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5 Things You Need for Your Thanksgiving Table

By sunshineandholly on November 3, 2017

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I don’t know about you, but I love a good tablescape. I think it goes back to all those episodes of Sandra Lee’s Semi-homemade Cooking show I watched back in the day. Sandra was the queen of tablescapes!

Of course, the holidays are the perfect time to break out your good dishes, wash those cloth place-mats and napkins, and polish up the silver. For me, it’s not really about trying to impress my guests. (Most people I have over know that we’re usually eating off of paper plates and using paper towels as napkins.) It’s more about making the holidays special. Going a little above and beyond to make sure that there’s just something extra. A little razzle-dazzle. A little magic!

So if you’re looking for inspiration for your Thanksgiving tablescape, look no further! Here are 5 things you need for your Thanksgiving table.

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5 Reasons to Stay at The Grove Park Inn in Asheville

By sunshineandholly on November 2, 2017

10 years! I still can’t believe we’ve been married that long.

Josh and I went back and forth about what we wanted to do for our anniversary. Years ago we decided we’d go back to Italy to celebrate, but with two young children, that was out of the question. We also talked about going to Disney World. (We’re both big Disney nerds and we honeymooned at Disney.) But Disney is best when you have at least 4 or 5 days to explore, and again, with the kids being so little, we knew childcare wouldn’t work out for us to be gone that long.

So we narrowed it down to places we could visit that were driving distance from our house. Asheville came up in conversation, and we both agreed it would be beautiful this time of year. I remembered reading about The Grove Park Inn a while ago in a Southern Living magazine, so I checked out the website. It looked gorgeous and after I saw pictures of the spa, I was sold!

We booked a two night stay, but I wish we’d been able to stay longer. The hotel was absolutely beautiful. From the huge fireplaces in the great hall, to the breathtaking views of the mountains from the restaurants and from our room, to the spa that was basically my personal version of paradise, everywhere we turned in the historic resort was another area of opulence.

Planning a romantic getaway or an anniversary trip? Here are 5 reasons to stay at The Grove Park Inn in Asheville.

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Friday Favorites!

By sunshineandholly on October 27, 2017

This week has been super busy! We got back on Monday from our trip to Asheville for our 10 year anniversary (recap coming soon!) and then Josh flew out the next morning for a work trip. The kids and I were busy all week, driving here and there – to school, activities, and play-dates. By the time I finally got the kids to sleep, I was too beat to work on any blogging. But Josh sent me a text this morning that he was able to catch an earlier flight back, and we’re all happy to have him home!

Since I’m taking it easy this week on the blogging front, I thought I’d do a quick post about 5 things I’ve been loving lately.

1. The Grove Park Inn

We stayed at the Grove Park Inn for our anniversary trip. That hotel, to me, was the definition of opulence. Everywhere we turned was another beautiful view to enjoy, roaring fireplace to cozy up to, or decadent restaurant to try. And the spa? Wow! It was amazing, and I’ve never felt more relaxed. The Grove Park Inn was absolutely one of the nicest places we’ve ever stayed before, and I’m already planning our next visit!

Friday Favorites | sunshineandholly.com | The Grove Park Inn | Asheville North Carolina

5 Questions My 4-Year-Old Has Asked Before 7am

By sunshineandholly on October 13, 2017

My son is the most inquisitive child I’ve ever met. Even when he was a baby, he was trying to take toys apart to figure out how they work. He wants to know everything about everything. And when he has a question, it’s a burning question. He’s gotta know the answer right away.

When he was two, he’d pitch humongous tantrums and scream and yell when I didn’t know the answers to his questions. Nothing like making your kid furious because you aren’t sure what’s inside that huge truck you just drove by.

“Uh…socks! It’s a sock truck! It holds boxes and boxes of socks! Now please stop screaming at me!”

He also had no problem telling me when I was wrong when he didn’t get the answer he wanted.

“No mama. The sky isn’t blue. It’s yellow.”

Ok buddy. Whatever you say!

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A Tale of Two Temperaments

By sunshineandholly on September 13, 2017

I’ve mentioned before how my children are so different. Complete opposites in a lot of respects. Graham can chow down on some food. Maddie eats like a bird. Graham isn’t affectionate at all. Maddie would crawl back inside of me if she could. Graham loves building things. Maddie loves active play. Graham loves super heros. Maddie loves princesses.

A Tale of Two Temperaments | sunshineandholly.com

They’re so different when it comes to discipline. Graham has so many wonderful traits, and he’s truly an amazing kid. But he is also the most stubborn, manipulative, and argumentative kid I’ve ever met! Needless to say, we’ve tried any and all discipline tactics with him and have finally settled on a few that work…most of the time. I am mentally exhausted every day trying to get him to do what he needs to do. Maddie is a people-pleaser, and already very empathetic. It doesn’t take much to get her to obey.

A Tale of Two Temperaments | sunshineandholly.com

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