Blake Approved Father’s Day Gift Ideas
First off, a big slow clap to all the amazing dads out there! Father’s Day is around the corner and in our family, Blake sure is deserving of a day dedicated to celebrating HIM! To help prep for this special day, I’ve asked our favorite guy to share 10 “Blake-approved” gift ideas! These range in price from $25 to $200, but most are on the more affordable end. We hope you find something extra special for the dads in your life!
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SHOP POST DETAILS
BLAKE’S TEE / JUDE’S TEE / MY DRESS / MY SANDALS / PICNIC BLANKET / HYDRO FLASK COFFEE MUG
A big thank you to Backcountry for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.
Ohh these precious moments at home! We have LIVED on our back patio since the quarantine began. If Jude could stay outside aaaall day, I’m pretty sure he would, ha. We’ve been lucky to have mild summer weather lately, which means it’s the perfect time to throw on a breezy linen dress and do a little gardening. Blake finished up the vegetable planters at the very edge of our backyard, and I’ve had fun keeping the plants on our patio hydrated and thriving. Also…I never knew just how entertaining a watering pale is to a 15 month old…Jude is in HEAVEN! That big gummy smile was killing us! Though we’ve got our ups and downs like everyone else during our stay-at-home time, we sure are soaking up this time with our little man…and making memories like these sure fills my heart!
Our current routine: wake up, hang at home, take Jude on a walk outside, come back home, eat dinner, bath time, bedtime, repeat. We’re taking this social distancing thing very seriously, with small outings here and there to pick up the necessities (our toilet paper search finally ended today, thankfully! Phew, that stuff was tough to find!). In the midst of the caution and stillness, we’re all itching for some fresh air. Whether that be in the form of sitting on our back porch and sipping morning coffee, going for a stroll around the block or hiking through the local greenbelt. Now more than ever, we are cherishing those short bouts of time outside. (And of course, making sure we’re not in close contact with others while doing so).
Sunny days are headed our way as we inch closer to spring! It feels so good to box up my winter boots to make room for fun sandals and flats. I’m all about flashin’ a little ankle – and any excuse to treat myself to a pedicure…I will certainly take it, ha! DSW has been a go-to when it comes to shopping for myself and the fam…and the best part? I love that when I press “add to bag” there is no guilt involved because the prices simply can’t be beat! The brand I’m loving and sharing today is 
This week has been a big one in our world…we celebrated Jude’s first birthday (!!), announced baby number two to the world (!!) aaand the weather was finally perfect enough to enjoy a beautiful day at Zilker Park. I have to add that to the list because I feel like we’ve been in hibernation mode since it’s been freezing and raining on and off in Austin lately. It’s hard mentally to hide indoors for so long…I go stir crazy pretty quick! Thus, once we finally had a little peek of sunshine, we packed up the diaper bag, laced up our sneakers, zipped up our jackets and made our way to the park! We made sure to bring Jude’s favorite ball with us…that is a must these days!
Was there a sport you were really into when you were younger that you haven’t spent much time on as you got older? Blake always talks about basketball in that sort of adoring, nostalgic way. It was a huge part of his childhood and teenage years – a time when he could clear his head alone practicing in his driveway or pick up a game with neighborhood kids at a local park. When I think back on the one form of exercise that used to be that stress reliever for me, it’s running. From high school through college (…really until I joined the workforce), running was my daily therapy. Not running on a treadmill, but getting outside in the sunshine and heat of summer or bundling up during the winter months. I was never a lover of a gym run – there’s just something about being outside and feeling the wind on your face or the sun on your back. And even though summers are brutally hot in Austin, I lived for that crazy sweaty high that a summer run brings.
Ohh the weather outside is…definitely COLD! We bundled up and hit the town for a little coffee date on Lake Austin. Jude fell asleep on our way to Mozart’s, so Blake and I enjoyed a coffee date just the two of us before the lil man woke up and was ready to MOVE outside. We’re just days away from 10 months over here and this boy is officially a wiggle worm. He is very vocal and let’s us know quiiiickly that he wants to be down and walking (with our help!). And while mom and dad are absolutely getting their steps in these days (and passing out before 9pm because of it, ha!), what a joy it has been to spend the holiday season together. Mozart’s forever has a special place in our hearts because Blake and I grew up coming here, it’s where he proposed and now we get to bring Jude to enjoy their yummy pastries, this view and the outdoors all at once. Such a lovely place to come as a family!