What a month!! July always seems like the busiest month for us and this year was one for the books. Ethan and I both have July birthdays, mine the 4th and his the 13th. Yes…..I am a firecracker baby and love all things 4th of July related. The gray haired man turned 40 this year and I threw him the best party with our closest friends up at our cabin. He said it was the best birthday he has ever had. Also a couple other family members have July birthdays as well. If you have been following along on Instagram or Facebook you are most likely aware that we bought a cabin in northern MN on May 15th. We have been up to the cabin every weekend since we purchased it and are absolutely in love with lake life. We have been doing a lot of work at the cabin……painting/wallpaper/kitchen facelift/electrical/lighting/etc. But we always balance it out with water sports/fishing/bonfires/grilling/ice cream in town/mini golf/and more. We also attended the 3M Open golf tournament on the hottest day of the summer, lol. Overall it was an amazing July making memories with family and friends.

Loving my hair and My Favorite Tarte Products!!

I finally decided to remove my extensions and WOW was that a weight (literally) lifted. I am back to doing whatever I want with my hair. Curl it, get it wet, thoroughly wash it, scratch my head, lol. If you are local check out my girl https://www.instagram.com/hairby_michellerae?igsh=NnJyZWp2NjV1MDlx

OUTFIT!!

These PJ’s are so dang comfy, I’m obsessed. OUTFIT & TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

3M Open with my man!! OUTFIT!!

This Walmart blazer has been a huge hit! True to size for a fitted look or size up for the oversized fit. So many colors to choose from and so affordable! OUTFIT!!

My sister’s family was at our cabin over the 4th and got some amazing shots of the boys wakeboarding. Wakeboard, Wakeboard Rope, Life Jacket

We rented a pontoon over the 4th cause we had 21 people at our cabin at various times throughout the long weekend. Planning on purchasing our own next year.

Birthday boy getting some attention on our deck overlooking the lake. He also strung all those lights in the birch trees and almost died doing it. Love these Head Scarfs.

Our Beautiful view of the lake with our hanging LIGHTS!!

This Wallpaper absolutely made this cabin bathroom pop. Ethan & Josh’s first attempt at wallpaper turned out awesome.

I am obsessed with the facelift Ethan gave the cabin. Our friends at construction2style killed it with the design of everything. This Sherwin Williams dried thyme cabinet color, gold handles, and peel & stick tiles absolutely transformed this space.

Summer inspired Outfits for concerts or just out and about.

One of my favorite parts of this summer was taking Nevaeh and Grayson to a Morgan Wallen Concert. This was Grayson’s first concert experience and Nevaeh’s second. Core Memories made!!

OUTFIT!!

The town we always dreamed of visiting but never knew just how much we would fall in love with it. The history, architecture, food scene…………overall just the “southern charm',” (pun intended) of it all. Rachel and I have talked about making this trip for years and thought it would be the perfect birthday trip for her.

A few fun facts on Charleston. It is known as the Holy City because of its skyline full of steeples. No building can be taller than the highest church steeple. The Civil War began in Charleston at Fort Sumter. The first game of golf played in the United States took place in Charleston.

I hope you enjoy!!

Early morning and a layover at LaGuardia made for a long day of travel but we were still excited. Outfit.

Rainbow Row is one of the most iconic streets in Charleston. City ordinances are in place to keep their colors intact. Outfit.

We had to visit the Pineapple Fountain in Charleston Waterfront Park. The pineapple is a common symbol around Charleston and represents hospitality.

Highly recommend Republic Garden & Lounge for your nightlife. Live music/DJ’s, VIP tables, amazing drinks, and food right on King Street.

Henrys on the Market is a must. This is the oldest continuous restaurant in Charleston and all of South Carolina, established in 1932. Speakeasy bar, beautiful southern porch, rooftop deck, and more. Ethan would love this place.

If you know me you know I had to hit up one of the MANY ghost tours in Charleston. Drinks, history, ghost tours,……….what could go wrong.

With us being history buffs, we had to tour one of the many historic plantations in Charleston. Outfit.

Church & Union was one of our favorite food spots. Such a cool vibe. This posh New American dining destination is set in a former church.

Our waiter was incredible and made some amazing recommendations for our time in Charleston.

Absolutely in love with the cobblestone streets everywhere …. and Duh…..I had to handstand. Outfit.

Millers All Day serves up breakfast…..all day. But don’t sleep on their sandwiches. They were “bussin,” as the kids say.

You know we love our “Southern Charm” show. We had to visit Craig’s Sewing Down South store

Check out Beech for healthy fast food. Fruit, fish, rice, and vegetables. Their acai bowls were incredible.

The Boone Hall Plantation was incredible. Voted #1 plantation in the Charleston area. Founded in 1681. So much history. The tour is a must.

This dream vacation was a long time in the making. We had a trip to Mexico booked in 2020 and of course had to cancel due to the pandemic. Later that year Nevaeh suffered her stroke. She recovered miraculously so we rescheduled our trip for 2023. However, early that year we got dealt another blow with Nevaeh needing 2 brain surgeries and cancelled our trip once again. In true Nevaeh form she recovered amazingly and her doctors cleared her to go on spring break this year.

Here is everything we did and where we stayed!

Our travel agent: CLICK HERE

Where we stayed: CLICK HERE

What’s included in the ALL inclusive: CLICK HERE

Early morning and long day of travel but so excited to arrive at XCaret.

Dinner and a show at Teatro Del Rio! OUTFIT

Underground natural caves at Xplor Fuego!

Best food at the resort, in our opinion. Xin-Gao

He can’t keep his hands off me. Outfit. Wearing size small, TTS.

Thriving! The kids loved the endless, virgin, drinks at the swim up pool bar.

Our view from our room balcony!!

Does it get any better than fresh coconuts by the pool?!

We went into Playa Del Carmen and had the BEST tacos and Margs at MEXICO LOCO

Fresh coconut water poolside at XCaret!! Grayson’s Suit Austin’s Suit

Beautiful Nuestra Senora del Carmen Catholic Church.

Xel-Ha is an all day park but it is worth it.

Over water zip lines at Żel-Ha!

So many bars had these cool swings/stools. Outfit. We loved Mexico Loco.

The boys were so proud for conquering the Xplor Fuego 7 zip line circuit. The highest was 147ft off the ground.

Snorkeling at Xel-Ha, part of the all-inclusive.

Kayaking was included as well and right at the resort.

Mercado De La Merced was our go to breakfast spot at the resort. They had anything you could imagine for breakfast, from omelette bar to crepes. Plenty of GF options for Nevaeh as well.