Category: Vacations

Happy Monday: Spring Break Recap 2021

Published on by Maggie EternoLeave a comment

Goooood morning, friends!!! It’s so nice to be back after a week off. I hope you all had a wonderful week.

We had a wonderful Spring Break in HHI with Joseph’s mom and step dad.

When we arrived on Thursday, it was cold! But by Sunday, the weather was beautiful. We watched online service that morning and then had brunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Poseidon. And then we took a couple of “Easter” pics of course.

I am still in shock everyday at how quickly our kiddos are growing up.

I didn’t buy “Easter” outfits this year because I knew that we would be out of town and watching online service in our pjs. But I did buy this dress from Amazon and I love it! I’m also loving my sandals. I wore them all week!

The weather only got warmer as the week went on. That meant a lot more beach time than we normally get on Spring Break. And this girl couldn’t be happier about it! She is our beach bum!

This kiddo spent more time on the golf course with his buddy than he did on the beach. So I had to take a picture of this rare sighting, ha! He did have his best rounds of golf this past week. He was so excited! He’s been working super hard!

Mary’s friend joined us for the week and they both had a great time. Lots of bike riding, general store shopping and sun bathing for these two.

Nonny and Papa joined us late Monday night and stayed with us all week. It was so nice to have that time with them. Aside from the beach, the kiddos loved fishing in the small lake that’s on the back of the property.

And they also took the paddle boat out for a spin!

Oh! I almost forgot. Mackenzie got to play her first round of 18 with Joseph and Jojo! She had a blast! She was exhausted, but loved it.

She has been waiting for this moment for a long time!

We didn’t eat out too much. The island was hopping and the restaurants had such long waits. I was able to get reservations for one of our nights there.

And then afterwards, we took some pics at Shelter Cove Park.

I took these two to lunch and TJ Maxx earlier that day and they bought matching outfits. Aren’t they so beautiful?!

We ended the night with a round of putt putt and then went home to watch a movie.

Friday, we went to Harbour Town to eat lunch at the Crazy Crab. Nonny took this picture of Papa and Jojo. I love how they are walking the same.

And then we went home to clean and pack.

It was such a good week! So thankful for the amazing weather and family time. It was so needed for all of us!

Towards the end of the week, I went on a solo run and was just overwhelmed at my view of the ocean.

It reminded me of how BIG my God is and how SMALL I am and that He is God and I am not.

He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever. Psalms 146:6

So thankful for God’s unfailingly love. Even when things happen that my mind can’t comprehend, I can trust His ways.

I hope you all had an amazing week!! And I hope you have a GREAT Monday!

XO

HHI Condo Transformation: Entryway and Living Room

Published on by Maggie Eterno6 Comments

Happy Monday!! I hope you had a great weekend. We are in HHI for Fall Break and have had the best time. It’s our first time coming to our condo for “fun” verses “work” so we are soaking it up.

My kiddos are loving having their cousins here for a few days. They’ve had the best time hanging out, riding their bikes around the plantation and going on the golf course after it’s closed for the day. Joseph took all of them to play a couple of holes and he sent us this picture. The sky was beautiful!

I wanted to share a little more of our condo renovation today. Here are a couple of the before pictures of the foyer and living room.

In this next picture you can see the wall and the wet bar that we had taken out.

And now for the after pictures!

When Joseph and I began to look for decor we hit every store possible. We stopped by World Market and decided to walk into the Big Lots next door. We had not gone into a Big Lots in forever! I found the clock in the previous picture there and love the way it looks on the wall. If you are looking for a clock, check them out! This one was only $34!

I seriously love our new floors! They are water and scratch proof which makes it perfect for these two…

I love how taking out the wet bar opened up this space. We were a little bummed that the city made us add that column but now I think it helps define the space.

I decided to keep the sofa and loveseat. We looked and looked for new furniture for the living room and couldn’t find anything we liked. I also felt bad getting rid of these couches. They are from Havertys and for the most part were in great condition. The sofa is a sleeper sofa and those can be expensive! So instead of replacing them, I found a rug that would go with the space and replaced the throw pillows to match. I love how it turned out!

We found the TV console at Hobby Lobby for $180. It fits perfectly in our space. The center table and accent chairs, we bought from our clients and the two canvases are from Big Lots. The floor lamp is from Target.

I love all of the extra can lights we added. It helped brighten up the space along with the white walls. When my sister suggested doing white, Joseph wasn’t really feeling it. But after some convincing, he finally let us do white and now he loves it. Thank you Gabs for your suggestion!

And that’s our foyer and living room. I am working on a final post with all of the bedrooms and bathrooms. I can’t wait for you to see how they turned out.

As always, thank you for reading! I hope you all have a wonderful Monday. XO

Friday Favorites: Hilton Head Edition

Published on by Maggie EternoLeave a comment

Happy happy Friday friends!!  I can not believe it’s the end of another week.  This week my kiddos were out of school for Fall Break.  We normally like to stay in town and enjoy the quiet and slower pace, but this year we packed up and headed down to HHI.

I am linking up with Erica, Narci and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.  I always get asked for recommendations of places we love so this Friday it is all about Hilton Head Island.

This was a much shorter trip than we are used to, but we got in as much of our favorite things as we could.

ONE

On our first night we eat at Giuseppi’s Pizza.  It’s a tradition we started a couple of years ago.  The garlic knots are amazing and the Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad is a must!  So much flavor and so so good.

TWO

Shopping, shopping and more shopping!  There are so many places on the island for this.  On our first day we normally stop at Tanger on our way in, but since we came in a little later we decided to go back the next day.  On the island they also have a lot of boutique type stores like, Francescas and Fabrik.  There’s also a TJ Maxx (because who doesn’t love TJ) and a Belk.

THREE

And let’s just go off topic for a bit.  Speaking of shopping…I got the cutest Steve Madden shoes.  They are adorable and super comfortable.  I paired them with my new shirt from H&M and my favorite Lululemon yoga pants.  Y’all.  I can not say it enough.  These pants are the bomb.com.  My sister recently purchased a pair of Lulus and I think she is definitely converted.  Yes they are a little pricey, but they last a long time.  I have a hard time finding yoga pants for my height.  I am 5 ft. even.  Lululemon will take them in for free or you can get their 7/8 length.  They are a little longer than traditional capris, but for this short girl they are perfect.

FOUR

Ok.  Enough about shopping and back to places we love ha!  Shelter Cove Park is fairly new.  I think they opened it two years ago.  On Tuesdays during the summer they have all kinds of fun activities for the kiddos.  From bouncy houses to zip line to music entertainment and fireworks.  This year we noticed they added a playground. It was a great addition to the park.  Our kiddos definitely got some of their energy out after dinner.  While you are at the park, plan on eating at Poseidon.  It faces the park and you can eat there while you wait on the fireworks.  It’s also a great date night spot.

FIVE

We tried a new spot this year for lunch and decided to go back for breakfast before heading home.  It’s called French Bakery and is also in the Shelter Cove Park area.  It’s a cute little restaurant with a delicious menu.  The French toast y’all was legit.

SIX

About three years ago we started taking the kids to play putt putt.  Pirate’s Island is fun and kid friendly.  The kiddos always have a great time until one of them realizes they are losing.  That’s an Eterno for you-we are competitive!

SEVEN

Harbour Town is a must. It’s always packed so plan on a long wait at the restaurants if you are visiting during the summer months.  They have live music, shops, the lighthouse, rocking chairs a big playground and fun activities for the kids.  We normally go to Crab Shack one night and then The Wreck at Salty Dog on another night. On the Salty Dog side they have hula hoop contests, face painting and live music for the kids.  The Salty Dog and The Wreck have the same exact menu.  The positive about The Wreck is the shorter wait time so with kids it is definitely the better option.

Eight

We were excited to finally take the kids to Skull Creek Boathouse.  The wait during the summer ranges anywhere from 1-2 hours or longer. Joseph and I normally go when it’s just him and I.  The live music is always good and the view is beautiful!

NINE

THE BEACH ha!  We stay in Palmetto Dunes in either the Beach Villas or The Moorings.  There’s a restaurant called The Dunes House right on the beach.  They have the best shrimp tacos! We’ve been eating them for six years and they are good every time. There are also public restrooms you can use while hanging out on the beach.  Why is this so great you ask?  Because it keeps you from having to go back to your condo.  With small kids this was a godsend for us because you know they don’t tell you until it’s an emergency!

TEN

Last but not least is the General Store in Palmetto Dunes.  You can not leave without going at least once.  It’s tradition!

And that’s it!  I hope you enjoyed my Friday Favorites: Hilton Head Island Edition.  Feel free to contact me if you ever plan a trip.  It truly is one of my favorite places.

I’m off now!  I have 3 kiddos waiting to enjoy their last day of Fall Break.

Have a Fabulous Friday friends!

-Maggie

Staying Active While on Vacation

Published on by Maggie Eterno2 Comments

Happy October, friends!

I just love this month.  The (hopefully) cooler weather, jeans, boots, sweaters, pumpkins, costumes and all the wonderful things that fall brings.

This week we are out-of-town at one of our favorite spots, Hilton Head Island.  I look forward to Fall Break every year.  It’s a week to rest and recharge.  A week off all things school and sports.

Since I am on vacation, I thought it would be a great time to talk about tips on how to stay active while on vacation, workouts and nutrition.  It can be easy to fall off track while on vacation.  I know for me, I love my mornings on vacation.  Drinking coffee, enjoying the quiet, reading a book or just sitting on the porch.  I do enjoy several mornings of this, but try to add in runs, workouts or fun activities with my family.  It is all about finding a good balance.

Be Prepared

Pack your workout clothes yo!  If you are driving to your destination, pack your weights, resistance bands, jump ropes and anything else you can.  This will help add in variety to your workouts.  If you don’t have weights that’s ok!  There are plenty of workouts you can still do.

Plan Ahead

I am a planner.  A list maker.  A girl who loves to know what she’s doing with plenty of time in advance.  For me, a lot of the battle is mental so I go ahead and set a tentative plan in my mind.  It’s tentative because if I miss a day, I don’t beat myself up.  It is vacation!  If you CrossFit, plan to visit a local box.  If you are a runner, plan what days you will go for a run.  Setting that plan in your mind helps keep you accountable.  And if you are traveling with a group that also enjoys working out, do it together!

Involve Your Family and Friends

You do not have to go out and run miles and miles and miles or go to the hotel fitness center for hours.  You can make staying active fun!  Go for a hike, walk on the beach, play spike ball or volleyball, golf or go shopping!  My husband would disagree that shopping is exercising, but it totally can be.

We love renting bikes and taking the kiddos out riding. We normally set one day aside as “bike day.”  We ride our bikes around the island and grab lunch.  You will be surprised at how many miles you put in by the end of the day.

As a box owner, I’ve had a lot of athletes ask me for ideas of WODs (workout of the day) while on vacation.  There are so many on the web that it can be a little overwhelming when trying to find them.  Here are a couple of my favorites:

A.  20 Minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)

5 Push ups

10 Sit ups

15 Air Squats

Add in a one or two-mile run at the beginning or the end and you have a great 30-40 minute workout.

B.  4 Rounds for Time

Run 400m

50 Air Squats

C.  100 Burpees for Time

D.  For time

Run 1 mile, lunging 30 steps every 1 minute. (Keep your hands off of your thighs!)

E.  Run a 5K

Next up, nutrition.  Oh me.  The hardest part of vacation.  Resisting the urge to splurge.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  It’s all about balance.

I am one to go crazy on vacation and then come back home with an extra set of pounds and regret.  It leaves me feeling gross and makes it hard getting back on track when I get home.  This is why, for me, staying active is so important.

Choose a healthy breakfast

Oatmeal, whole grain toast, turkey bacon and eggs.  This will help get you started on the right track for the day.

Healthy Snacks

I make sure to bring my protein powder and yogurt bars when travelling.  If I have a refrigerator I make sure to have Greek yogurt, fruit and deli meat on hand.  This keeps me on plan with my snacks and helps me avoid reaching for the cookies or the potato chips.  Water is your best friend!  Lots and lots of water!

Choose a Healthy and Light Lunch

When we go to the beach, we pack snacks and lunch for the day.  So when packing, I make sure to go ahead and pack something relatively healthy.  I roll up slices of turkey and ham with cheese and some pretzel crisps.  I make sure to pack lots of fruit in our cooler.

Dinner

When we are in HHI, we eat out most nights.  There are so many restaurants that we love so we make sure to hit as many as we can.  I choose to have a glass or two of wine with my meal and don’t fret too much about the calories.  Again, it’s vacation!

When we go to PCB with friends we eat in for dinner every night.  This year we were spoiled with our friend Rod’s cooking.  We try to balance out healthy options like spaghetti squash or steaks and a salad.  One night we have a Low Country Broil.  Our friend’s uncle makes the best mac n’ cheese.  Believe me.  I am not thinking about calories that day ha!

Everyone is different when it comes to staying active on vacation.  Some choose to do something daily, others may choose to do something here or there and others may take a complete break.  There isn’t a right or wrong way.

Our bodies and our mind need a periodic break.  This summer I chose to take a complete break off of counting macros, but I also balanced it out with staying active as many days as I could.  It’s all about balance y’all.  And grace.  Don’t be so hard on yourself for missing a couple of days.  But when you get home….hit it hard!

Happy Vacationing!

-Maggie