ten reasons why you would want to visit virginia beach.

so, i may be a little biased about virginia beach. why? because i live here. the navy brought my family here {from hawaii!} back in 1986. i basically grew up here. i graduated from high school here. i met my husband here. i am raising my family here.

this area - my area - of southeastern virginia is an amazing location filled with all kinds of things to do. this is an area that thrives from the tourism industry & is super proud of our military. virginia beach is the most populous independent city in the commonwealth of virginia {it's also the 39th largest city in the u.s. according to the 2010 census} and there is plenty to do when you're visiting...here is my list:

• surf, sun, sand - some locals may say that virginia beach has no waves, but that doesn't stop people from taking their surfboards & body boards out into the atlantic ocean on a daily basis! virginia beach is flanked by the chesapeake bay to the north & the atlantic ocean to the east. there is plenty of coastline for you to set your beach chair & umbrella. my family's favorite beach spot? sandbridge.

• sightseeing...on the water - where else can you book a tour to go dolphin or whale watching? if you're really lucky, you will see dolphins riding waves while at the beach. if you're really lucky, you'll see a whale breach the water while at the beach {trust me, this is rare, but we did see a whale on father's day 2010}. if you're too impatient to sit on the beach & wait for dolphins or whales, then book a trip with rudee tours. our local sciene museum - virginia aquarium - also offers boat excursions.
• deep sea fishing - if dolphin & whale watching isn't your thing, don't worry. there are plenty of charter boat companies that offer some of the best fishing the east coast has to offer whether you're out by the chesapeake bay bridge tunnel or out by the gulf stream. you can catch anything from spade fish to big eye tuna!

{a really bad cell phone picture of the spade fish my husband caught a couple summer's ago}

• seafood, seafood, seafood - if you are in virginia beach, you HAVE to eat seafood. i know, i know, there are people who are either allergic or don't enjoy it. don't worry, there's plenty of food for you to choose from. BUT, if you are a die hard seafood fan, virginia beach is a great place to chow down. seafood restaurants are plentiful and be sure to feast on blue crabs & oysters...both native to the area. my family's favorite seafood spot? margie & ray's.

• folklore & history - virginia beach was once princess anne county. the area is rich in history. if stories from the past & learning about the birthplace of a city is your thing, then visiting virginia beach is a good choice. you can learn about the witch of pungo, visit the francis land house, visit the old & new cape henry lighthouses, see the adam thoroughgood house, & tour the old coast guard station at the oceanfront. 
• catch a concert - whether it's a free show at the 31st street park, a weekend concert lineup as part of the american music festival, or a headlining, national act at the amphitheater...there is plenty of music to be heard in virginia beach!

• festivals & tournaments galore - once the weather warms up, it seems like there is a festival of some sort happening all the time in virginia beach. in may, pungo celebrates the strawberry with a festival. all summer long, different events associated with the neptune festival take place along the oceanfront. labor day weekend welcomes the american music festival. there are also sand soccer tournaments as well as the east coast surfing championship. seriously, there is always something going on in virginia beach.

• jet noise - virginia beach - and, quite frankly, the entire hampton roads area - loves the military. a large part of this area's population is made up of military families and the area is home to one of the largest naval bases. virginia beach is home to oceana naval air station and, every year, the blue angels come to visit as part of the air show. it's a loud, but fun time!
• amusements galore - ocean breeze...it's not just that refreshing blast of cool air you feel coming off the water, it's also a water park conveniently located minutes from the oceanfront. it's fun for the whole family. and, when you dry off, you can also check out motorworld & shipwreck golf. there are also amusement rides & miniature golf places scattered throughout the oceanfront. my family's favorite miniature golf location? jungle golf.
• something for everyone - do you want to golf? you can golf. do you want to shop? you can shop. do you want to hike? you can hike. do you want to kayak? you can kayak. there is so much to see & do in virginia beach. trust me.

my list of ten barely covers all that there is to see & do while visiting virginia beach.  the area is filled with sights, sounds, smells & tastes that will entice people of all ages.  visit us once and you'll fall in love. promise. 

disclaimer: i wrote this blog post while participating in the socialmoms & virginia beach tourism blogging program for a gift card worth $40. for more information on how you can participate, click here.

moon jellies.

the kids & i went to sandbridge this morning with every intention of having a photo shoot at the beach. yeah, that didn't exactly happen. first of all, the weather was gloomy. i wanted sunshine & rays of light in my pictures, not dark, gray clouds. second of all, after taking one step into the shore break, i heard nothing but squeals of delight...

moon jellies!

i'll spare you the science lecture, but moon jellies {or aurelia aurita} are pretty common on our beaches. they're harmless & i don't mind the kids playing with them. if you're curious to know more about moon jellies, then click here & here.

anyways. if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? rather than making my kids pose for pictures they didn't really want to take i decided to just follow them around. i was the papamamarazzi, if you will.

the semi-matching outfits were totally malia's idea. coincidentally, i, too, was in a turquoise shirt. my favorite beach bum & her lil' man met us out at the beach and she offered to take a pic of me with the kids {since we were all in blue}. i politely declined. 

aidan - such a ham - was pretty bummed that he wasn't in his bathing suit. he was also mad that i wouldn't let him go swimming. still, he managed to soak his shorts while wading in the shore break. boys will be boys, i suppose! malia & aidan collected quite a few moon jellies. aidan wanted to bring them home. um, no. i'm trying to purge my home of unnecessary stuff...the last thing we need is a collection of remnant jelly fish strewn across the coffee table.

even though it was very cloudy it was still a great beach day because it was not hot & there was a nice breeze blowing. too bad big rain drops started to hit us...we were at the beach for maybe a half an hour...tops.  fortunately, we live just twenty minutes away so we can try again next time for a {proper} beach photo shoot.

either with or without the moon jellies.

wordless wednesday: mista crab.

knee deep.

gonna put the world away for a minute

pretend i don't live in it

sunshine gonna wash my blues away

had sweet love but i lost it

she got too close so i fought it

now i'm lost in the world tryin' to find me a better way

wishin' i was 

knee deep in the water somewhere
got the blue sky, breeze and it don't seem fair

the only worry in the world 

is the tide gonna reach my chair

sunrise, there's a fire in the sky

never been so happy 

never felt so high

and i think i might have found me my own kind of paradise

wrote a note, said 'be back in a minute'

bought a boat and i sailed off in it

don't think anybody's gonna miss me anyway

mind on a permanent vacation

the ocean is my only medication

wishin' my condition ain't ever gonna go away

 cause now i'm knee deep in the water somewhere

got the blue sky breeze blowin' wind through my hair

only worry in the world 

is the tide gonna reach my chair

sunrise, there's a fire in the sky

never been so happy 

never felt so high

and i think i might have found me my own kind of paradise

this champagne shore watchin' over me

it's a sweet, sweet life livin' by the salty sea

one day you can be as lost as me

change your geography and maybe you might be

knee deep in the water somewhere

got the blue sky breeze blowin' wind through my hair

only worry in the world 

is the tide gonna reach my chair

sunrise, there's a fire in the sky

never been so happy

never felt so high

and i think i might have found me my own kind of paradise

come on in 

the water's nice

find yourself a little slice

grab a backpack 

otherwise you'll never know until you try

when you lose yourself

you find the key to paradise

zac brown band featuring jimmy buffett

"knee deep"

it's the first {dump} of the month...

i thought i had something clever to post until my internet straight up disappeared on me {shakes fist at cox!!}.  now, here i am with internet access once again and - no offense - i don't feel like talking typing.*

perhaps a lil' brain dump is in order?

first of all...
don't forget to take advantage of 15% off AND free shipping at green mountain coffee.  the code is in my sidebar & it's good until june 10th.

second of all...

enter my giveaway for a sand-off mitt.  and, while you're at it, tell your friends to enter, too.  please.  i'm picking the winner on saturday, june 4th.  odds of winning are pretty good right now.

okay, back to the original biznass at hand...

i had a great holiday weekend. did you?  

it rained a bit on saturday. okay, okay...it poured.  but once the gray clouds parted, i parked myself here:

{let's not talk about the funky tan line on my left leg/foot...that happened the weekend before.}

friends of ours were camping at first landing state park {nothing like a staycation!}, so we joined them on the beach last saturday.  as much as adam wanted to camp right along with them, i'm glad we didn't.  

why?

1.  the mosquitoes were huge.  i've seen big skeeters before, but apparently they grow extra, extra large on the north end of my city.  seriously, those blood suckin' mamas {'cause you know it's just the females that bite, right??} got through my gap jeans.  gap jeans that were covered in about four layers of deep woods off.

2.  there were ticks.  or so we were told.  we did a tick check on friday night because we hung out by the fire for a few hours but, fortunately, we were all tick-free.

3.  we found out on saturday that there was a copperhead removed from the site right next to our friend's site.  you know, the snake...the poisonous kind of snake.

yuck, yuck & yuck.

on sunday, we went to a pool party.  i consumed many banana daiquiris.  now, whenever i see that my bananas are browning i will no longer want to make bread.  nope.  i'm going to want to whirl them in the blender with some ice & a healthy splash of rum.    

sadly, our blender bit the bullet on monday.  adam killed it.  it's his fault.  granted, it was almost ten years old, but still.  now i either need to have it serviced at an "official" kitchen aid repair place or just replace it. 

just a side note:  i also consumed many, many, many bud lights this weekend. 

i'm in the third week of my temporary job.  same gig as last month, just scoring a different {state} test.  and, that's all i can say about that.  i should be busy until mid-july.  extra money is good.

i'm not taking summer classes as originally planned.  long story {most of you know it}.  it's whatever.  i'm actually kind of glad to have the summer off from grad school even though it does push my graduation date back a little. 

the kids have 12ish days of school left.  i'll be glad when school is out so i won't have to deal with the "bully situation" my daughter has found herself in.  that's a long story, too, but the bottom line is this:  my ten year old daughter is not a bully.  i have my opinions about the situation & no i'm not playing the "it can't be my child" card.  trust me, i'm not in denial of the situation.  in fact, i'm very well aware of the situation.  and, truth be told, it really isn't my child who is at fault.

my mom is here.  so far we've either gone out or brought home froyo or ice cream every night.  tonight i had a flavor from handel's called 'spouse like a house.' if i keep up my once a night froyo/ice cream habit then i will be a spouse like a house.

i really need to color my hair & paint my nails.  my favorite beachbum bought me this & i have yet to use it: 

{yep, i hijacked the pic.}

i also have the urge to chop all of my hair off, but it's long enough for me to wear it in a ponytail now.  y'all, i haven't had hair this long since i was, um, a sophomore in high school {and that was like 18 years ago}.

my lilies are blooming.  and, yes, i'm going to show you pictures because a) i like taking pictures of stuff in my yard and b) i don't think you're sick of looking at my "photog wannabe" pictures...yet.

trust me, there will be more pictures in the days to come.  i promise.

one day i'll post pics from our california trip.  one day.  

my son will be eight in less than two weeks.  i told myself that i would bake him a cake that is shaped like a globe.  i also told myself that i was effin' crazy.

there's more, but i suppose i should save it for another dump.  nah.  honestly?  i forgot what else i wanted to write about.

*oh yeah, i straight up lied about that whole not feeling like typing a whole bunch crap at the beginning of this post because - hot damn - this was long!

PRODUCT REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Sand-Off!

THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED - thanks to all who entered!

But, please, read my review & check out Sand-Off!

if you're anything like our family, then you probably spend a lot of time here:

we live within minutes of a handful of beaches & we're also just a few hours away from some of north carolina's awesome beaches.  saltwater runs through our veins {although, i'm pretty darn certain that caffeine runs through mine, but i digress...}.

seriously, once the weather warms up, we are always at the beach.

we love the beach.  we love the surf.  we love the shells.  we love the sand...

sand.  not only does it get all over the inside of your bathing suit, but it also comes home with you.  {trust me, you should see the inside of adam's truck during the summer months...there's enough sand in there to replenish a small beach.}

i think my least favorite thing about going to the beach is "de-sanding" ourselves as best as we can before we head for home.  our "de-sanding" routine is less than ideal.  i mean, what's the point of rinsing your feet off in the shorebreak when you have to walk back through the sand?  then, when you get to the truck, you spend a few minutes per foot trying to remove every. single. grain.  eventually, we just give up {hence the small beach in adam's truck}.

our "de-sanding" routine has been forever changed thanks to sand-off!  sand-off is a powder-filled terry cloth mitt that helps 'break the bond between sand and skin.'

{source}

sand-off is so easy to use.  just like the graphic above says, you clap, wipe & store...that's all!  the mitt can be easily stored in your beach bag, too {i keep our sand-off mitt in a plastic baggie}.  the terry cloth is gentle on your skin & the powder is unscented and doesn't irritate your skin.  

we've used our sand-off mitt on wet & dry skin and it works well at removing the sand from our kids' feet.  adam loves the convenience of the sand-off mitt.  once upon a time, getting the kids to "de-sand" themselves was a chore, but not anymore!  now, whenever we pack our beach bag, we always make sure we have our sand-off mitt with us.  long gone are the days of rinsing off in the shorebreak!

one sand-off mitt is supposed to last one beach season...depending on how often you go.  once you run out of powder, you'll know it's time for a new mitt.  but, don't throw away your old mitt...wash it and use it for cleaning around the house!  sand-off is also great for removing grass clippings, construction grime, saw dust, etc.  

---

are you ready for some fun in the sun?  is your family excited about heading to the beach?

do you want to win your own sand-off mitt??

the awesome folks at sand-off have generously offered one of my readers a sand-off mitt of their own!  all you need to do is enter to win...here's how:

1.  leave a comment - tell me what you're family loves to do in the summer, where you like to vacay, whatever.  just leave me some love!  

2.  visit sand-off's website.  check out their video!

3.  follow sand-off on twitter.

4.  "like" sand-off on facebook.

5.  follow my blog.

6.  tweet about this review/giveaway {leave me your tweet link}.

7.  follow me on twitter.

you can do one or all seven...just leave a separate comment for each entry, please.  oh, and be sure to leave an email, too, so i know how to get in touch with you {just in case your blogger profile isn't already linked to your email}.  

i will choose the winner on saturday, june 4th!

disclaimer:  i contacted the folks at sand-off about their product.  they generously offered me a mitt to review as well as a mitt to giveaway.  thank you, sand-off!!

beach bums {again}.

it's technically not summer, but, to us, it's close enough!
we took advantage of the weekend's warm {dare i say hot?} weather.
we packed a cooler, covered the kids in sunscreen & headed to sandbridge.

the water was freezing, but that didn't stop the kids from frolicking in the waves.
we got to the beach shortly after 9am & enjoyed some quiet family time before
other friends & their kids showed up.

we're so thankful that we live in an area that is so close to the ocean.
i don't think we could ever be land-locked. 

psst...

be on the lookout for a review & giveaway for a great beach product, sand-off, later on this week!

{semi} wordless wednesday: beach bums.

when the weather is nice, we love to take a stroll along the atlantic ocean.
the kids love to look for shells.

buxton isn't too keen of the sand just yet, but frisco {that handsome guy pictured above} loves the beach.  he splashes in the waves & he chases the shorebirds.  also, he may or may not have peed on a beach towel as we walked along the beach...
{but that happened last summer}

the beach is so peaceful this time of year.
crowds of vacationers haven't infiltrated the beach at sandbridge...just yet.

spending an hour at the beach.  just the four six of us.

it truly is heaven on earth.

slightly obsessed.

okay, so maybe it's not an obsession, but it's definitely one heck of a collection.

{c + shell = sea shell}

take one look around my home & you'll see shells...everywhere.

well, maybe not everywhere.

{but, we do have shells in our front flower bed.}

shells that i've found & collected over the years.

shells in vases.

cockles. moon snails. coquinas. lettered olives. scotch bonnets.

shells on the wall.

more scotch bonnets.  common sand dollars. a keyhole sand dollar.
{the star & the BIG sand dollar were purchases.} 

a jar of scotch bonnets.
the scotch bonnet is the state shell of north carolina.

it is my favorite shell - probably because it's so hard to find a whole one.

shells from cozumel, mexico in a shadow box.

cowries. snails. limpets.

that big shell? i found it in akumal, mexico.

it's mixed in with a bunch of broken scotch bonnets & a few other shells.

whelks. more cockle shells. a few cowries. a sprinkle of coquinas. a limpet here & there.
lambs ears. moon snails. jingle shells.

some of the shells still have seaweed in them!

shells, shells everywhere.

shells from north carolina, virginia & mexico.

there is even a picture frame in my bedroom that is rimmed with shells i found in florida.

some people go to the beach to lay out.  others go to surf.  

not me, i grab a bucket & walk the shoreline in search of...

more shells.

psst...happy 800th post to me!