Happy Things 2016 Linkup// February Happies!

Happy Monday Y'all!

It's the last Monday of the month, and the only Monday February 29th for the next 4 years, which means it's time for another Happy Things 2016 linkup! 

So here's to big things for Monday!

My happy things included lots of time outdoors this month and I couldn't be happier! 

Here are 5 of my happiest highlights... 

~Weekend Camping Sunsets~ We had our first true Florida boon-docking experience and enjoyed some gorgeous sunsets while we were camping at the Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area. We had one wildly, beautiful time and I can't wait to share all the adventurous details with you in a later post! 

~Geek Moment Happiness~ My Harry Potter Illustrated Edition finally came! Or more like, I finally bought a copy! I had added it to my Christmas wish list, but a copy could not be found. So I used a gift card to treat myself to this joyous, wonderful book. If you are a Harry Potter fan and don't have a copy, you need one! If you are not a fan, now is the perfect time to discover the amazing world you are missing! What better way to enjoy Harry Potter than with stunning illustrations! Even better news, it's currently on sale for under $25 over on Amazon! 

~New Shop Giddiness~ I am pretty stoked about the new item that will be coming to my little, growing shop! I love the "you keep me safe & I'll keep you wild" quote and can't wait to wear one of these new goodies on our next hiking adventure! While I grow my shop, I thought it would be fun to share in the love with all of you and offer my prices to you while I grow. Not only are prices low, but there are more color and style options to choose from now than there will be once they hit the shop. You can look through these links here (flowy tee, tank, long sleeved, tshirt) to grab one at the discounted rate or help me decide what should make it's way over to the shop. I am trying to decide which color options I should get and I would love to hear your thoughts. I am leaning mostly to the white and coral tank and the gray and teal flowy tee, but would love to hear from you! What color/ style option would you most like to see? 

~Afternoon Day Hiking~ Babe and I spent this past Friday afternoon hiking nearby at a place called Isle of Pine. It's only about 20 or so minutes from our house and makes for a nice, short afternoon hike. We ate lunch at home and then got there right around 1 o'clock. There are two separate trail head locations located near each other (we are hoping that they are working to connect them). The first spot (off of Lacebark Pine Rd) is less shaded and took us about an hour to complete. It runs alongside an orange grove, which made for a yummy mid-hike treat. The second spot (where Lake Mary Jane Rd. dead ends into Fresno Dr.) is more shaded with views of the lake. We did both and were gone by 3:30. For any Orlando hike lovers looking for a good, quick afternoon hike adventure, Isle of Pine is a great spot to check out! 

~Flo's First Bath~ Flo got her first bath this past weekend and it was pretty exciting! Her adventures make her pretty dirty, as they should, and we had yet to have time to give her a good scrub. So with beautiful, sunny weather and a bucket of suds, we set to work! With Babe's no-nonsense cleaning instructions, she was shining like new in no time!! She is so excited to be all pretty and sparkly for her next big adventure!! Where should we go next?! I am hoping to check Myakka River State Park or Devil's Den off my Florida bucket list really soon!! 

Other happies: best friends with babies visits, seeing musicals with my man, honeymoon memories, beach days with cousins, ice cream treats and soccer days

January Happies

What happiness went on in your world this month?

Linkup and let's spread some cheer! 

Link Up Rules: 

- Share a post (up to 2) about anything happy; it can be 5 happy things, 1 happy thing, really just anything for the month that has made your heart smile! 

- Feel free to share the image above so that others can link up their happy things too!

- Leave a happy comment on at least one other post

- I will interact with all posts in some way (comments, pinning to Happy Things 2016 board...)

- Share your happy things on Instagram using #happythings2016

- Come back on the last Monday of each month to share your happy things for that month and start a community of people who are adding a bit of cheer to Mondays! 
- Link up will be run through Friday of the same week

An InLinkz Link-up

5 Fun Facts for Friday!

Happy Friday Y'all!! 

I hope today is going beautifully for you! 

I thought today we would do a fun little "get to know you" post for any new faces around here! 

1.) I'm Melanie and that's Babe (or Andrew if you must!)! This may not be the best picture for really getting a feel for what I look like, but this is a great "us" picture! My Likes: selfies with him, trying to get him to like selfies, trying to get him to smile for selfies// His Greatest Like: hating pictures in general... so therefore, meet us! Me finally turning to mean mug him for not smiling & that's when he decides to flash some teeth!

*****

2.) I LOVE adventures!! We bought an RV about 6 months ago and named her Flo (it's short for FloRida Reva) and we are thrilled to have her as part of the family. We spend as many weekends as possible traveling Florida and chasing solitude and the great outdoors. In fact, we are heading out for a mini-venture (that stands for sans Flo) to do some hiking once he gets back from the gym. Him: such a gym person// Me: probably should be, but so totally NOT! 

*****

3.) I may love adventures, but I am also perfectly content with a good book! I believe that reading is one of the greatest adventures you can take and you don't even have to leave your chair (or the tub) to be able to go on one! Give me all the books!! Currently reading Red Queen and I am hooked!

*****

4.)I'm all about the !!!!! (sorry, but not really, for their serious overuse)!

*****

5.) I discovered this week that I can drink coffee black AND actually like it; I am neither excited or unexcited by this realization. Sure it's good I can drink it when I don't have the added fluff (honey & cream), but in my mind it means I am a true adult, gah!!! How did that happen?! I'm not even thirty yet! Seriously, I'm only 29 and 1/4! Other Adulthood Signs: the wrinkles, the need to hit the gym, the fact that my parents have started letting me pay when we go to dinner together// Kid Forever Facts: Disney lover always, my popcorn dance (there's one for tacos too), I get giddy over really cool playgrounds and tree houses

Also, 1 fun added happy! 

My giveaway, for the new shop happy that's coming soon, ends today. Head back one post to find out how you can enter to win one (or even snag it at my price) before it hits the shop!

Well, there's a few get to know me facts! 

What about you? 

Adulthood come knocking for you yet?! Any fun likes, dislikes?!

Share some "you" things, because I would love to know you better!

Have a wonderful weekend friends!! 

Safe & Wild// New Shop Happies Coming Soon!

I've been working away to build up my shop and I am so excited for my newest addition to get here!! While I am waiting on pins and needles to see them in finished form, I figured I would share the pre-printing prettiness with you! 

"You keep me safe & I'll keep you wild" is one of my favorite quotes, because I think it perfectly embodies Babe and me- as well as a lot of adventurers! It seems to me that someone is always the safe keeper, while the other is the wild soul. In our case the wild soul would be me! 

It takes a brave heart to love a wild soul and I can't wait to get my hands on these and slip into it! As I continue to grow, I wanted to offer up my products at my price. You can currently get these shirts at the price I pay for them! Once they reach the shop they will go up a bit. Also, not all colors and designs will make their way into the shop. So if there is a color or design you want to make sure you get, you can use the links below to grab one! 

Loose Fitted Flowy Tee (pictured at the top)

Racer back Tank (pictured in coral) 

Long sleeve Tee (most likely won't be available in shop)

I am giving away a tank or tee to two lucky winners (color and design of your choice), one through this post and one through Instagram. 

Enter here by joining Life's Sweet Words email list for shop updates and discounts! 

Simply subscribe using the form below, then check the Enter button in the giveaway box! 

Join the Journey through email!

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That's it! You're in!

Head over to Instagram to double your chances! 

What's your favorite way to keep it wild? Hiking, rock climbing...?

Whatever it may be I hope you find yourself adventuring soon!

Words for Wednesday: Read your Heart to Me

If you handed me pages from your soul, which would you choose to share? 

We all have our own stories,

tucked closely in and held tight. 

Think about each page of your soul,

which pages are ripped and torn, 

which have dog-eared edges because you've returned so many times?

Do you only share the crisp and pristine pages, 

the ones that shine and glisten and gleam so much

that you barely want to touch them for fear of damaging them? 

Share them all! 

Share the pages so worn by tears it's hard to even read the words. 

Share them for yourself, 

to free your heart of the weight of them, 

but share them for others too. 

Share them, 

because you never know who so desperately needs to hear them. 

Share them,

You never know who is grasping for breath 

and praying they aren't alone. 

Share all the pages and stories that have brought you 

to where you are now, 

because it's in fully opening our hearts 

that we give others the chance to truly love us.

It is in fully opening our hearts, 

that we truly learn to love ourselves. 

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I have had the Jonny Ox quote saved for a while and I passed over it again today. Today felt like a good day for processing feelings and getting it all out. After a few days of heart-stuff and a few tears this morning after breakfast with good friends, it just felt like a day for a little bit of release. Share your heart with someone today. Share the things you've felt you have been needing to say. I know it might be scary, and sometimes it might even hurt, share it anyways! 

Just be Thankful// 10 Thankful Things for a Monday!

If I am being honest, last week about knocked me clear off my feet. There was no reason in particular; the more I tried to pin it down the more frustrated I became. You know those weeks, the ones when you post happy things, wear a smile and try your hardest to turn it around, but it simply feels like trying to cover a cut with a bandaid that is just too small. And so we escaped for the weekend and I spent some time in the middle-of-nowhere-Florida, refueling my soul. Alas, Monday came at me with a cold and my "lovely lady visitor" all at once. And so, I am meeting it head on! Remembering to take the time to be thankful works wonders for me. Here are 10 things I am thankful for right in this moment... 

1// A weekend away with Babe! and Flo! 

2// The ability to explore & hike & adventure, to climb fire towers and just breathe in God's gorgeous creation!

3// Mondays that include breakfasts with best friends!

4// Having one of my childhood besties back home for a visit (she now lives out of state), this time with her sweet baby boy in tow!

5// Getting to visit with said out of state bestie and our moms for the morning!

6// Getting to see my brother and his pregnant wife, who were also in town from Georgia!

7// Finding out the newest little addition to our family ^^ is going to be a sweet baby girl AND that she will share my middle name! Way to make an aunt's heart feel really big!! 

8// A strong cup of coffee!

9// A warm blanket!

10// The fact that this list could go on... but that I also have a free afternoon to say that this is where it ends, because today gets to be one of those 'get in a warm bath, in the middle of the afternoon and read an awesome new book, while I soak away my aches' type of day! 

Hope today finds you feeling renewed!! 

What things are you thankful for today?