Almost everyone I talked to who had been to the Charleston area or lived near Charleston said it was not to be missed. We trusted them but were doubtful it could be more beautiful than our Isle of Palms where we were staying.
It was SO beautiful. We fell in love with Folly Beach! In fact, we loved it so much, we made the return trip to visit it twice during our stay.
Why do we love Folly? Here are our top five reasons:
It’s beautiful. The lighting, the rougher waves…they all make for a more picturesque scene.
2. The pier at Folly Beach! You can talk a walk on or under the pier. Be careful walking under with little ones at high tide. The water was surprisingly deep in parts. We loved taking pictures with the pier as our background.
3. The tide pools. These not only proved to make beautiful pictures, reflecting the clouds and the water, but Madeline loved playing in them! It’s where she spent most of her time!
4. Rock sculptures. At the time of our visit this was the popular thing to do! We saw them all along the tide pools and the tide pools is where to look to find the rocks! Madeline got really good at it!
This was someone else’s sculpture but it was the inspiration for Madeline’s.
She did this all by herself. There was a lot of determination that went into making it! It fell apart many times before she got to her finished product.
5. The soft sand. This beach was much easier on the feet. Our area of the beach on Isle of Palms had many more shells and pieces of shells requiring you to walk gingerly. Folly had many stretches where you could run and feel the soft sand under your feet.
Our first full day on Isle of Palms! We took advice of our friend who lives in Charleston and stayed in the Wild Dunes resort on the Isle of Palms. We stayed in Seagrove and loved it here. We visited for fall break and temps in the 70s were perfect for us. It wasn’t crowded at all – in fact there were days we had the building and the beach to ourselves.
Beautiful sunrises!
This pic of Larry and Madeline is one of my favesLarry and I found sand dollars!Madeline found a shell family. Each of the shells represent one of the 4 of us. ❤️The girls remembered to bring their beach toys this year.
Anna Claire cartwheeled all over , and we took advantage of our access to all the Wild Dunes pools. This one is heated. 🙌🏻
Our view from our condoLove this one!One of the few picks of the four of us from the trip. Larry’s eyes are closed but still a good pic!Selfie with Anna ClaireBaby bear with her birthday cake ice cream at Ye Old Fashioned Ice Cream and Sandwiches
One of our favorite things to do at the beach is catching the sunrise.
I know that may seem contrary to what many people think when they go to the beach. Many want to sleep in, go to the beach later in the day and catch the sunset.
I have to tell you that if you are among these, you are missing out! Especially if you visit a beach on the east coast. So many post and share about sunsets on the beach, but the beach is often crowded at this time and not nearly as bold and brilliant since the sun rises in the east.
Be sure you venture out a half hour before the scheduled sunrise. We visit in the fall and sunrise is around 7:30. Your weather app or a simple Google search will let you know the predicted time of the sunrise, but be aware that there is a beautiful color show 30-45 minutes prior!
Our best experiences finding seashells have been in the early morning. It’s so fun to be the among the first down to seek out what was washed onto the shore during the night.
We found a sand dollar this morning! And a runner gave us beautiful whelks.
This does mean getting up early, but early bird gets the sunrise!
When you travel, are there certain creature comforts or extra items you bring along that you wouldn’t find on the typical packing list? I know our family tends to be a little extra!
But one thing I know for sure, the better we prepare, the better trip we have and the happier we are!
As I pondered our extra items, I couldn’t help but think, “Wow, we are pretty smart packers! We’ve thought of everything!”
Here are our extras! (Keep in mind we cook on our vacays so many of these are to stock our kitchen – we save money buying items at our local Walmart instead of paying marked up prices near our condo. 🤓)
Sound machine (can’t sleep without it)
Trash bags
Empty Walmart bags
Ziploc bags
Foil
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Olive oil
Vinegar
Spices
Kosher salt – most condos stock iodized 😣
Foaming hand soap (we use a natural kind)
Thieves cleaner
Dish soap
Dishwasher detergent
Laundry detergent
Coffee
Diffuser and essential oils
Beach toys
Bug spray (diy – natural)
Steak seasoning (my husband makes his own)
Kids snacks and drink pouches
For the kids:
DVDs – new ones they haven’t seen before
Art supplies
Crafts
Games (checkers, uno, etc)
Books to read to our 6-year-old at bedtime
Kneeling pad for bathing kiddos
Pitcher for bathing kiddos to keep water out of their eyes
Books for bedtime! Can’t forget those!
Please share in the comments if any of these are your extras too or if any of these helped you!
I woke up around 2 a.m. and couldn’t go back to sleep.
I went to the bathroom to grab some lavender essential oil to apply to my wrists.
While I was up I noticed I had drainage in my throat from the tobacco barns fired up here in Tennessee so I applied a drop of Purification to my throat. Not to stop drainage (sickness mindset) but to clear my throat (wellness mindset).
I slicked on some Young Living grapefruit lip balm in gratitude that I can pronounce all the ingredients on the label, and applied some Young Living Lavender Lotion, thankful that it has no toxic artificial fragrance. Just scented with real 100% lavender.
I applied a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water to a wart that has almost disappeared, and Sacred Frankincense to a mole that is slowly shrinking as healthy skin is taking its place.
While I was at it I applied Valor to my jawline and the back of my neck to soothe tension, relax my jaw and help with sleep. I love the versatility of my oils. 🙌🏻
I headed back to bed with so much gratitude for the knowledge I have to use these oils and natural products, and that I know after using them that within SECONDS my body is in a better place.
My oils are fast. They keep me well. My lotion and lip balm don’t have to be reapplied every few hours like cheaper chemical laden ones. I probably won’t need any lip balm or lotion in the morning. I know sleep is on the way and feel tension leave my body.
I wish everyone knew about this lifestyle and that more people were more open to it. I’m sure more thoughts followed but I don’t recall them because I drifted off to sleep.
Our little girl just turned six and had been asking for a magic set for months. I researched and read reviews. I asked her what she wanted specifically to come it the set. And then I found this set.
She asked for the set to have a hat, a wand, a cape, a rabbit, a coin, and magic scarves. This set fit the bill with the exception of the scarves and I will include the link for those in this post.
I originally checked Amazon and read tons of reviews, then Pinterest. Everything I read supported getting this set so at that point it was a no-brainer.
Friends, I couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised when we opened the set and got everything out. It’s all so well made!
There is a hidden pocket on the outside of the vest for children to hide the magic coin. The hat has two compartments to hide the bunny and she can also hide her scarves. The wand is sturdy and the bunny and coin are cute. The cape is absolutely adorable.
I showed up to my yoga mat even though all the usual limiting lies came to my mind: I’m too tired, I don’t have enough energy, my back hurts, It’s ok to miss a week.
Then there’s reality: I’m not too tired, I have enough energy AND this yoga class will energize me, my back NEEDS this yoga class, I can’t afford to miss this week if I want to maintain my core strength and have a pain-free week.
Because I went to yoga I boosted my endorphins and my mood, I took time for myself and recharged my battery, increased my energy level, improved my digestion, improved my focus (and more than likely my sleep tonight), boosted my immune system and slowed the aging process. 🙌🏻
The St. Louis Zoo really needs to be at the top of your list if you’re visiting St. Louis. We live Tennessee and have a membership at Nashville Zoo which we love. I was skeptical that the St. Louis Zoo could be better or different than our beloved zoo, and I was pleasantly surprised.
The zoo is huge. We didn’t come anywhere near seeing it all the day we went. I don’t even know that we saw half! You almost need to look at a map before you go and plan what you want to see the most that day, then plan on coming again in the future to see everything else.
My niece was our amazing tour guide for the day. She grew up in St. Louis and lives right outside of St. Louis so they have been fairly regularly. We were able to see some of the animal feedings and interactions with the trainers which was really neat.
Hedgehog experience
There is a train that routes around the entire zoo, which is a real lifesaver and can save you many footsteps. You do need to know it is popular! We had to wait between 5 and 20 minutes each time we rode the train.
Go early. Arriving when the zoo opens will allow you to avoid crowds. It was definitely more crowded toward the end of our time than when we got there. I would also say to go on a weekday. We have not been on the weekend, but I can imagine it would be more crowded on those days.
The zoo wasn’t so crowded that we couldn’t let the girls walk ahead. Go early!
The zoo is free! What the what? They could easily charge for admission or membership but they don’t.
They DO make money. Food, train rides, carousel, souvenirs and all the extras will cost you. Particularly the animal encounters. To save money you may want to consider packing your own lunches and snacks. We totally tailgated in the parking lot!
Animal encounters. I want to go back to the St. Louis Zoo for this reason alone. While we were there, we noticed several zoo patrons getting to have special experiences that the rest of us weren’t. When we saw the sea lion show, there was a young lady in the audience who was able to go behind the scenes and work with the sea lions. They trained her to do some tricks with them. I was honestly jealous! But then we read anyone could do them if you pay!
At the children’s zoo I saw a little girl who got to go back where the food is prepared for the animals and she was able to handle an baby owl. I want to handle a baby owl!
Baby owl! 🦉
We did the stingray experience which ended up being the coolest part of our visit. You get to feed them and pet them! I was a little nervous about it but if you follow their instructions and do it correctly, you will not get stung. And the baby rays were so adorable!
Stingray experience
There are SO many experiences offered and animals you can see up close and personal: big cats, giraffes, sloths, penguins and more. The good news is that anyone can do these. You have to schedule them in advance and there is a cost. We will definitely book one of these experiences next time we go!
I don’t rave about Young Living’s kids’ line of products nearly enough!
I wanted products to use on my girls’ skin that were free of harmful chemicals and had ingredients I could actually pronounce. Young Living delivered. 🙌🏻
Contains:
Natural Ingredients
Therapeutic-grade essential oils
No mineral oils
No synthetic perfumes
No artificial colorings
No toxic ingredients
KidScents Shampoo contains no synthetic perfumes, colors, or toxic ingredients. The natural components in this shampoo—aloe, MSM, Chamomile, and Tangerine and Lemon essential oils—effectively and gently cleanse without causing irritation.
KidScents Bath Gel is a safe, gentle soap that cleanses and protects sensitive skin. Formulated with MSM, aloe vera, antioxidants, and pure Lemon, Cedarwood, and other essential oils, this liquid soap is pH balanced for children’s skin.
KidScents Lotion. I would challenge you to download the Think Dirty app for your phone and type in the lotion you use for your kiddos. We used what we considered to be “high-end” brands and they were some of the top offenders! Young Living kids’ line is all natural, infused with essential oils, and I love knowing what I’m putting on the girls’ skin. Things I can pronounce! And it’s so moisturizing that a little goes a long way. It lasts forever!
**Confession, I may or may not steal this one for myself sometimes too!
Our ten-year-old daughter has suffered with migraines for a little over two years.
We pray she is growing out of them, as they are becoming less frequent.
I asked Anna Claire today what the top three things are that help her the most when she gets a headache. She said:
1. Sleep. Sleep equals relief – period.
But that’s not always possible.
2. This headache roller. I just made her a new one for back to school. I found the recipe on my Ref Guide for EOs app (great app!) 5 drops Roman chamomile, 10 drops grapefruit, 5 drops peppermint, 3 drops rosemary, and 4 oz. V-6 Oil for children under age seven, or 2 oz. V-6 Oil for children over age seven.
3. A cold cloth. She said it helps take her mind off of the pain and serves as a distraction.
Other things we have done to prevent: request teachers with strong classroom management. Noise is a trigger for her.
Staying hydrated is key and so is limiting sugar and food coloring intake.
We saw a decrease in frequency when we started taking her to the chiropractor. I would definitely recommend that.
Thinning out or trimming her hair. She loves doing long hairstyles but I’m pretty sure we can be sure to see fewer incidents with the 6 inches she shed this weekend.
If you have a child who gets migraines and have had success with any other natural remedies please share in the comments!
Essentially Better Living 