Hannah Morrison

Outdoor Family Fun

Despite the regular spring time thunderstorms here in North Texas, the sunshine is peeping through and the temperatures are rising. One of my top projects for the summer is to make our backyard over for all things outdoor fun! With the baby on the way and due late August/early September, I won’t be able to get out much or take the boys to the pool by myself as the summer goes on, so I want to make our backyard a wonderland for the babies to enjoy. First up: fixing all the holes Dolly has created… and the water drip line she ripped out of the ground. And sending her to training camp, Sweet Baby Jesus. 😉 Then, the fun stuff! I hope to put in 24″ square cement pavers for an extended patio with pretty gravel or grass in between. This is also strategy to cover the parts of our yard the dogs run across the most that seem to die the fastest.

I can’t wait to get the babies a picnic table for them to play games on and do crafts at (and I don’t have to worry about it getting on my floor or table inside anymore!) + the play gym from Costco I have mentioned before! I also see the bounce house we bought last summer is back in stock and for about $100 less than we purchased it for. I linked it along with outdoor games and cute little odds and ends I found to make your backyard a dream oasis. I have gone back and forth on patio furniture for us for months but really love these below that I found for such good prices, and I would put the umbrella over the chair with ottoman on the extended pavers by the boys’ picnic table.

Charleston Trip Guide

I am home from Charleston and WOW, what a trip. This city was everything I ever wanted it to be and more. It was beautiful, elegant, chic, full of good food, rich in history, and full of beautiful homes to look at. We went on this trip partly as a baby moon and partly for a conference with our church planting network. We got the opportunity to attend so we combined our funds for a baby moon with it and I am so glad we did. This trip brought up some genuine trauma in me having lost Blakely on our last trip that also happened to be for an ARC gathering. I was convinced I was losing this baby during the first night of conference and kept having to check my dress. PTSD sucks. But the Lord met me in my trauma and he really ministered to my heart. I just want to give a quick encouragement to all you women who have carried and lost a baby. I am months and months out from my loss, closing in quick on a year, and I still am struggling and grieving that loss. It sucks. Take it as it comes.

With that… We went to so many amazing spots around the city this trip, many of which you suggested to me, and I have the full round up below. I hope it helps you as you navigate a trip to Charleston, SC!

Day 1:

We arrived at Charleston Airport around noon and it was the easiest travel experience ever. We ran down to get our rental truck and drove just about 20 minutes to our hotel. We stayed at Hotel Bennett and it’s INCREDIBLE. I give it a 10/10 rating for everything. The staff, the food, the vibe, the cleanliness – everything.

Late lunch: Playa Bowls across the street from our hotel – we ordered açaí bowls here daily.

Explored downtown Charleston: We drove around ALL the streets. We drove south on Meeting St. past Rainbow Row and all the historic streets packed full of stunning homes that took me back in time 200 years. We drove around The Battery and gawked over the Civil War ship out on the water, and then we drove west of downtown to continue looking at the different areas of homes. We drove literally on every possible east-west tiny street in between Meeting and King St. and all around!

We returned to our hotel to get ready for our dinner reservation at 82 Queen. This spot was a top rated one online/by y’all and is next to Poogan’s Porch and Husk. A lot of restaurants are closed on Mondays in downtown, so 82 Queen was one of our only options that we could eat at with our allergies that was open. It was okay to be honest. The pork chop Paul got was delicious. My duck was okay, but not fantastic. The vibe of the space was not intimate or romantic like I had hoped, but we also went at 6:30 when the sun was full exposure. There was basically no music on, and it was a little disappointing. But, we still had a great time and a good table to ourselves!

After dinner, we went to The Dewberry for drinks on the rooftop! SUCH a good spot. It’s a beautiful rooftop scenery with lovely outdoor seating overlooking the city and pink accents everywhere. They had a pink booth inside! This is certainly only a drinks and bar food kind of place, but a perfect night cap spot. It’s a block from Hotel Bennett so we had a quick stroll back to the hotel and slept for TEN HOURS. Mom and dad were tired… lol.

**The Dewberry was another hotel option we looked at- it’s beautiful and I would have been happy staying there too. It depends on your style as to which I would suggest. We stand by staying at Hotel Bennett for our style of vacation. The Dewberry is very very nice and “boujie” but a bit trendier while Bennett is highly elegant.

Day 2:

Woke up, got coffee downstairs at La Patisserie (coffee shop at Hotel Bennett) and walked across the street for Acai bowls for breakfast. Once fueled, we hit the road to Old Village. This is an area on the other side of the bay from downtown and ended up being both of our favorites. The history is rich and the homes are stunning. While downtown is the classic, thin rowhome style from 200 years ago decked out in colorful paint, Old Village in Mt. Pleasant is larger colonial/plantation style homes on the water with huge wraparound porches begging to be sat on with a sweet tea in hand.

After exploring a couple hours, I went back to Hotel Bennett for a prenatal massage at the spa. Their spa is the top rated one in Charleston and for a good reason. It’s intimate and beautiful. My prenatal massage was spectacular!

After my massage, we hopped in the car and drove to Sullivan’s Island. I had no intention of skipping lunch this day, but I sorta missed it. Paul went to Basic Kitchen for sweet potato fries and we then returned twice more for those fries over our trip, because they were SO GOOD. We walked the beach at Sullivan’s Island and strolled around a bit. It was lovely and the weather was perfect.

We returned to the hotel to wash up and get ready for night 1 of the conference we came for at Seacoast Church (Mt. Pleasant) and went to an early dinner at Basic Kitchen. This place was DELICIOUS. They close in the afternoon and re-open at 5 pm for dinner and people were literally standing outside waiting to come in. They are very allergy-friendly if you need that like us. I ordered their bowl with chicken and Paul ordered… Corn Ribs. He thought this meant some kind of yummy meat rib. But they were literally corn on the cob ribs shaped like ribs. We got such a good laugh. But, he also ordered two more orders of his sweet potato fries so he left a happy camper. 😉

We went to our conference and stayed talking with people until 11:30 PM and I was about dead by the time we made it to our hotel room hehe. DO THE VALET.

Day 3:

Woke up, coffee La Patisserie, left and ordered Playa Bowls in a different location next to the church… haha. I am telling y’all, we went there daily and multiple times a day. I ordered a green smoothie this time! This whole day was mostly conference! We LOVE our ARC partner and are so beyond thankful for them and they way they’ve poured into us and Cadence. They’re truly the best. For lunch, we walked across the street to Verde for salads.

We returned for an afternoon nap at our hotel because I seriously couldn’t keep my eyes open. After naps, we went for smoothies at, yep, Playa Bowls across the street from Hotel Bennett and then jumped back in the car for night sessions at conference.

After session, we snuck out to a special dinner at Post House Inn… FAVORITE SPOT THE WHOLE TRIP. Best dinner, best experience, best waiter… everything. It was all perfect. I ordered the steak and the brassica salad (YUMMMM) and Paul got the pork chop which was also freaking bomb. This was another possible spot we considered staying in, and now having seen it I would 10000% stay there if just me and Paul ever come back again. It’s an intimate old Inn full of rich history with an amazing restaurant downstairs and 7 bedrooms upstairs for guests to stay. If you follow Julia Bolzerheimer, she reviewed this place which is how I knew about it and it’s evidently near her home… which makes sense because this area is picture book perfect.

Day 4: We leave this day, but knew we wanted some more time exploring so we booked an afternoon flight!

Woke up, coffee La Patisserie and Acai Bowls. We stayed here quite a while taking it slow and watching people. It’s quite a hot spot and feels like you’re truly in a French bakery! We cleaned up the room and packed up to leave the hotel! CANNOT say enough about them. It was a perfect babymoon stay. TIP: 1000% do the hotel valet for $40 a day. I genuinely don’t even know where you park if you don’t do the valet. We came in and out multiple times a day and just had to call the desk 10 minutes ahead to have our car pulled around. Don’t do it any other way! It would have been such a hassle to walk to a garage and re-pay/park multiple times a day.

We went back over to around Post House Inn to drive around and explore more pretty homes in the sunlight since we went in the dark the night before. We tried to find somewhere new to eat but ended up just going to lunch at Post House Inn and sat in the sun on the lounger patio tables. I ordered the onion dip and crudite and shrimp wraps. Paul got the chicken salad and it was also so yummy! They were great with food allergies as well.

Left for the airport and had the best trip. Even with a slight flight delay, we truly had the easiest trip experience from start to finish.

HIGHLIGHTS

Places to See:

Meeting Street/King Street downtown (French Quarter, The Battery, and everything around – there’s historic markers everywhere to learn about the people who once called Charleston home and made it great!) This is like a 1.5 mile rectangle radius of must-see history and homes. Just drive in and out of every street and go back in time.

Old Village, Mt. Pleasant

Sullivan’s Island

Places to Eat:

Playa Bowls

Basic Kitchen

Post House Inn

The Dewberry Rooftop

La Patisserie

Hall’s Chophouse (We had reservations here but ended up having to cancel because of time, but based off of reviews and location, I would 1000% suggest!)

Church and Union (We didn’t go here, but the valet told us to definitely go if we can and so many of you suggested to as well!)

Husk (We didn’t eat here because the menu changes daily and it would be too hard for us with our food restrictions – but having seen it, I get the hype! It’s a great spot!)

Poogan’s Porch (Y’all said this one so much and it’s right next door to Husk and 82 Queen. It was packed and the food looked good!)

Where to Stay:

Hotel Bennett **AMAZING, worth the money. So elegant and top notch kind of an experience.

The Dewberry (We didn’t stay here but did walk around and it was beautiful. It was our top other choice and we actually went with Bennett officially because of room availability. It’s lovely and equally as nice as Hotel Bennett but a little on the more trendy side.)

Post House Inn (We didn’t stay here, but would now having been twice to eat. It’s beautiful, charming, and intimate.)

Mother’s Day Gifts

Happy [almost] Mother’s Day! If you’re a mommy looking for ideas to treat yourself to or send to your hubby, I hope this post helps you out. If you’re a man who was sent this blog post for a hint… hey, glad you’re here. 😉 Every year on Mother’s Day, I have a few hopes: Good food, kid-free time, spa. Without a doubt, my favorite spa experience locally is still Four Seasons Dallas in Las Colinas. Whether a facial or massage, just go for it. They can do no wrong! And then hang out for hours in the pool and sauna space with a book in hand, sparkling water, coffee or tea, and the soft chimes of spa music around you. Ahhh, sigh. I can hear it now. I am going to Charleston next week and am doing the spa at Hotel Bennett for an early Mother’s Day/Babymoon treat. I am so excited!

Being a mom has truly been the best surprise of my life. I never knew if being a mom was going to be part of my story. I just genuinely feared everything to do with it. Pregnancy, raising babies, the fatigue… all of it. But wow, what a joy my life is because of these babies. My two sons, my daughter in heaven, and my daughter dancing in my belly as I write this have each taught me something so special that have marked my life forever and made me more like Jesus through their lives. I have never been more tired but more sure of who I am and what I am called to in life than I do as a mommy.

Below, you’ll find items on my Mother’s Day wishlist that also carry over to my 30th birthday wishlist that is also fast approaching. (WHAT?!… genuinely still can’t believe I am about to be 30 when I feel 16 still most days.) I had envisioned a huge hoorah in Mexico for my 30th birthday with friends… however, my growing bump has changed plans a bit hehe. You are doing the best work there is, mommies. It’s exhausting. But we are changing the world as we raise kind, generous, patient children. Keep putting in the work, sis. It’s all worth it. And… treat yourself. 😉

Things I shared this week!

Hi babes! OKAY, I shared a few things this week that you guys asked for the results of. I wanted to put them all here for continued reference rather than a story that would disappear.

First, I shared I have really transitioned to listening to audible books throughout my days to help manage my social scroll time (cutting a mindless habit) and to help tame my anxiety on days it’s a little out of control. When I am pregnant, as somebody who already leans on the anxious side, my whacked hormones cause me to have horrible insomnia and it leads to anxiety that can become overwhelming in the middle of the night. Audible has been a God send for helping manage my thoughts. We have a yearly membership which gives 12 credits for new books, and then audible books are FAR cheaper than a hardback. I was asked how I make it work financially, and this is how we personally do it. Most audible books are legit only like $3-$5. That is a cup of coffee (without the jitters hehe) and a far better investment of that part of my budget than a coffee run or random $30 spends at Target each month.

Here’s what I have listened to over the last 6 months:

  • Who Are You Following by Sadie Robertson Huff
  • Embrace Your Almost by Jordan Lee Dooley
  • Finding Freedom by Erin French
  • Find Your People by Jennie Allen
  • Rules of Estrangement by Joshua Coleman
  • Harry Potter (Books 5, 6, and 7) *I read hardbacks of others prior to needing Audible switch)
  • Open Book by Jessica Simpson
  • Take the Lead by Jessica Simpson
  • Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham
  • Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis

    Podcasts on Audible:
  • She by Jordan Lee Dooley
  • Made for This by Jennie Allen
  • Goal Digger by Jenna Kutcher
  • Whoa, that’s good by Sadie Robertson Huff

Second up, I am going to Charleston in less than two weeks and I cannot wait. This is a dream destination and I can’t wait to experience it in real life. I love pretty homes, historic charm, and color… insert Charleston 😉 We are going for a conference with our church planting network and adding a bit on for a baby moon on the front and tail end. I have been taking note on basically all things Charleston from Julia Berolzheimer, but I asked for food suggestions and you guys came in like FIRE with the suggestions. I am sharing below the most repeated spots:

  • Camellias Champagne Bar for High Tea
  • Five Churches
  • Poogan’s Porch
  • The Darling Oyster Bar
  • 82 Queen
  • Husk
  • Page’s Okra Grill
  • Post House Inn
  • Xiao Biscuit
  • Fig
  • The Dewberry Rooftop
  • Church and Union
  • Hall’s Chophouse
  • Frannie and the Fox
  • Nico’s
  • Chez Nous
  • Chasing Sage

I notice a trend in Charleston of historic homes being restaurants and Inns, and I am so into it. A lot of these are just that or in very old part of refurbished areas in the city. The Dewberry, Hotel Bennett, 86 Cannon, Emeline, and The Loutrel are the top destination stays we have found.

Places to Go:

  • Folly Beach
  • Sullivan’s Beach
  • The Battery
  • Rainbow Row
  • King Street
  • Hampton Park
  • Cannonborough/Elliotborough streets

Organizing My Home

Well, it’s hard to believe this, but we are coming up soon on a year since moving into our home we built. I have spent the last year organizing and getting things just the way I want/need them, and I am excited to share with you some of the things that have really taken our organization game up a notch (and looks good doing it!).

  1. Hanging 6 tier fabric organizer: I have this in our laundry room and it’s been a game changer for our family. I have it hanging on my copper clothing rack I use to dry our hang dry items. I saw another blogger does this and thought it was genius… every Sunday, I place full outfits for the boys for all our outings for the week. From bottom to top! Knox has school MWF, we have outings and playdates, and then church every Sunday. Rather than digging and scrounging for clean pants or underwear, now I tell Knox to go grab his outfit for the day (socks and undies included!). It also helps me know which laundry is priority and needs to be done so we aren’t up on a Wednesday morning for school only to realize there’s no clean jeans … been there before? 😉
  2. Hanging 3 tier fabric organizer: This one is in my closet on the bottom rack of my two level hanging section. I use two side by side- one for hats and the other for my very nice shoes.
  3. Velvet hangers: I have these in a blush pink for my top rows and dresses, and then I purchased the white/grey color for pants and skirts on my bottom level of the closet. The rose gold looks so pretty and my closet instantly felt elevated from simply buying these!
  4. 3 tier rolling cart: I just bought this last week to move all of my cleaning supplies to one location in our laundry room rather than spread out across the house. It’s cute, fits perfectly on the side of my washing machine, and was super easy to assemble!
  5. Large rope handle storage bins: I bought these because they were neutral for the top shelves of my closet but stilly had a little character. I store Paul’s ball caps in one, memoriam items for Blakely in another, and winter hats/gloves and beanies in another. Matching bins just instantly makes a space feel less cluttered!
  6. Make-up caddy: I love this super cheap random buy of mine. I was able to move all my make up out of a make up bag to this, which first and foremost feels cleaner. I store all the brushes in the center and then each section is dedicated to eyes/lips/face/sponges
  7. OXO 7 piece pantry organization: These changed the feel of our pantry instantly. There’s just something about taking things out of the mismatched boxes that items came in and placing into a nicer container like these that all match. Clutter is immediately eliminated!
  8. Decorative woven baskets: More pantry organization! I have 3 of these side by side for any bread, cans, grains and pastas. They look great on the shelf and are functional.
  9. Woven round basket: I have this stored on unique shelf built into my closet organization for all my ball caps (which are many hehe). I have it next to all of my hand bags and they look great together.
  10. Large decorative baskets: I use these in different locations around my house for easy clean up with my kids and odds and ends. The large seagrass is used in my living room between our accent chairs for books. The boys pull them out all day and have to throw it all back in at the end before bed. The pretty tulip basket is in my master closet for towels since we don’t have a linen closet in our master bath.

LET’S GET SOCIAL