Summer is approaching quickly and our family is SO EXCITED! We are so ready for endless lake days, bike rides, ice cream, and more! Every summer as a family, we create a summer bucket list! It is one of our favorite traditions for every season! You don’t have to fill it with anything big and grand, but it is a great way to keep the fun going all summer long! To help you kick off your summer fun, we put together a big list of some of our favorites below! And even better, you can download our Free Summer Bucket List Printable below too!
SUMMER BUCKET LIST IDEAS
Go to the Splash Pad
Support local! Go to 3 of your favorite ice cream shops and have everyone vote on their favorite!
Have a Water Balloon Fight
Go Mini Golfing
Have a Family Backyard Sleepover
Create Your own Matinee Movie Day, complete with popcorn and your favorite treats!
Go Boating
Make S’mores
Color with Sidewalk Chalk
Have a Picnic at the Park
Get Snow-Cones
Go to a Drive-In Movie
Make Orange Julius – our favorite recipe is linked here
Have a Glow Stick Party in the Pool at Night
Hike to a Waterfall
Make + Decorate a Cake Together
Run through the Sprinklers
Watch a Movie in the Backyard
Go on a Scavenger Hunt around your yard or neighborhood
Make Homemade Popsicles
Have a Pool Day
Have a Puzzle Day
Go on a Family Bike Ride
Go Ice Blocking
Make Homemade Pizzas
Make a Homemade Slip-n-Slide
Go tubing in the local creek/river
Plan a Family BBQ
Stay Up Extra Late
Go Fishing
.. SUMMER BUCKET LIST PRINTABLE ..
Now that you’ve got some ideas in mind, it is time to make your Summer Bucket List! We’ve made it easy on you by creating 2 options. You can use our pre-filled list or go with the blank option to fill in with your own fun. We love taking them to Staples or a local print shop to get poster sized prints! Just right click the image to download, save, and print your own!
Our Italy trip was an unreal experience! We went for 12 days with some old friends and it was so nice to have quality time with Joe. It was our first time in Europe, and we accomplished so much! So today on the blog, I wanted to share all the details about our trip and recommendations!
Where We Stayed: We flew into the Rome airport and checked in to our hotel which was Sina Bernini Bristol. The location was perfect! It was a 15-minute walk to popular attractions like the Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps, the Villa Borghese Gardens, etc. We used TransfersRome for all the driving we needed and they were amazing (info@transfersrome.com).
What We Did: The first night there, we did a private golf cart tour which was so cool to see the city at night and get an overview of all the main sites! My favorite part was just walking around the city and admiring all the architecture and design! We also did some shopping and Via Condotti was my favorite! The street was so beautiful and there were lots of shops and designer stores. We also went to the LDS Rome Temple one morning and it was so special. The grounds were beautiful, and we loved going into the Visitor’s Center. The feeling there was sacred and peaceful. The same day, we were able to visit the Colosseum which Joe was so excited about. We did a guided tour and it was so crazy to hear all the history behind it!
What We Ate: There was a yummy pastry shop just 10 minutes from our hotel called Pasticceria Regoli, so I’d recommend that if you like eating breakfast. Our favorite lunch spot was Trattoria Pizzeria Luzzi, so definitely recommend that (we made reservations beforehand). A few dinner places we loved were Colline Emiliane and Ristorante Al Moro, both a close walk from our hotel!
Where We Stayed: We stayed at Sina Villa Medici, Autograph Collection and it was beautiful. We booked it through Marriott.
What We Did: We did a pasta class and it was one of my favorite activities of the whole trip! And the best part, we got to eat the pasta for dinner! We also went to the Uffizi & Accademia Museum with a tour and it was a cool experience to see all the renaissance art! That’s where we got to see the Statue of David which was amazing. The shopping in Florence was good too, we loved going to Ponte Vecchio and the shops in Oltrarno. We also took a day trip to the Tuscany area and it was so beautiful! We walked all around Siena, which is the heart of Tuscany, and got to see the cathedral and all the cool buildings!
What We Ate: Some of our favorite restaurants in Florence…Buca Mario for dinner, Ino for lunch, La Strega Nocciola Gelateria Artigianale for gelato, Gustapizza for either lunch or dinner, and La Menagere for breakfast!
pasta class in florence
: VENICE
Where We Stayed: Venice was my favorite city!! We took a train from Florence to Venice which was fun. And we LOVED the hotel. (which is on its own island) It was the JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa. And apparently the “James Bond” entrance in some movies.
What We Did: We did a gondola ride here and we loved it! We also saw St. Mark’s Vasilica, Doge’s Palace, the Rialto bridge, and Marco Polo’s house! We loved just hanging around the hotel too, the rooftop was fun and had amazing views.
What We Ate: Our favorite food spots were 4 Leoni for dinner (their pasta was amazing) and Gelateria Della Passera for gelato!
Where We Stayed: We stayed at the Casa Brera and this was by far my favorite hotel design! It was so modern which I love.
What We Did: basically shopped and ate. Milan is known for it, fashion and design!
What We Ate: Our favorite dinner was the fresh-made noodles at Pasta Fresca Da Giovanni, it was 10/10! We also loved Cioccolat, it was the cutest place full of waffles, crepes, gelato, and pastries!
gelato from cioccolat in milan
venice was my favorite
the architectural detail in every chapel was insane! this was my favorite one
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To see my favorite travel items I used for the trip, click here!
We’re leaving for Italy today and I am having mixed feelings about it! Although I’m so excited, I’ve never left my kids for this long and it makes me sad to think about. But I’m so ready to get some quality time with Joe and enjoy my first time in Europe! I’ll be sharing all about our trip when we get back, but today I wanted to share some of the essentials I’m packing for Italy! And be sure to follow my Instagram to see pictures from our trip!
Each of us can only bring a carry-on suitcase, so of course we are bringing our favorite Away suitcases. We’ve had them for years and they hold up so well. Each of our kids have their own color too. I’m also bringing this Free People lookalike quilted tote from Amazon! The quality is so good and it holds a lot, so it’s going to be my personal item.
I ordered a ton of travel items for Amazon including these packing cubes and this $25 toiletry bag that holds so much!!! I also had a lot of people tell me to bring European plug adaptors so we can charge everything at night. We bought these ones, they come in a pack of 2! We’re also bringing our favorite portable chargers.
Lastly, I’m pretty worried about the long flight, so I ordered this inflatable neck pillow and this foot rest – both had great reviews!
Since I can only bring a carry-on, I packed items that I can wear multiple times and style different ways! I made an order from Adidas and everything is so good. I’m most excited about these dark blue track pants pictured above, and so excited about the red jacket too because I can throw it over anything. I also packed my favorite simple tank, black jeans, a fancier black dress, trench coat, gray cardigan, and more! See everything else I packed below!
The only shoes I packed are Adidas sneakers! By now, everyone knows they’re my staple. They are so comfy too, which is a must since we will be walking a lot. You can see all my favorites here (be sure to size down a half-size in all). I also ordered these mesh flats from Amazon and they are surprisingly so comfortable! And they go with any outfit.
I also ordered my first MZ Wallace bag and I’m in love! I decided to get the bright orange because I packed mostly neutrals and love having a pop of color. I was too nervous to bring my LV bags, so I’m really happy I went with the MZ Wallace bag!
Adidas sneakers have been my go-to staple for months now! I’ve collected so many fun colors and love that they can be paired with any outfit! You can see all our favorites here!
I got some new staples from Vuori a few weeks ago, and I’ve been wearing them non-stop! The quality is absolutely amazing and everything fits true to size. Linking everything here!
: NIPPIES
These nippie covers are mine + my girls’ favorite! They are reusable and the price is so good! They are always trying to steal mine, so I got more for their Easter basket. They are amazing for swimsuits, workout clothes, and cheer uniforms for the girls!
This Amazon tote is my newest obsession! I have it in the tan color, but just ordered it in black for my Italy trip! It’s the perfect travel bag and it’s under $30!!
: POWDERED DRY SHAMPOO
I’ve tried the name-brand dry shampoos and they don’t even compare to this one from Amazon that’s only $18! I get the brown color and it works so well. Just trust me on this one!
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If you missed my Mother’s Day gift guide that I shared last week, check it out here!
Today on the blog I’m sharing gift ideas for Mother’s Day! These are all items that I love, so whether you’re treating yourself, or shopping for your mom- these items will definitely do the trick!
I bought this sleep mask for myself in black and I’ve been loving it! It’s silk/satin and so soft on the face.
: GRADUAL TANNER
I’ve used this gradual tanner for a few years now and it is so good when I don’t have time to do a full self tan. It goes on as a lotion and takes a few hours to get to its full color. Gives such a natural look!
: SCRUNCHIES
These are mine + Hunter’s favorite silk scrunchies! We wear our hair up every night and these scrunchies help with frizz and don’t kink our hair or cause breakage!
: PAJAMAS
I ordered these satin pajamas in blue for myself and they are so good!! They fit true to size and come in tons of colors!
: PANTS
These have been my favorite wide-leg pants for years. I have them in like 5 different colors and they’re always my go-to in spring and summer.
: FLIP FLOPS
I got my mom and sisters hooked on these flip flops a few years ago. They come in tons of different natural colors and the quality is amazing. They’ve lasted me years!
: HAT
I ordered this hat from Amazon for our Italy trip and I’m so excited about it! Everyone needs a good sun hat for summer.
: NIPPIE COVERS
These are mine + my mom’s favorite nipple covers. They stick to your breast and stay on so well. They are reusable and come in lots of different shades!
: NINJA CREAMI
I just ordered this ninja creami in pink for myself and I am so excited! Me + the kids use this all summer long to make healthy protein ice cream. It’s really a gift for the whole family.
: KITCHEN TOWELS
You guys know how much I love these Geometry towels! They are my favorite thing to gift to people. I love the tea-sized kitchen towels, but their bath and beach towels are just as good too! Don’t forget to use code KAILEE for 15% off!
: PUFFER TOTE
I have this tote in the tan color and it’s so good! I’ve been loving it for travel and weekend trips. Comes in lots of cute colors!
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Thank you for being here! Happy Mother’s Day! If you missed our recent life update, check it out here!
We are in the thick of traveling season and I know so many of you have upcoming summer plans as well! So today I thought I would do a little rewind and share this video with my secret to simplifying packing your kids! I promise these 6 simple packing tips will save you time, money, and sanity within your travel life!!
When it comes to saving room and packing efficiently, this is a make or break. Have your little people wear their biggest, bulkiest items on their body so those pieces aren’t taking up their whole suitcase. If you are going somewhere cooler, have them wear their jacket, sweatshirt, or cardigan. Jeans take up more space than shorts and leggings, so consider that as well. This way, you aren’t taking up the majority of your space with a jacket, but you will still be prepared for weather conditions.
#2 : LIMIT SHOES TO ONE PAIR
If at all possible, we limit our shoes to 1 pair per child. Shoes are SO bulky and when you times it by 5 little people, it adds up FAST. When I make a list of what to pack, I try to consider all the activities/events during the trip. From there I will pick a pair that is versatile enough to wear for all if possible. Something comfortable that can be dressed up or down (as you’ll see on the video). If you do have to pack an additional pair, try to make it as slim as possible.
#3 : PICK PIECES YOU CAN MIX AND MATCH
When planning your outfits, always go for pieces that you can mix and match. Grab a pair of leggings that can go with 3 different shirts or one dress that goes with multiple leggings. That way you aren’t packing a completely new outfit for every day. For Harper + Hayden, I try to pick one bow that goes with all the outfits too.
#4 : ROLL YOUR CLOTHES BY OUTFIT
Now that you’ve picked out their outfits, comes the most important step. Roll their clothes by outfit, including underwear, socks, + accessories. Not only does this save a TON of space compared to folding, it also saves on a huge mess. When morning rolls around, you can have your little people go to the suitcase and grab their outfit for the day without messing up the entire bag, because it is all in one convenient place.
#5 : ORGANIZE USING PACKING CUBES
Now that you’ve got them rolled up, organize using packing cubes. If you are going on a quick trip, you could even just use the packing cubes in one bag for all your kids! They are amazing!!
#6 : ONLY PACK ENOUGH DIAPERS FOR ONE DAY
If you are traveling with a baby, this is huge! Diapers take up SO MUCH SPACE! Don’t waste a whole suitcase on diapers, ESPECIALLY if you are flying. My tip is to just pack enough diapers for the first day. That gets you to your destination and enough time to get settled. Then buy enough to cover you for the rest of the trip while you are there.
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I hope these tips and tricks help save you space and sanity as you pack for your next family trip!! I’d love to hear your favorite go-to packing tricks too! For more of my travel must haves, click here!
A few days ago I made this recipe for Hudson’s baseball team and all of you wanted to know the recipe!! It’s our family’s favorite, and all of Hudson’s teammates wanted seconds. It’s so delicious! The recipe is from my good friend Lizi from the Food Nanny– all of her recipes are amazing! I tweaked the recipe a little bit, so I’m sharing all the ingredients and instructions below!! (For the baseball team, I 7 times this recipe).
– INGREDIENTS –
1 stick of butter
3-ounce cream cheese
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt + pepper
1lb uncooked mostaccioli (i use mini penne noodles)
1 26oz jar meatless spaghetti sauce
3 cups shredded mozarella cheese divided (i only do about HALF the cheese)
Shredded chicken (i just buy a rotisserie chicken)
– INSTRUCTIONS –
Alfredo sauce: Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over low heat. Mix in the cream cheese. Stir in the cream and garlic powder. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, stirring often while you cook the pasta. If the sauce needs additional thickening, you can sprinkle in flour 1 tsp at a time. Cook and stir for desired consistency.
Stir the parmesean cheese into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the mini penne according to package directions and drain.
Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in a 9×13 inch baking dish. layer half of the pasta, half the alfredo sauce, half the spaghetti sauce, 1.5 cups of the cheese. repeat the layering with the remaining alfredo sauce, spaghetti sauce, and cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 30 minutes, or until it is hot and bubbly.
Add rotisserie chicken on the top after it’s been cooked.
Today on the blog I’m sharing a life update!! I have not shared one in a long time, so there’s lots to catch up on! Life has been so busy and I’m just trying to soak it all in.
We just celebrated our 21st anniversary!! We are going to Italy next month with some friends to celebrate. As our trip is getting closer, I’m honestly pretty anxious about it. I’m starting to feel anxiety about leaving the kids. We’ve never left them for this long, and we’re going to miss Hunter’s last dance, baseball playoffs, and Harper’s dance recital. So that just makes me sad. And I’m dreading coming home because me and the big girls fly out to Florida the very next day. So I’m just really nervous about the time change and having the energy I need for them in Florida.
I finally went to a doctor after 7 years! The last time I saw a doctor was for my hysterectomy. I ended up in the emergency room about 5 months ago with major back and stomach pain so that was scary. I haven’t been sleeping well and I’m going crazy to be completely honest. So I went to the doctor and he prescribed me some medication to try and took a bunch of bloodwork so I’m anxious to go back and get some results.
On the other hand, Joe is ready to start getting the boat ready! We’re so ready for summer and for life slow down a little bit.
Hunter just had her last Dixie prom but she actually just got asked to another school prom so I’m glad she still gets another last dance because I’m really sad about it. It hasn’t hit me yet that she’s almost graduated. It’s kind of crazy. We’re trying to get on her about getting a job because the minute she graduates, we’ve told her that we aren’t paying for anything. We pay for her car insurance, but other than that we’re not going to be paying for gas or extra things anymore. She’s not in cheer or any extracurricular activities once school is out! She should be done with hair school in December, so she will work full-time hair once she’s done.
: HUDSON
Hudson is doing so awesome. He’s been totally excelling in baseball and is just loving it. I pray he doesn’t get burnt out, though. He has 55 games in the next 4-5 weeks which is crazy! So that’s where I’ll be for the next 5 weeks. He pitched in his first varsity game last week against one of the biggest schools in the state and he did really well! He struck out one of their best players, so that was a really cool moment for him.
Hayden is just so excited for Florida. That’s where cheer nationals will be, so that’s all she can talk about. But in the meantime, tryouts for next year are coming up so she is working her butt off for that. She’s going to stunt with the college tonight, so hopefully she’ll be able to stunt with them a few times a month. She just lives, eats, and breathes cheer and I love her determination!
Houston is just along for the ride! He’s doing baseball right now, so we’ll be traveling to Provo and Mesquite for tournaments and stuff. It’s crazy that he’s old enough for travel ball, but he is loving it. He’s becoming quite the little pitcher so we might have a pitcher on our hands!
He isn’t loving school right now. He’s been asking me to homeschool him for the last month. So who knows, I might just let him get out of school for the last month or so, but I haven’t decided. I had him write a full paper of why he wants to be homeschooled, and I had him write his own schedule and what he would do if he was homeschooled. I’ll have to keep you updated on what we decide.
Harper is in full dance mode! She really only has one performance a year which I’m going to miss. I’m sick about it. But she is so stoked so she’s always practicing for it. She’s in hip-hop and ballet, so this is the first time she’s done the dance team and she’s loving it! She’s in soccer right now too which is hard to watch, but it will be done in a few weeks. It’s just a funny age because they’re so awkward and giggly, but she is having the time of her life and loves picking out her outfits!
I told her if she got her back handspring, she could try out for cheer and I think she’s going to have it in time! So we’ll let her try out but part of me is not ready for that but part of me is so excited for her to finally do something she really wants to do!
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Thanks for following along and loving our family and crazy life! So grateful for each and every one of you.
Today on the blog I’m sharing all the details of our basement- including the kitchen! I love having the basement for kids to hang out. We’ve kept it simple down there, but still cozy and I love that the kids have somewhere to spend time.
We got our sectional from Love Sac (just keep pressing “next” to get our exact couch) and I am obsessed! Not only is it comfy, but it looks so beautiful and has held its shape really well. We got the fabric Cloud Boucle and it’s been so easy to keep clean- thanks to my green machine!
This was a DIY project that we did in the basement and I am in love! We ordered the panels from Woody Walls and the process was so easy! Trust me, anybody can do this. We did the white ash solid wood and I love the finish of it. You can also use code KAILEE8 for a discount!
Today on the blog I’m sharing Easter basket gift ideas for girls, boys, + teens!! You already know I’m not one to buy junk or gadgets, I always get my kids a new swimsuit and sandals to get ready for spring + summer, along with some other fun gifts they need. See more of my ideas below!
Me, Hunter, and Hayden spent the past weekend in Dallas for the NCA Cheer competition and it was so fun! I love all the quality time with my girls, and watching them do what they love. I wanted to share where we stayed, what we ate, etc! Get all the details below!
We stayed at The Joule and it was phenomenal! I stayed there 9 years ago for an LTK conference and it’s still so beautiful. It’s right in downtown Dallas, only 2 blocks from the convention center so we were able to walk which was nice. The rooms were amazing and they have 2 restaurants in there that are so good too!
We mostly just stayed in downtown Dallas! We didn’t rent a car, so we were able to walk and scooter everywhere. We were at the convention center for most of the weekend and it was a blast, despite the scary incident that happened. Every morning we had to be there by 6:30 so we had some early mornings. Hayden and I would ride on a scooter over to the convention center so that was fun. In the afternoon, we would come back to the hotel to nap and eat. We ordered room service one day which the girls loved. Then we’d head back to the cheer comp each night to watch the popular teams perform! Hunter, Hayden, and their whole team performed so well and they won!! It was pure joy hearing they won and watching them all crowd the trophy. I’m so proud of them.
We also met up with some friends from residency school at the mall. It was ginormous and had every store you can think of! So we all loved that.
Sassetta – Italian restaurant inside the Joule and the pizza was so good!!
Chop House Burger– amazing burgers across the street from the Joule! They also had a ton of fun shake options like Fruity Pebbles and things like that.
Spin Cow– we waited an hour in line for this ice cream and it was totally worth it!
Biscuit Bar– great biscuits and gravy place but they had the most amazing french toast out of biscuits! Definitely recommend.
We have been traveling a ton for cheer and family stuff! And we have tons more trips planned like Dallas, Italy, and Florida! It’s going to be a busy few months, but I wanted to quickly share my top 5 travel must-haves!
This Away brand is amazing! I love their suitcases because they are so durable and you can wipe them down really easily to keep them clean. Each of my kids have their own carry-on color, which is so nice because there is never any fighting. And we when check luggage, it is easy to point out ours. Also, instead of unzipping the whole side, you can unzip half of it. Hard to explain, but that’s been so helpful with kids.
We also love these Target carry-ons if you’re looking for a more affordable option! They come in tons of cute colors.
: BACKPACK
The reason I love this backpack so much is because it’s real leather! It’s so durable and has a gazillion pockets too. You know I’m all about organization space! It also has a space for your laptop which is so nice you don’t have to bring your case. It’s a small family business and I love supporting small businesses. You can use code KAILEE for $50 off! They also just came out with a fanny pack I’m dying to order.
: PACKING CUBES
I love packing cubes because they separate everything!! Whenever my kids pack, I use packing cubes to group together pajamas, swimsuits, outfits, etc. It’s so nice because they don’t have to be digging through their suitcases to find something. Usually me or Hunter will need some extra packing space, so we will throw a few things in the babies’ suitcase and using packing cubes keeps it all organized and separated. These packing cubes from Amazon are so good and the price point is amazing!
Long travel days call for a comfy outfit! But I still want to look put-together, so I always wear a matching set. This Walmart one has been my favorite for years and comes in tons of colors! I also just got this Adidas one and I’m in love.
: GOOD SHOES
Along with a comfy outfit, the right shoes make all the difference when traveling. My Sambas and Gazelles are the comfiest shoes. They’re easy to put on, and elevate any outfit! Here’s a link to all my favorites. Love that it adds a pop of color to anything I’m wearing.
Sambas are true to size. For Gazelles, size down a half size.
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Safe travels for everyone traveling this spring + summer!
