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local updates and sandy musings from a local beach mom

recent blog posts

Cori Riddle - Outer Banks Mom Spotlight

May 15, 2018
3 min

Cori Riddle - Outer Banks Mom Spotlight

We’re celebrating the incredible Mom’s here on the Outer Banks and day two of our Outer Banks Mom Spotlight series is shining on the beautiful and incredibly intelligent Cori Riddle! The Outer Banks community was fortunate enough to have Cori make Southern Shores her home in 1998 and over the past 20 years she has truly blessed this community with her big heart and willingness to help others! When her youngest was still just a toddler she served on the board for the Dare Coun

Renee Landry - Outer Banks Mom Spotlight

May 14, 2018
3 min

Renee Landry - Outer Banks Mom Spotlight

When I first moved to the Outer Banks, I knew that I had arrived in paradise. I knew that it was a beautiful place geographically but I didn’t have any idea of the incredible beauty that was within the community. As the years have gone by, I have made incredible friends that have taught me lessons of love and the value of a community. The Outer Banks is home to some incredible people and I am blown away by the beautiful beach-mamas that I am fortunate to do life with here on

Gratefulness on Friday.

May 11, 2018
2 min

Gratefulness on Friday.

Distant thunderstorms late last night and the steady light-rain means that our family all slept great last night and we're up early and heading out to the 11th annual KidFest on Roanoke Island this morning. This is one of our favorite activities so if you're looking for something awesome to do this morning, make sure to head down to Festival Park and enjoy this FREE event with us, put on by the Children & Youth Partnership for Dare County. Yesterday I overheard a conversati

Rock-A-Bye Baby Celebrates 20 Years!

Apr 19, 2018
1 min

Rock-A-Bye Baby Celebrates 20 Years!

Outer Banks Mom is proud to shop at Rock A Bye Baby in Nags Head. The iconic store celebrates 20 years in 2018! Congrats!

Taking a Vacation From Vacation

Mar 22, 2018
4 min

Taking a Vacation From Vacation

People always ask me why I take vacations when I already live at the beach and honestly 10 years ago, I would have asked myself the same question. We were just about to make the move to the Outer Banks and since Corolla was always our go-to vacation spot we couldn't imagine that we would really go anywhere else on vacation. But shortly after our first year we were itching to take a vacation. It's funny how quickly this felt like home and became cluttered with the everyday lif

Kindness Rocks!

Mar 19, 2018
1 min

Kindness Rocks!

If there is one awesome way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the little ones, it’s with Kindness Rocks! We are absolutely loving the Outer Banks Rocks idea and we have been painting rocks left and right. Penny decided that she wanted to use some St. Patty’s Day colors and paint rocks to hide around town. The idea of kindness rocks is spreading like wildfire! By painting rocks and hiding them within plain sight, people are reminded to be kind to one another when they see th

Eloise Moves Out.

Feb 11, 2018
2 min

Eloise Moves Out.

Yes, you read that right! Eloise moves out! And it's happening this week! We're officially kicking the little bugger out of our room which means we are transitioning her into Penny's old room. We have kept all three of our babies in our bedroom for their first year with their crib set up close enough that I can reach them in the middle of the night and nurse them without having to walk my sleepy-head down the hall. Shocking news...I've jumped up to the demands of each of our

Happy Valentine's Day! Love, The Outer Banks

Feb 7, 2018
2 min

Happy Valentine's Day! Love, The Outer Banks

I might sound a bit like a broken record but when it comes to giving gifts, the Outer Banks is THE BEST place to shop! So with Valentine's Day on the horizon, I'm rounding up the best local gifts for the girl in your life. The best part is that you can shop right here on the beach! 1. Lovie's for your LOVIE! I'm telling you, these ladies have changed my salon experience. They are ALL incredibly kind, talented and uplifting. On top of ALL of that, they're offering a kille

Outer Banks to Disney World - Less than $1500!

Jan 17, 2018
5 min

Outer Banks to Disney World - Less than $1500!

Ahh… Disney World. Most moms have priced it out at least once in their lives and like me, looked at the price tag for a 3-4 day trip for the family and slammed the laptop shut with an exaggerated rolling of the eyes. It’s absurd. I have local neighbors who told me about taking their family to Disney World and couldn’t believe that they spend $3000 on a theme park and I’ve gotta say, I’m right there with them. It’s really borderline offensive to me that a theme park can cost s

Heart of the Holiday

Nov 21, 2017
2 min

Heart of the Holiday

If you happened to catch my husband and I on HGTV last Summer then you heard me say, "The kitchen is the heart of our home" like ten thousand and fourteen times. Honestly, I said it so often during our filming process that I was basically terrified to see our episode for fear that someone was going to make one of those remix videos of me talking about the Heart-Heart-Heart of our Ho Ho Home. But honestly, our kitchen is the heart of our home. We cook, eat and hang out in the

WWJD

Nov 16, 2017
5 min

WWJD

I don’t know about you guys but I have been in the mood to break out my Christmas decor since we walked in the door from Trick or Treating on Halloween. I’m just ready! Usually I don’t even think about Christmas decorations until Thanksgiving passes but I am seeing so many more friends and family members decorating early this year so I know I'm not alone in this! I’m feeling like maybe it’s the current state of the universe that has made us all so ready for the joy that the h

Hurricane Prep - Mama Style

Sep 26, 2017
5 min

Hurricane Prep - Mama Style

True to form, the National Hurricane Center starts naming storms and I start cleaning my house. So naturally when Hurricane Irma started looming weeks ago I cleaned the toilets and scrubbed the showers. I went through the pantry and the coat closet. I’ve even put two large baskets aside for our local Hotline thrift store. Considering I live most of my days in a house that is in complete disarray with messes made by the tiny gang of humans that I made myself, I don’t know what

Back to School - Shop Local

Aug 25, 2017
3 min

Back to School - Shop Local

With limited shopping options on the beach we are rounding up the best local stores for Back to School shopping! Knowing that our weather really won't change enough for a full wardrobe swap for another two months, I don't always see a huge need for a major Back to School clothing haul like I did when we were still Northern people! But, between the growth spurts that these kids have had lately and the Summer filled with memories, their current clothes are looking pretty ragged

A Season to Splash!

Jun 26, 2017
6 min

A Season to Splash!

I’ll be the first to admit it. I moved to the Outer Banks seven years ago to get away from the hustle. I high tailed it out of suburbia and never looked back because I wanted our kids to grow up in an environment with nature around every corner, less stress and materialism and beautiful weather. I wanted these kiddos to see the ocean every single day as a reminder that there is a big huge world out there and that it’s theirs for the taking! So honestly, when a waterpark was b

Eloise Rose

Feb 13, 2017
9 min

Eloise Rose

If You Want to Hear God Laugh, Tell Him Your (Birth)Plan. I love birth stories. I mean, I really really love birth stories and I don’t think that they are told nearly often enough. So, in honor of our sweet Eloise Rose turning 1 month old, I’ve decided to pen her’s here. It was absolutely my most whirlwind, miraculous, humbling birth and journey and I think it needs to be told. I’ll just say right here that if you are squeamish in the least or don’t find childbirth to be tot

For the Love of Seashells (and Grandparents!)

Dec 9, 2016
2 min

For the Love of Seashells (and Grandparents!)

Our kiddos are so incredibly lucky to have SIX amazing grandparents. We have always tried our best to teach our kids to be good gift givers. We don't want to just put their name on the gift that we pick out for our parents, we want them to be a big part of the gift if their name is on the tag. With six grandparents, that can get pricey! Early on in Joey's life we started our handmade gift collection and more often than not, it's the gift that gets the biggest reaction each ye

Our Coastal Thanksgiving - Outer Banks Style

Nov 23, 2016
3 min

Our Coastal Thanksgiving - Outer Banks Style

The holidays are rapidly approaching and we're gearing up to host Thanksgiving here on the Outer Banks! We have hosted Thanksgiving every year since Jason and I got married and it is truly my favorite holiday to host. I've hosted Christmas and Easter as well but with little ones in our home, I always end up feeling a little bit overwhelmed trying to make sure those holidays go smoothly and that the real reason for the holiday is celebrated. So, I am always happy to host Thank

All About Fall - Upcoming Family Fun on the Outer Banks

Oct 19, 2016
3 min

All About Fall - Upcoming Family Fun on the Outer Banks

So often I am asked the same question about life on the Outer Banks: What do you guys do in the off season? Is there anything going on there once the tourists leave? YES! 100% yes! "Local Summer" is in full swing and I love every second of it, especially when the weather has been as gorgeous as it is this week! It probably won't come as a surprise to anyone that my favorite activities are usually kid friendly, but there are so many options for this Fall here on the Outer B

Nothing Dirty About Thirty.

Oct 17, 2016
3 min

Nothing Dirty About Thirty.

Our kiddos get so excited for their birthdays. Year after year, they look forward to a day of being spoiled and celebrated and of course, I was the same way as a child. As Joey gets older I notice him talking more and more about those milestone birthdays that I know I counted down the years to when I was his age. At 12 years old, Joey is talking about turning 13, finally being a teenager. He is also majorly counting down the years until he can earn a drivers license. Teenager

Mom Time.

Sep 29, 2016
3 min

Mom Time.

Mom Time... Mom Guilt... same thing, right? But why? This is something I truly struggle with and probably not for the reason that you would expect. I struggle with this concept of Mom Guilt because I just don't feel it. I also don't agree with it. Probably because I seriously have the greatest husband ever who has never once made me feel it... But, I've started talking to other moms about it and I hear so many of the same reasons for the Mom Guilt. "My husband worked all day,

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Highly caffeinated Ramblings from an Outer banks mom who prioritizes family, waves and laughter.