Read. Write. Mom!

Memphis Zoo

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Mandy

The very first time we took E.B. to the zoo he was 2 years old. We had a heck of a time maneuvering his stroller and keeping up with him when we did let him out of the stroller to walk a bit. We’ve been anxiously awaiting the time to take him back when he was a little older and so we decided that this past Sunday was the day.

We arrived at the Memphis Zoo shortly after it opened. It was unseasonably cooler than normal for May, but nevertheless, we forged ahead and had such a great time.

We started out our zoo adventure in Cat Country, which is always my favorite. It is so amazing to watch these huge felines. Most of them were pretty lazy…

But this cheetah paced back and forth constantly.

We moved on to the panda bears and then on to the African animals. We joked the whole time that we were looking for Marty, Melman, Gloria, and Alex (from the movie Madagascar). We never saw Alex and Gloria chose to stay underwater the entire time.

Melman couldn’t be bothered and kept his back to us.

And Marty was too sleepy to acknowledge our existence.

Next up was the polar animal exhibit. The polar bears weren’t in the mood to be too cordial, either, but the sea lions stole the show!

This little fella kept swimming right up to the glass and literally performed by hitting the glass with his flippers and spitting water, much to the delight of many squealing children, mine included.

E.B. decided the penguins were his favorite and of course, this completed our Madagascar hunt. Ha!

We covered a lot of ground at the zoo and still didn’t make it to the reptiles and farm animals. We plan to start there the next time we go. The staff was super friendly and helpful and we can’t wait to go back again this fall.

Wordless Wednesday-Pink Flamingos

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Mandy

Wedding Gift Idea

Posted on May 13, 2011 by Mandy

June is almost upon us, ushering in “wedding season” for many couples. It’s an exciting time and it’s so much fun having bridal showers and receiving gifts from family and friends. I’m always stumped when it comes to wedding gifts and usually end up picking something straight off a couple’s wedding register, but today I wanted to share one of the best wedding gifts I received and still use almost twelve years later.

I’ve written in the past about how I think I grew up in the most amazing neighborhood ever. Our street was always bustling with activity, everyone was close, and the kids all banded together every single day, rain, shine, or snow to play at the end of our dead-end street. Although my parents remain one of 2 original families still left there, I still have wonderful memories of my childhood and something even more special given to me by the neighborhood women I loved so much.

At first glance, it looks like a regular old recipe book, but inside is an absolute treasure trove.

Each woman on the street was given recipe cards and pages out of the book to share their most loved dishes in their own handwriting. Even my childhood best friend who lived across the street contributed her favorites.

A couple of these sweet women have passed away, and it’s so special to me to see their handwriting and know they all cared enough to contribute to such a great gift that holds so much sentimental value. I can see so may possibilities with something like this. Perhaps a recipe book with recipes from family members or co-workers or church members, even good friends. It’s something I feel like any new bride would appreciate and use for many, many years to come.