vital nutrients and encouraging healthier fruit growth.

 

 

I picked up this pretty ceramic pot from Michaels {on sale for $12}. I love how my tree looks planted in it and I can already tell this lil guy is growing! 

 
Go get yourself a lemon tree! 

Thyme for Herbs III

Even as an amateur cook I have to admit, freshly picked herbs are more delicious than anything you’ll find on a spice rack. Herbs like basil, parsley and oregano growing on your porch will not only spice up your cooking and baking but will save you oodles of cash. Gone are the days when you have to spend $4 for a container of fresh rosemary, when all you need is a teaspoon. 

This weekend Matt and I finally planted our herb garden. Our first stop was Home Depot where we found herbs on sale (FIVE for $10)! I couldn’t resist a good deal so I picked up 10 pots of herbs (several were duplicates).

We also grabbed some fertilizer since we weren’t planning to change the soil in our last pot. And speaking of our last herb garden, we were surprised to find that our 2012 oregano, rosemary and mint managed to survive through the winter and months of neglect...

We re-potted our rosemary into a larger container and removed the mint all together. As a warning, I highly recommend potting mint in it's own container. Like a weed, it spread through our garden in weeks, grew down the sides and into our yard and choked out our poor cilantro. Mean herb.

Since I’ve used jumbo popsicle sticks the past few years, I decided to splurge on vintage spoon garden markers from Curbside Pickin’s Etsy Shop this Spring. I purchased 7 stamped spoons for $18, which was the best deal I found on Etsy. My package arrived in just a few days and I love my markers so much that I wasn't so sure I wanted to stake them in dirt anymore!

I am pretty pumped about how my garden turned out. Once these suckers adjust to their new home I will be picking them like crazy.

You can also find my 2011 and 2012 herb gardens {here} and {here}.