Meet the Shaneyfelts

Archives for 2023

Coffee Chat!

Happy Monday, y’all! Can you believe it’s already Monday? I feel like the time always flies here at the end of the year.

Today’s post is a Coffee Chat–grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and let’s chat!

one

This is a little peak into the volume of our home these days :). Right before Dustin took Harrison on his first youth hunt, he was going through all of his hunting gear pulling out the clothes I needed to wash, and he came across his duck calls. Harrison has been playing with those duck calls ever since. You never know when you’re going to hear a duck in our house and Banks loves the entire thing ha!

two

I feel like I’ve been in a reading slump ever since I finished reading Mr. Wrong Number and The Love Wager (both by Lynne Painter). I think I finished those at the end of October? Anyway, one of my friends at school, Kristen, reads a ton and she leant me one of the books she just finished and just raved about it. I started it Friday and plan on reading more tonight!

The blurb on the back didn’t look super interesting to me, but she really raved (and we like the same books!) so I’m trusting her and reading it!

three

I LOVE listening to podasts! This weekend, I listened to a podcast with the founder of Beautycounter on Kelly LeVeque’s podcast Be Well. I don’t know what I expected but the episode isn’t what I expected? Maybe I was hoping for more talk about actual products but she really talked about how she started the term clean beauty and how she’s changing the industry. I really have become more interested in moving toward using clean beauty and skin care products but it’s been harder that I expected. Anyone else feel this way?

four

I have really struggled lately with exhaustion. This miracle pregnancy has been such a blessing but I’ve also struggled with being pregnant for the first time but also having a really active 10 month old to constantly chase around. While other women are resting during their first pregnancy, I’m not ha! Which means that each night after both boys are finally in bed and I get started on my chores (like laundry), I’m way too tired to do anything for myself–like read or watch a Christmas movie or even stay awake long enough to hang out with Dustin. I am hoping that I can get some rest during this Christmas break in order to feel a little more like myself and not just be running on fumes the entire day. (Don’t get me wrong–I am SO thankful to be pregnant, but I’m also just really, really tired)

five

Okay lastly, I’d love to know something everyone is asking for Christmas! I always ask for new clothes for Christmas but obviously this year I am not LOL. Would y’all be interested in seeing what I’ve asked for? I love getting ideas from other people’s gift guides, but I also know sometimes those are oversaturated during this holiday season.

Now off to get ready for the day!

Friday Favorites!

Happy happy Friday, friends!!! Please say a little prayer for Banks this morning–he’s having a minor procedure done this morning.

As always, I’m sharing a few of my FAVORITES with y’all today!!

one

Eeek!! I cannot get over how cute and sweet these boys are!! I took this when we got home from church. Banks is in one of Harrison’s old Christmas bubbles and I am loving dressing him in some of Harrison’s old clothes (at least ones that fit LOL). These boys are my biggest Christmas blessing 🙂

two

I’m a HUGE Colleen Rothschild fan and have been using their facial cleansing balm and moisturizer for maybe two years now? But I recently ran out and didn’t think to order replacements during their big Black Friday sale, so since Sephora was having a 20% off sale, I swung by before my OB appointment to find a replacement.

I had done some research and decided I wanted to try Farmacy since it’s a clean brand and the price was actually really good. I was talking to my best friend on the way to Sephora and it turns out, she also uses Farmacy, so it made me feel much better about trying it. Turns out…..I LOVE IT! The facial cleansing balm has a different consistency than the CR one that I’m used to, but it really cleans my face so well and makes it feel fresh. I am loving how smooth the moisturizer feels. As I was picking it out, a lady next to me said she’s already gone through 4 of the giant containers of the moisturizer and she has really sensitive skin. Even though I’ve only been using it for a couple of days, I am really really loving these Farmacy products!

three

I got this pregnancy pillow in on Tuesday and have been sleeping with it ever since. I’m so glad I finally broke down and bought one. This is a down alternative filled pillow but it’s not really flat like some down alternative pillows. I am a back sleeper, but I’m sleeping much better on my side now that I have this pillow!

four

Lastly, I don’t have a picture because it’s happening as I type this, but Dustin just got to feel Merritt kick for the first time ever! I wondered when he would be able to feel her kick, and as he was beside me while I was starting this blog post, she kicked really hard and I put his hand on my belly to see if he might could feel it–then she kicked him hard!

I had to have an ultrasound on Wednesday at my 24 week appointment for them to get a better picture of her blood flow out of her heart since they couldn’t at the anatomy scan, and I am still so amazed at this little miracle baby. I still cannot believe that we’re adding another baby to our family!

Our Trip to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville

Happy Monday, friends! Today I want to recap our short little trip to the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. When Dustin and I were dating and in our early years of marriage, we would make the short (1.5/2 hour) drive to the Opryland Hotel in December to walk around the hotel and enjoy all of the Christmas decorations and do dinner and a show. We did that every 2 years. Once Harrison was born and turned 2, we decided to make that day trip an overnight trip!

This year our best friends joined us for the trip and they have a little girl who is a year younger than Harrison and are also expecting a new baby a month after us in 2024!

We left early Sunday morning and made a quick pit stop at Buccee’s for breakfast. Harrison wanted his and Abigail’s picture by the beaver before we left haha! TIP: BOOK YOUR STAY ON A SUNDAY NIGHT TO SAVE A COUPLE HUNDRED DOLLARS PER NIGHT)

We had brunch reservations at the character breakfast on Sunday morning at the Opryland. The character breakfast this year was Charlie Brown and Friends, and our kids love Charlie Brown so we thought it would be the cutest!

We basically paid Disney World prices for this brunch, so I had very high expectations. I think we were all really disappointed with the brunch. We bought tickets for the last time available, so it would be more like lunch. Thank goodness we decided to show up about 15 minutes early. The characters were getting ready to leave, so the big kids immediately got their pictures made with them while I was feeding Banks. And they were not replacing any of the food, so once it ran out, we couldn’t get anymore of it. We paid a lot of money for just a little bit of food. I would not recommend doing this again.

I entertained two matching boys while everyone else was waiting in line to check us into our room.

And then Banks crashed for a little bit while we took a quick 45 minute break in our room. Harrison took his shirt off to relax?? I don’t remember that part, but I’m also not surprised ha!

We had tickets for the ICE Polar Express and we were all really excited! I bundled this big boy up, and he was the biggest trooper the entire time we were in the ICE exhibit. It’s kept at 9 degrees, and it’s COLD!!

These tickets were part of our hotel package, and I’d recommend it…..especially if you love the Polar Express! I think two years ago it was The Grinch, and we skipped that because we aren’t Grinch fans. I was so amazed at how intricate the ice was–it was mind blowing!

I made sure the boys had their gloves and toboggans but forgot my own…

Harrison and Dustin went down the Ice slide they had at the end of the exhibit and it was so fun!

Then we all went outside to walk around a bit and check out all of the activities they had going on outside.

Harrison decided he wanted to go down the ice slide they had with inner tubes. He and Dustin did that (it was also $$$) while Janie watched Abigail and Chris go ice skating. I was really feeling some FOMO watching them have fun on the slide, and I’m for sure doing it next time!

Then we grabbed a quick (and much cheaper) dinner at a burger place inside the Delta area. And then we continued to walk around!

We’ve been best friends for over 20 years!

The next morning, our friends had to leave early to get back home for something, so we walked to breakfast and then walked around a little more before we checked out to head home.

Harrison wanted to take our picture and I think it accurately represents how exhausted we both are. Neither child slept and Banks and Harrison were both up at 4:50 AM on Monday morning LOL. That’s vacation with small kids right now–you just have to expect to be exhausted because right now, your vacation is really just for the memories (mainly for you)–things will get easier as they get older.

Overall, we had a good time and we really enjoyed getting to experience it with our friends!!!