Mini English Muffin Pizzas

Alexis loves to help in the kitchen, so I'll use any excuse for a kid-friendly easy-to-prepare meal, especially in our current heat wave. These super simple personal sized pizzas are fun to make and eat. Other than slicing the English muffins and tomatoes, it was something Alexis was able to do all on her own.

All you need is a package of English muffins, jar of pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and toppings of your choice. We used pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives, and tomatoes. Slice the muffins evenly in half, spread pizza sauce on each half, cover in cheese, and add your toppings. Bake in the oven at 350-degrees for about 15 minutes (or until they're as crispy as you want).

These were a lot of fun to make, or watch Alexis make, and she had a blast putting them together. There's literally no wrong way to do this, so let your little chefs design their perfect pizza.

What to Do this Summer in the Wiregrass

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. Have you made plans yet? Last year I made a list of 20 Things to Do with Your Kids this Summer. It's full of free or almost-free activities to get you and the kids out of the house and active, as well as fun things you can do in the a/c and stuff to do on rainy days.

I'm looking forward to this summer. For the first time since Alexis was born, she'll be spending the summer at home. Of course I'll still be working, but thanks to help from grandparents, my husband's work schedule, and the fact that I've got a better handle on the magazine, we'll actually get to take full advantage of summer fun. We've already signed up for our local summer reading program, and I'm scheduling one or two activities a week. Today's post is for those of you living in the Wiregrass area. I'm sharing all the best things to do and see this summer to keep you entertained without spending a ton of money.

Places to Learn
Kolomoki Mounds State Park - Learn about the Woodland Indians of the southeastern U.S. There's also camping, putt-putt, canoe/kayak and paddle boat rentals, playgrounds and nature trails.

Landmark Park - Living history farm, complete with an old farmhouse, smokehouse, cane mill, syrup shed, and farm animals. One-room schoolhouse, drugstore and soda fountain, country store, and turn-of-the-century church. Nature trails, interpretive center and planetarium.

Todd Syrup Farm - Learn about the entire cane syrup making process from field to bottle.

U.S. Army Aviation Museum - Collection of more than 164 military aircraft, including one of the largest collections of military helicopters in the world.

Where to Swim, Splash, or Otherwise Get Wet

Water World - Open through August 8th. Admission: Adults $12, Kids (ages 3-12) $9

Westgate Indoor Pool - Open through August 11th. Admission $3

SPLASH! Pool/Spray Park - Located on Ft. Rucker. Open through September. Free admission.

Enterprise Splash Pad - Located in Johnny Henderson Park. Open through end of September. Free admission.
Ozark Splash Pad - Located in Steagall Park. Free admission.
Ozark Community Pool - Admission: $2 weekdays; $3 weekends

Get Outside

Dothan Area Botanical Gardens - Series of gardens, trails and kids playground. Free admission.

AdventureLand Theme Park - Mini golf, bumper boats, go karts, batting cages, and arcade.

Enterprise Mini Golf - Putt-putt course with water features, bridges, and two waterfalls.

Forever Wild Trails - Ten miles of trails with six linked loops, bike repair stations, changing room, and pump track.
Miracle Playground - Soft surface playground located in Westgate Park.

Farmers Markets

Poplar Head - Saturdays, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. in Dothan Civic Center parking lot.

Headland - Fridays on the downtown square from 3:00-7:00 p.m.

Enterprise - Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, 7:00-11:00 a.m.

Indoor Activities

Trampoline Parks - Axtion Air Jump & Sport and Xtreme Air

Skating - Fun Zone and Fun Factory

Bowling - Dothan Lanes, Patricia Lanes, Boland Lanes, Rucker Lanes

What to Do

Animal Adventures - Fridays in June & July at Landmark Park. Learn about tortoises, reptiles, alligators, chickens, fish, birds of prey, and amphibians. All programs start at 10:00 a.m. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for kids. Members get in free. You have to register in advance.

Wacky Wednesdays - Wednesdays in June & July at Landmark Park. Learn about homing pigeons, insects and honeybees. Build fairy houses and learn about the weather. Create your own nature journal, listen to poetry, and go on a nature hike. All programs start at 10:00 a.m. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for kids. Members get in free. You have to register in advance.

Throwback Thursdays - Thursdays in June & July at Landmark Park. Have old-fashioned fun, learn about and try home-made dairy products, make traditional music, learn about Indian artifacts, spend a day on town square, and take the Wiregrass farmstead tour. All programs start at 10:00 a.m. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for kids. Members get in free. You have to register in advance.

Music by Moonlight - June 13 & 27 and July 11 at Landmark Park. Annual concert series on the gazebo lawn. Bring your own chairs or blankets and a picnic supper. Music starts at 7:30 nightly. Admission is free.

First Saturday Family Day - June 1 & July 6 at the Wiregrass Museum of Art. A free come-and-go art activity for kids of all ages. All supplies are provided. No pre-registration needed. Each first Saturday features a different project.

Screen on the Green - June 20 at WMA. Bring the family to watch 'James and the Giant Peach' in the museum garden. Food trucks will be on site and the museum provides free popcorn. Admission is free.

Thursday Night Movies - Thursdays in June and July at Kolomoki Mounds. Meet at picnic shelter 4. Games start at 7:30 p.m. EST. Movies start at dark. Admission is free but a $5 park pass required.

Popcorn and a Movie - June 8 & July 13 at the Ozark Dale County Public Library. Free kid-friendly movie with popcorn and a drink. Movies start at 12:45 p.m.

Toddler Tales - June 1 & July 6 at All About Art in Enterprise. Class is from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Designed to be a family experience with storytime and a related art project. $20 per child. Toddler-friendly refreshments served.

Cookes & Canvas - June 8 & July 13 at All About Art in Enterprise. For kids 17 and under. Designed for families but children 10 and older can participate independently. Class is from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Cost: $20 for 11x14 canvas or $30 for 16x20 canvas.

Story & Craft - Every Tuesday at downtown Dothan library at 10:15 a.m. and every Wednesday at the Westgate library at 10:30 a.m. Each session lasts about an hour.

Fireworks Shows

Fireworks at the Fairgrounds - June 29 at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds. Free watermelon and peanut samples. Kids games, dunking booths, live music, and vendors. Hot dot eating contest (applications due June 20). Gates open at 5:00 p.m. Fireworks show at 9:00 p.m. Admission is free but they're asking for a $10 parking donation to benefit United Way.

July 4th Picnic in the Park - June 29 at Ashford Recreation Park, 5:00-9:30 p.m. Food vendors, kids' inflatables, music, games, and fireworks.

Freedom Fest - July 3 on Festival Fields at Fort Rucker. Kids' zone with inflatables and rides. Local and regional vendors and displays. Patriotic Concert and Fireworks. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. Admission is free but you must have a visitor's pass to get on post.

I'm excited about all of the activities we've got planned so far. I hope this post helps inspire your summer activities. As I find out about more fireworks shows, I'll update this post.

4 Summer Date Outfits

Dating during the summer months, especially in the South, can be a sticky situation, literally. Regardless of what you'll be doing, you want to dress cute and stay cool at the same time, and I don't know about you, but shorts don't exactly scream romantic. So I put together four simple outfits that I would wear on a date - two dressier outfits and two more casual ones. I hope they inspire you this summer!

Dress: Amazon / Shoes: Target

Romantic Dress

First, let me tell you how much I love this dress. It fits perfectly, is thin but not see through, and just floats around your legs. It buttons up the front with little elastic loops. The waist is stretchy and has two hidden buttons to keep a liner in place so there's no chance of skin showing between the buttons. It comes in a ton of patterns and colors, and none are more than $35. I'm wearing a medium and it's not tight at all.

I, personally, would wear this dress for any occasion because it makes me feel so good about myself, but it's perfect for a romantic dinner or picnic, outdoor concert, or visit to a local museum.

Dress: Maurices / Vest: ShoeDazzle / Shoes: Target

Casual Dress

This maxi dress and denim vest combo is perfect for a date that involves some kind of activity. I would wear this to a ballgame, arcade, or movie. The stripes on this one makes it feel a little more casual than other maxis I own. You can't see them because of the vest, but it's got double straps. It's not lined but the material is thick enough it's not a problem. The waist is stretchy, which allowed me to shorten the skirt and create a blouse effect. If you live somewhere that doesn't get into the triple digits, you could swap the vest for a denim jacket and roll up the sleeves. I'm wearing low-heeled sandals here but could easily swap them for flat sandals or slides. I'm wearing the dress in a small.

Jumpsuit (old) - similar, similar, similar

Jumpsuit

A jumpsuit is a fun alternative to a dress and feels much more grown-up than a romper to me. Cotton or polyester will make it feel casual while materials like silk or crepe will make them feel more dressy. I would wear this one to a nice restaurant or concert. I've had this one in my closet for awhile looking for the right pair of shoes to go with it, so unfortunately it's no longer available, but I'll link to some similar ones.

Shirt: Target / Jeans: JCPenney / Shoes: ShoeStation

White Jeans

White jeans are a great alternative to blue jeans in the summer, especially for a date. Pair them with your favorite dressy-casual button-up and bright shoes and you're done. This outfit is perfect for dates that involve a lot of movement like bowling or putt-putt. You don't have to worry about accidentally exposing yourself in a dress or skirt but still look put together and cute.

Printed Halter Top Maxi

I love maxi dresses, but my body type makes shopping for them not easy. I tend to bypass them in stores and avoid the hassle of ordering online only to be disappointed. So when I saw this in the display window of my local Maurice's, I was prepared to be let down yet again, but I went in anyway and tried it on. Much to my delight, the small not only fit (I've never worn a size small there) but it also was the perfect length. It has a stretchy waist, which helps create shape and will make wearing this with flats easier. It's lined to about my knees, so no worries with it being see-through. I was able to wear this comfortably without a bra, but if you need/want a bra it'll definitely need to be strapless. I wore this for a casual business meeting just like this. You could easily add a navy blazer for an office setting or a jean jacket in the spring/fall.

Details
Dress: Maurice's
Shoes: Target

10 Things My Parents Taught Me That I'm Teaching My Daughter

I keep seeing a quote graphic on Facebook about how it's impossible to raise our kids the way our parents raised us because that world no longer exists. I sent it to my mom and asked her thoughts. As a teacher, she's had to evolve and change with the world, so I figured she has pretty good grip on reality and where we are as a society. Here's what she had to say: "It's true the world has changed, but morals and values should still be upheld." Hear, hear. So here are ten things I learned from my parents that I'm teaching my daughter, regardless of how much the world has changed.


Be kind. Neither rudeness nor meanness ever solved anything. You never know what someone else is going through in their life. If you can't be kind, don't say or do anything.

With that being said, always stand up for yourself. Don't be a doormat. And if you realize you are, put a stop to it.

Hold the door. It's just common courtesy.

Respect those working in the service industry. Example: Don't talk on your phone while you're ordering food in a restaurant or checking out at a store.

Be able to stand on your own two feet.

Say no. To bad situations, relationships, food, whatever.

Be present. Pull your head out of your phone (or in my case back then a book).

There is a time to be still and quiet. You won't always have something or someone to keep you entertained.

Spend wisely. Money doesn't grow on trees.

Tell the truth, even when it hurts.

Mamas (and dads), I'm curious to know what you think. Do you believe you've had to completely bypass the way your parents raised you to raise your child(ren)? Is there anything else you'd add to this list?

Summer Dress Round-up

I love a good dress for the summer. They're so easy and effortlessly pulled together. We're expecting 95-plus degree weather next week, which means I'll be living in cool and breezy clothes, and I thought this would be a great time to do a round-up of the dresses I've bought since the weather started turning warmer.

1. Light Blue Floral Midi Dress
This was one of the first dresses I bought, and it's gotten a lot of wear. It's midi length, has a stretchy waistband, and cute ruffle hem. It came with a tie sash, which I used the first couple times I wore it, but I've recently cut the little string loops off the sides, and I'm happy to report that the dress is still just as cute without the sash. The only thing that would make this dress better, is if it had pockets! Wearing medium. (Original Post)

2. Flutter Sleeve Dresses
I absolutely love this striped dress. It's super soft like pajamas and not clingy. It comes in a bunch of colors and sizes. I also have it in green. Wearing medium. (Original Post)

3. Blue Tank Dress
This is another pajama-like dress. It's perfect for layering. I dressed it up a little with a long gold necklace and my gold sandals. It comes in a few more colors. Wearing medium. (Original Post)

4. Red Floral Wrap Dress
This is my most recent dress purchase, and I absolutely love it! Read all about it in this post. Wearing medium.

5. Black Button-up Midi Dress with Detailed Hem
Who says you can't wear all black in the summer? I shared this dress in early Spring when it was still a little cool out (see the post), so that's why I'm wearing a jacket. I love the feminine details around the hem. The buttons are non-functioning, but that just means no awkward pulling. Wearing medium.

6. Navy Dolman Dress
This is one of my great Walmart finds. This dress has ruching over the stomach so it's super flattering. I know you can't see it in this picture, but the sleeves are rolled, giving it a sportier vibe. It's cotton and super soft. Also comes in a pretty green. Wearing medium. (Original Post)

7. Striped Shirt Dress
Another Walmart find. Shirt dresses are so classic, and this one is cut so perfectly. Unfortunately, this particular pattern is no longer available but there are three other options to choose from. I could have worn this in small but chose to size up to medium for a little more room in the shoulders. (Original Post)

8. Orange Floral Wrap Dress
This dress is so romantic. I promise the next time I wear it, I'll get some better pictures so you can see just how perfectly flowy and flattering it really is. It's starting to sell out so if you want it, better act fast. Wearing size medium. (Original Post)

9. Green Floral Wrap Dress
Another dress I need to take proper pictures of. This would make a great summer work dress. Beware though, it's unlined so you might need a slip or shorts underneath, and I had to relocate a seam in the top meant to keep it closed because it was way too high for me. Wearing small. (Original Post)

10. Calico Printed Dress
How great is this retro style? This was part of my first order from Shein, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. You can read all about it here.

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Red Wrap Dress + Espadrille Wedges

Outfit Details

Dress: Target

Shoes: ShoeDazzle

Is this the perfect summer dress? It 's definitely in my top five this year. Wrap dresses are super flattering for most body types, and this one has a unique feature that I love. Instead of strings/sashes that you have to weave through a pinhole (that can sometimes be confusing), it has a button closure at the right hip. The the On the left hip keeps the dress fully closed. I did have to pin the top to keep it from gaping on my smaller chest. It's not lined but I had no issues with it being see-through. I'm 5'2" and wearing a medium.

Dresses are my go-to for warm days. They're so easy and, if you find the right one, can usually be worn so many ways. I like that this dress can be dressed up or down by simply changing shoes. If I were going to a meeting, I might add a blazer and swap my wedges for pumps or heeled sandals. On cooler days, I would throw in my denim jacket or vest. To be even more casual, I would wear flat sandals (like my fave gold ones) or navy sneakers (like these).

This look is kind of a go between for dressy casual style. This is only the second time I've worn these black espadrille wedges. The first time I ended up changing shoes about halfway through the day because my feet were dying. The heel is pretty high, much higher than what I've been wearing lately, and they started out really stiff. This time I was able to wear them all day with only minimal discomfort. All the online reviews recommended sizing up, but I stuck with my normal size 7.

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!

The Case for Summer Sandals

Tank: JCPenney / Kimono: StitchFix (similar) / Shorts: Kohl's / Sandals: Old Navy

There was a time back in the late 90s and early 2000's where I wore flip flops pretty much every day, and not just any flip flops. No, it was those rubber Old Navy flip flops that only cost $5. Of course, back then I didn't really have any fashion sense and mainly just wore what everybody else was wearing. Today, you'll rarely catch me wearing rubber flip flops. In fact, I only own one pair and they're reserved for trips involving water.

These days I live in slide-on sandals like my new favorite gold pair from Old Navy. I snagged them during a big sale for only $10 and have been wearing them non-stop. They seriously go with everything. The best part? The comfort level is like wearing a flip flop but the style level is at least ten times higher.

When it comes to summer slides, there are a lot of different styles. In addition to my gold pair, I've got neutral, red, and black pairs. I've rounded up some options from my favorite places to buy shoes below. Most come in multiple colors, and all are under $50.

One // Two // Three
Four // Five // Six
Seven // Eight // Nine

Calico Print Dress

Dress: Shein // Shoes: Old Navy (similar)

I've been wanting to try out Shein for awhile, but I've been hesitant because everything ships from overseas and I've been burned by those type brands so many times in the past. After reading through tons of reviews, I finally took the plunge on this 50s-style calico dress.  I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this dress. It's polyester, lightweight and stretchy. I will probably end up reinforcing the buttons, which is pretty common with this style of button. I haven't washed it yet but don't plan on drying it as I'm pretty confident it will shrink. This style of dress is one of my absolute favorites because of how flattering it is, especially that band around the mid-section that helps keep everything nice and flat. The only thing that would make this dress better is pockets.

Instagram Roundup: What I Wore in April

I just realized I haven't shared an Instagram roundup since the end of March! That shows you just how crazy of a month April was. Between Alexis's birthday, multiple sicknesses, and trying to get the May magazine finished, the blog was surviving mostly on pre-scheduled posts. For me, this isn't a second job and I don't bring in much money (yet) from the things I do post. There's no behind-the-scenes person posting for me each week. I write my posts during my lunch hour and before I go to bed during the week and during naptimes on weekends. I do all my own posting to social media and often times forget to share posts everywhere they need to be shared. That's why I've started an email list that you should all sign up for! Whenever there's a new post, you'll get a notice in your inbox no later than the day after the post goes live. I also send out weekly recaps so you can see all of the week's contents at a glance. Once I get more subscribers, I'll start doing weekly emails with links to shop the outfits I post on Instagram. Click here to subscribe!

Now, on to what I wore in April (and the first week of May) that didn't make it onto the blog.

Dress: Target / Sandals: Old Navy

This dress is actually my most recent purchase. It's a really pretty cobalt blue color and feels like pajamas. It comes in three other colors and is on sale for $10 right now. I'm wearing medium. I got these gold sandals on sale about a month ago and have been wearing them non-stop. Who knew that gold sandals would go with so much?! I'm wearing size 7.

Dress: Charlotte Russe (similar, similar) / Shoes: Dillard's (similar)

If you've followed me for awhile, you'll know that this dress has been a favorite for several years. I love that it's fully lined, how flattering the drapey material is, and that it has an invisible snap button to help keep the top from gaping open. I linked to two very similar options above.

Shirt: Target / Jeans: JCPenney / Sandals: Old Navy

I picked up this shirt in a recent Target run. It's hard to tell in the picture, but it's navy blue with vertical red, white, and lighter blue stripes. I wore it to dinner with family a couple of weekends ago with these a.n.a. cropped white jeans (on sale for under $20) and my trusty gold sandals. Wearing the shirt in medium and pants in size 6.

Dress: JCPenney / Sandals: Old Navy

I ordered this dress with the hopes it would arrive in time for Easter. The material is different from other dresses I have in that it's almost papery. It's not lined but I didn't have a problem with that. The sleeves are a little puffy and have elastic bands. The top comes with a seam sewn in to keep it from gaping, but on me it was way too high so I had to cut it out and re-sew it lower. It's currently on sale for under $30 and also comes in a navy polka dot pattern. I'm wearing size small.

Shirt: Target / Skirt: Forever21 (similar) / Shoes: Target

I grabbed this shirt with the sole intention of pairing it with this polka dot skirt. The outfit overall came out very patriotic, but I love it. The shirt is made to be slim fitting so sizing up will just make it look weird I think. I'm wearing it in size medium. My skirt is old but I linked to a similar option in the caption above. My shoes are still available in limited sizes. I recommend sizing up a half size.

Dress: ShoeDazzle / Sandals: Old Navy

This dress was part of my ShoeDazzle showroom for April, and I had a credit so I splurged. It's a true wrap dress where you have to thread the tie through part of the dress and wrap it around you. That being said, I was more comfortable wearing this than I've been in some faux wrap dresses I've tried. The shoulder straps are adjustable, and you can easily wear it without the little flutter sleeves over your arms. It's fully lined, too, which is a major plush. I'm wearing my usual medium.

Shirt: Old Navy (similar) / Skirt: Belk

I grabbed this skirt during a major sale at Belk, and in my hurry I didn't notice that I'd grabbed it in the wrong size. Luckily, the length wasn't any different and because of the stretchy waistband, I was able to keep it. I also intentionally shrank it in the wash. I had a skirt like this in college and loved it, but it got lost in one of my countless moves and I'd just never replaced it. Now that I have, I see countless possibilities to wear it this summer. My shirt has small daisies printed on it, but Old Navy has already moved on to new prints for this style shirt so I linked to one in the same color scheme above.

Jacket: Old Navy (similar) / Shirt: JCPenney (similar) / Jeans: Walmart (similar) / Shoes: ShoeDazzle

Literally everything in this outfit is old except for the shoes, which is the only reason I shared it to begin with. I'd been looking for a pair of black espadrille wedges for awhile but not had any luck finding a pair in my preferred price range. Thanks to having built up my points with ShoeDazzle, I got a pretty good discount on this pair. I love the way they look, and the laces don't make me feel like I'm trying too hard to be cool. However, I'm still on the fence about them comfort-wise. I only wore them for a little while and have to say that my feet were dying, but that could be due to the fact that I've been wearing mostly flats these days and not used to the height. I'm usually a size 7 in shoes and say these are true to size. As for the rest of my outfit, the jacket is definitely one of my most-worn completer pieces and I highly recommend investing in one of your own. My relaxed peplum tank is a couple years old but still a warm-weather favorite. You just can't go wrong with black and white.

Shirt: Old Navy / Jeans: Old Navy (similar) / Shoes: Payless (similar, similar)

I felt French-girl chic in this outfit. The stripes, button-front jeans, and sleek mules just created an effortless put-together vibe that I love. The only thing I was missing was a beret!

Shirt: Target / Skirt: Old Navy (similar) / Shoes: ShoeDazzle (similar)

I've gotten a little braver with my print mixing these days. This t-shirt from Target is a surprisingly good neutral. I like that it has shape without being too clingy. I'm wearing it in a medium. My skirt and sandals are both old but I linked to similar items in the caption.

Dress: Old Navy / Vest: ShoeDazzle / Shoes: Old Navy (similar)

Are you guys on I cannot say enough good things about this dress. It's so soft and has the cutest little flutter sleeves. It's also very forgiving and a good length. At only $15, you'll want to get it in every color/pattern (I also have the dark green). I added my denim vest for a little more structure and kept everything neutral with brown sandals, but you can add really any color you want and be good to go. I'm wearing both the dress and vest in medium.

Jumpsuit: JCPenney (tall) / Sandals: Old Navy

You've already seen this jumpsuit on the blog, but it was in a post about something completely different so I wanted to share it again. I was skeptical when I ordered it because of the waistband, but the fit is so good. The material is so soft and breezy. Unfortunately it's out of stock in regular sizes, but it's still fully stocked in the tall sizes. I'm wearing size small.

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.