The Crazy, Charmed Life We Live: A great week at the beach!

Well we just got back from Seacrest Beach and it was AMAZING! This was our first time vacationing in this area, and I think we are pretty much sold on never going anywhere else! We have mainly vacationed in the Orange Beach and Perdido Key area for years, sometimes several times a year. We have also done Destin and Panama City a couple of times in between there (when I say we love the beach, I mean we LOVE the beach!) Although we have always enjoyed our beach vacations, there is just something special about the beaches of South Walton. Seacrest is right beside Alys and Rosemary Beach and about 5 miles from Seaside and Watercolor. All of these little cities (think little picturesque seaside villages) have their own adorable shops and restaurants whick you can bike/run/walk to along the 19 mile paved bike and running path. What about the beaches? I'm sure you are wondering...well, they are BEAUTIFUL. The water was crystal clear.

We stayed in an adorable beach cottage in a neighborhood called Magnolia Cottages by the Sea which was a change from staying in a condo like we usually do. I liked the privacy, and it just felt very "homey". Loved the screened in porch on the front! The house had a little shed which included 4 bikes, beach chairs, rafts, and beach toys for kids. All we had to bring was Preslie's bike trailer and we were all set to bike to one of the neighboring cities! One room included two sets of bunk beds which was perfect for kids! It was 3 bdrm, 3 bath and beautifull furnished! Here is the info for the house in case anyone wants to rent it. I would highly recommend it...the man who managed it (Jim Buckle) was SO nice and helpful. http://www.surfsidepropertygroup.com/ Go to Properties >Rental Properties >then select Coral Cottage...there are a few others in the same neighborhood that I'm sure are also awesome!

We were so excited that Amber, Derrick and Maddox could join us for 5 days of the trip! Pres and Maddox loved each other (well, most of the time! haha!). They kinda argued like brother and sister, but two minutes later you would find them hugging each other. We decided to each have a date night which was SOOO nice. Amber and Derrick went first and we watched Maddox, and then they returned the favor a couple of days later and watched Pres so Sean and I could enjoy a nice dinner (see pic of V Seagrove below). When they left, Pres asked for Maddox constantly and said that she missed him. Thank You Amber and Derrick for coming and joining us- we had a blast and can't wait to do it again!

So here are a few things that we did on our vacation:

1. Took the kids to Pier Park in PCB. We ate, then let the kids ride a few rides. It was Maddox's very first carousel rides and he LOVED it! Then, we got ice cream :)

2. Ate, ate and ate some more at so many wonderful restaurants..I will provide all of the links below

3. Enjoyed beach and pool time!

4. I read 3 James Patterson books in a week. This is something that I'm happy about and thought it was worth mentioning since I have not really had time to read a book other than a text or children's book in several years! Seriously, if you haven't read his books, you should!

5. Run! I've been doing really good sticking to my workout routine so I couldn't slack while on vacation (especially eating like we did!). It was so nice to have the paved running/biking trails and all the beautiful scenery didn't make it seem like such a chore.

6. Biked with Preslie...this was one of my favorite things. Sean has a bike, but I think I may need one here at home. It definitely took some time getting used to riding a bike again...Sean thought it was hilarious!

Good Restaurants worth mentioning so you can try them too!

1. The Great Southern Cafe- Seaside, Fl...2 words- HOLY MOLY! It was wonderful! Think collard greens, fried green tomatoes, shrimp and gouda cheese grits...enough said, right? Must eat here if you go! Family friendly with outdoor seating available!

2. V Seagrove- WONDERFUL!!! Probably the best calamari we have ever had...not a place for young kids...this is where we went on our date night!

3. The Summer Kitchen Cafe- Rosemary Beach- ate there for lunch, very casual, great place to bike to because they have bike racks to "park" your bike at. So, so good! Great sandwiches and wraps and they have breakfast too!

4. Wild Olives Market in Rosemary Beach @ Barrett Square- YUM! Their website doesn't work, but I had to mention it! We ate lunch there, but they are also like a little market and deli with delicious looking desserts, pasteries, wine, deli meat, etc.

5. Amavida Coffee Company- Rosemary Beach/Seaside- I went to the one in Rosemary Beach several times for coffee (yep, I admit I'm a coffee addict!). Very good, with tons of sugar free options!

And here are a few pics from the trip:
Our adorable beach house!