Happy Friday everyone! We have had the past week off from school, but still kept busy with social plans, church activities, and getting work done to prepare for the upcoming weeks. If anyone was wondering, (I know you were!) the countdown is now 12 days until baby comes! And it can't come soon enough. This very pregnant mama's sleep is suffering! Not that the sleep will get any better with a newborn, but at least we'll have a sweet babe to snuggle!

Easter weekend is upon us, and I am very much looking forward to a quiet celebration with our family. Hope you've got some wonderful plans for the weekend as well!

Before I unplug (kind of) for the weekend to spend time with family, I wanted to share some things I'm loving this week!

Friday Favorites

1. Daytona Beach fun!

We spent an afternoon earlier this week wandering around the Daytona Beach boardwalk, and had so much fun with the kids! We have so many exciting places to visit here in Florida, but sometimes forget to take advantage of them, since it's always a bit of extra work when young kids are involved.

So I armed myself with 15 snacks in my bag, water bottles for everyone, and my nice camera and we decided to give Daytona Beach a go, and we didn't regret it! Believe it or not, these photos are barely edited - the water really did look that blue, and the sand really was that white. Pippa couldn't stop talking about how soft the sand was. Next time we're bringing our swimsuits! (Ideally when I'm not 37 weeks pregnant).

It also helped that we bribed the kids with ice cream and salt water taffy from a local sweets shop, and morale improved significantly whenever we mentioned it! I think the adults needed it, too. Eating ice cream overlooking the ocean with sunny weather in the mid 70s was the perfect way to end the afternoon.

2. Date Day

Earlier this week I took Pippa to see Beauty and the Beast as part of our mother-daughter date, while the boys had a father-son date at the park and beach. We wanted them to have some quality time with us and some memories and pictures to cherish once the baby comes and their lives are turned upside down.

Anyway, Beauty and the Beast was fantastic! I was a bit worried that it would be too scary for Pippa, and there were a few parts that she had to cover her eyes. However, she ended up being enchanted by the majority of the movie. Afterward she couldn't stop talking about Belle's dress, and how Gaston was her favorite character. Why my child always identifies with the villain in the movie is beyond me. We both wore "Belle hair" to the movie (half up, like in the scene where she dances with the beast), got a giant bag of popcorn which basically gave me a hangover, and had a blast spending time together.

Meanwhile, the boys went to the park where Teddy got to eat his first Happy Meal, then to the beach to burn off some more energy. After we all crashed at home for a power nap, Justin and I headed out to restaurant overlooking the ocean for a much-needed date night thanks to some generous friends. I looked on enviously while Justin enjoyed a tropical beverage, but made up for it with the most incredible chocolate lava dessert.

3. Gallon of water

This is kind of a strange favorite, but we had some gallon jugs of water in our garage from hurricane season, and I have been experiencing end-of-pregnancy edema thanks to the weather here in Florida, so I decided to really focus on my water intake. I am filling up a gallon jug of water at the beginning of the day to make sure I drink enough water. It's been so convenient to just reach in the fridge and fill up my Yeti!

4. Kids' Summer Clothes

We just received some awesome hand-me-downs from 2 families at church, which helps tremendously in getting the kids' wardrobes ready for summer. I wanted to wait until we sorted through those clothes before making any purchases online. Now that I know what the kids have, it's just a matter of filling in the gaps with good deals online. (This section contains affiliate links).

Gymboree still has the everything under $14.99 deal going on,

Crazy 8 has a BOGO 88 cents deal on any regular priced item, so stock up, mamas!

Old Navy has everything on sale up to 50% off. I'm eyeing up muscle tanks and chambray shirts for the boys, and play shorts for Pippa.

5. Holy Week

This weekend we get to attend two of my favorite church services of the year - Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Such a great time to refocus our minds on the ultimate sacrifice our God made for us, and to celebrate the joy of the resurrection. Our weekend will also include dyeing Easter eggs and Easter baskets with candy, but we want to make sure they also know why we celebrate this holiday. Here's a post I wrote 3 years ago talking about having a different perspective on Holy Week as a parent. It's not my best writing or photography, but the sentiment remains the same.

Have a very joyous and blessed Easter weekend, everyone!

That's it for this Friday! What's got you smiling this week? Have a wonderful weekend!

Linking up with Carolina Charm and Hello Happiness for Five on Friday, and Andrea from Momfessionals for Friday Favorites!

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