Monthly Archives: June 2017

10 Tips To Enjoy Your Honeymoon

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Last Thursday, with our anniversary approaching, I mentioned how I was constantly reminded with old posts on Facebook and Timehop about the perfect wedding week we had. Well, this week I am receiving honeymoon posts.

Oh my gosh, I want to go back!

Sidney and I had a wonderful time in Cancun. Our honeymoon was very special and we talk about it often. I thought it might be helpful if I offered my two cents to newlyweds on how to get the most out of a honeymoon experience. I will aim to do this by giving 10 brief tips on how to maximize your once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Sidney and I had an incredible honeymoon at the Sun Palace in Cancun. Tonight I offer my 10 best tips for enjoying your honeymoon.

Take a day to recuperate before flying out – Many couples will hop on a plane the day after their wedding. Sidney and I reserved the Sunday after our Saturday ceremony to just stay in town. This allowed us to pack, say goodbye to visiting family, and decompress just a bit. If you can budget two full days of rest I think that is even better! Some couples will wait six months or a year before departing on their honeymoon but I think it is nice to go with that “wedding glow” still radiant.

Scout out your destination – Chances are you did a lot of research before booking your honeymoon. However, you most likely did that research a year ago. When our honeymoon was about a month away, I started checking Trip Advisor and social media on a daily basis to find out the latest about our resort. I did this so that I would be completely updated on the activities, opportunities, and issues occurring at the Sun Palace. When we checked in that first day, I felt connected and knowledgeable about my surroundings.

Bring sunscreen and other personal items with you – The week before our wedding, we went to Target and purchased sunscreen, lotion, and other products. If you are going to a tropical destination, you will definitely want to do this. If you forget, not only will you be purchasing unfamiliar products, you will be paying extremely inflated prices for something that would only cost you $5 at home.

Pinch yourself – When you arrive at your honeymoon location, hold your spouse’s hand and take it all in for a moment. Breathe the air, admire the blue waters, and run your toes through the white sand. Just take a second to recognize that you are in a beautiful part of the world with your best friend. Pinch yourself and acknowledge that several sunny days in a tropical paradise await you….then go have fun.

Make defining moments – Sidney and I wanted to relax more than anything on our honeymoon. However, that didn’t mean we wanted to be beach bums the entire duration of our trip. We made sure to leave the resort a few times and create some memories. We swam with dolphins, had a blast at a club, and explored downtown Cancun.

Be Romantic – This is your honeymoon for Pete’s sake! Tell your spouse how much you love her and treat her like a princess. Coordinate with the resort to see if there is anything special that can be done. Where we stayed, the staff would sprinkle rose petals on our bed when we returned at night. Champagne would also be waiting. They also set up a candle-lit ocean dinner for the two of us to enjoy. However, in the end, it falls on our shoulders to do all we can to make the trip romantic.

Document it (professionally) – If you are out of the country, using your phone to take photos and video can be problematic. Additionally, who wants to be on their phone during their honeymoon? To make sure we would always remember the beautiful area we stayed at, Sidney and I took advantage of a professional photoshoot service. It was worth every cent. Not only did we have one of the most talented photographers ever, but she made the experience fun and worked extremely hard. The next morning we were able to pick up our photos and they looked incredible. To this day we treasure them.

Branch out just a bit – Your honeymoon is about you and your spouse. Make sure to spend 90% of the time with just her. However, chances are you will be staying at a place with other honeymooners as well. Those people are just as excited and passionate to be there as you are. Because of this common ground, it is very easy to talk to them. Sid and I made several new friends from not just the United States but other places around the world on our honeymoon. You don’t have to do it a lot, but it is rewarding to share your happiness with others.

Identify fine line between indulging and moderation – If you stay at an all-inclusive property, you will have delicious food and refreshing drinks offered to you at every moment. You paid good money for that so spoil yourself and forget about your diet. However, try not to go absolutely nuts because a stomachache later in the night or a hangover the next day is not ideal.

Prepare yourself to leave – It is depressing when your honeymoon ends. However, just focus on what a great time you had and the memories you made. Also, perk yourself up by reminding yourself that the sooner you get home, the sooner you really get to begin the exciting endeavor of married life.

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I can’t stress enough how special a honeymoon is. Use the tips above, but if nothing else, just enjoy yourself and treat your spouse well. Don’t Blink.

Jamming Out at the Carolina Country Music Fest

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Once an avid concert-goer, I have slowed down attending shows over the last few years. However, this past weekend I returned to the live music scene in a big way. To celebrate our anniversary, Sidney and I attended the Carolina Country Music Festival. A mammoth four day fest that attracts some of country music’s biggest superstars to Myrtle Beach, the CCMF is a big deal.

The CCMF was actually a first for me. While I have attended arena shows, outdoor shows, and even an awards show before, I had never went to a music festival. I was excited to sit outside, enjoy the vendors, and meet our 20,000 “neighbors”…

….I just wasn’t ready to do it for four days.

Sidney and I during the first day of the Carolina Country Music Fest.

Sidney and I attended the middle two days of the CCMF on Friday and Saturday. While we knew it would be nice to see acts that performed on Thursday and Sunday such as Jason Aldean, Montgomery Gentry, Chris Young, Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, and others, the two days we did go provided us with more than enough fun.

On Friday we arrived at 5: 30 p.m. and stayed until midnight. We saw Parmalee, Kip Moore, Billy Currington, and Darius Rucker. On Saturday we showed up at 4 p.m. and watched LANco, Chris Lane, Granger Smith, Lee Brice, and Kenny Chesney. It was midnight when we left on Saturday as well. So, for those keeping count, we saw nine different acts perform over the course of 17 hours. Talk about a lot of music!

A look at where we were standing on Friday night.

Before I address who we liked best, I did want to mention the fest itself. Although the CCMF is only in its third year, I must say that the organizers seem to have it down to a science. Getting inside the event area was quick and easy. The wristband system is extremely convenient. There was no shortage of food options. Beer stations were all over the place. Different sections at the fest (such as general admission, VIP, Super VIP) were clearly distinguishable and a heavy security presence was on hand to make sure everyone stayed where they were supposed to. Large screens were set up everywhere so those who were not close to the stage could still follow the action. Except for a couple instances, I never really saw much disorganization.

I didn’t understand the magnitude of the event until I walked through the gates the first time on Friday evening. The festival was absolutely packed! However, for the most part, people were really cool. Sidney and I had the opportunity to meet new friends while also enjoying people-watching at its finest. Although we felt really young and really overdressed at times, we had a great time being part of the crowd.

Here is an aerial shot of the CCMF on Saturday night. It is a massive event (photo courtesy of CCMF).

When it came to Friday night, my favorite performer was Billy Currington. He brought a lot of energy to the stage and it was fun to sing aloud to his songs (especially “People Are Crazy”). Darius Rucker was good but I had seen him before, and like I said then, he is pretty much no frills when it comes to his shows. Currington played his set during the period when it went from day to night so to jam out as the sun went down was pretty scenic/fun.

I enjoyed the music on Saturday better. Because Sidney and I arrived a little earlier this day, we moved much closer up in our section. We brought a blanket with us that allowed us to sit and relax during the early acts. Sidney loved Chris Lane’s act. Personally, I was pleasantly surprised by Lee Brice’s set. I saw him when he performed at Coastal Carolina last fall and I didn’t think the show was anything special. However, up on the CCMF stage with the ocean behind him, Brice put on an incredible show. The crowd was really into it and he touched the emotions of most of us with both his sad songs and his party songs. Although proposals at concerts are sometimes cheesy, the couple he had come up on stage made everyone go “awwwwwwwwwwwww” when the dude popped the question and the girl responded with “I absolutely will marry you.”

Sidney and I during the day on Saturday. The second day was our favorite.

But it wasn’t even a question of who the best performer was during the two days we were there. Kenny Chesney was by far and away the greatest entertainer that took the stage. He opened by performing “Beer In Mexico.” The moment he sang the song’s opening lyrics, starin’ out into the wild blue yonder, I looked at Sidney and said WOW.

Chensey’s voice was so distinctive, so clear, so effortless. After hearing the eight previous acts, he just stood out so much. We loved his set. He stuck with his more upbeat hits (so no, he didn’t perform “Don’t Blink”) and just entertained us. His band was awesome and he tried as hard as he could to convey that he was having a good time. He told funny and meaningful stories in between playing hit after hit. After waiting so long to finally see him, I can unequivocally say that Kenny Chesney did not disappoint.

Attending the Carolina Country Music Fest was a great way to spend our anniversary weekend. If we do it again, we might opt for a VIP package and just go one night. One thing plainly obvious to Sidney and I over the course of the two nights was that we can’t hang with the young bucks like we used to. However, we did our best and had a very memorable time. Don’t Blink.

Celebrating Our First Wedding Anniversary

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After a weekend spent at a major country music festival, Sidney and I took today to relax as we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. At church this morning as I sat in the pew I couldn’t help but close my eyes and think back to exactly a year ago when Sidney and I stood up on the altar and said our vows. I did this as I held my daughter in my arms.

Sidney and I at our wedding. Today I sat in this very church reflecting on our special day exactly one year ago today.

Ah yes, we had a daughter our first year of marriage. Because of this, our first 365 days as a married couple seemed to go by both fast and slow. It went quickly in the sense that it seems just like yesterday that Msgr. LeBlanc was officiating our wedding. But it also seems like these first 52 weeks dragged by just a bit because when you are pregnant for 37 of them (or your wife is) it tends to slow down time just a bit.

But regardless of how fast or slow this first year went, one thing is for sure: it has been blissful. I married an incredible woman. Between last June 11 and this June 11, we experienced so many highs. We also battled some challenges but that is what happens when you give your life to someone else and you create life at the same time…all in 365 days.

It was a beautiful feeling walking back up the aisle with Sidney after we were married.

This evening we ate a portion of our wedding cake from a year ago. I was so excited to taste it, I really wanted to experience what year-old cake would taste like. I was expecting it to lose flavor or taste freezer burnt. But believe it or not, it was delicious! In fact, it tasted like it did on our wedding day.

Sidney and I eating our wedding cake with Sloan this evening.

In a way, the cake was a metaphor for our young marriage. Since we said “I do” our relationship has not lost any flavor nor has the magic we felt when we walked down the aisle left us. Now obviously the key is to keep the flavor and magic lasting well past a year but you have to start somewhere.

We cut this cake a year ago today. Tonight we ate some of it.

I am so grateful for my beautiful bride and for what she has given me. I am extremely blessed and will forever be indebted to God. Happy anniversary, Sidney. Don’t Blink.

A Food and Music Thursday Rundown

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Greeting to my loyal readers. As I mentioned, this month is very exciting for me, with the real fun of June beginning tomorrow! I will make sure to explain what I mean in this Thursday Rundown.

Culinary Delight – On Friday night, Sidney made a dish that we originally saw prepared on The Pioneer Woman. She took hots dogs and cut them right down the middle. She then placed a stick of string cheese in each incision. Then, bacon was wrapped around the frank. After we cooked them, we placed them in hot dog buns and enjoyed. We both recommend that you give this recipe a try!

A look at our dogs (inspired by The Pioneer Woman) before we cooked them.

Carolina Country Music Fest – The Carolina Country Music Fest starts tomorrow here in Myrtle Beach! With the ocean as the backdrop, major country music stars will perform here for three straight days. Sidney and I purchased tickets to celebrate our anniversary and we can’t wait to experience the fun. Sid is most excited for tomorrow night’s headliner, Darius Rucker (I wonder if he will give me backstage passes or some swag since I helped him out with one of his music videos?). I am most excited for Kenny Chensey on Saturday night! Even though I saw him perform one song when I attended College Gameday in the fall of 2014, I am pumped to see him do an entire set. Also performing over the weekend will be Kip Moore, Gretchen Wilson, Jason Aldean, Lee Brice, Parmalee, Billy Currington, Love & Theft, Chris Young, and Big & Rich.

These are our wrist bands that will get us into the Carolina Country Music Festival.

Sweet Flashback – It is our wedding anniversary on Sunday. That means that a year ago at this time, we were right in the middle of wedding week preparation. Over the past few days, I have thoroughly enjoyed all the photos and videos from Timehop and Facebook of that incredible time in 2016. Reliving the joy and excitement I experienced with Sidney and my family has been very nice. The walk down memory lane isn’t over yet…I can’t wait to see the memories that will be delivered to me via my smartphone over the next few days.

Just a few photos from our #SidAndBrent wedding week.

Comey Hearing – As many of you know, although I don’t delve into politics, I do enjoy major political events where the pressure is turned up and the consequences are major. I was very curious to hear the bombshells that would be dropped during the James Comey testimony. After all, the media hyped it up as the event of the century. When I got home and watched the coverage this evening, to be honest, I was really surprised at the lack of juicy info. The damning allegations against the President that were supposed to be revealed? Extremely underwhelming to say the least. In fact, Comey admitted that he did not believe President Trump nor his staff had asked him to stop the Russian investigation. Ironically enough, the biggest headline of the hearing was when Comey had to fess up that he purposely leaked information. Although I was hoping for more substance, I am ultimately happy that the White House wasn’t as involved with the Russian allegations as the media made it out to be.

The Latest of Sloan – As I mentioned in a post earlier this week, Sloan can’t stop kicking her feet! She is a very happy girl, especially in the mornings, and she lights up my world when she smiles. She turns 12 weeks tomorrow.

Here is the latest Sloan photo collage. Obviously she slept a lot.

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Have a wonderful weekend! I can’t wait to enjoy some live country music and celebrate an anniversary. Don’t Blink.

I Am Proud of Sloan Because…

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For someone who is not a parent, like I was for most of my life, it is tough to understand what moms and dads mean when they say they are proud of their infant children. What can someone do to warrant pride who hasn’t even lived on the planet for three months?

A couple weeks ago I tried to explain my answer to this legitimate question. I replied that first and foremost, it is a crowning achievement just to start out as a microscopic egg and then undergo countless obstacles and milestones over a nine month period to ultimately emerge as a human. I then proceeded to give a more specific and current example on why I am proud of Sloan. However, as a dad who is too prideful for his own good, I have additional reasons as well. In tonight’s blog post, in no particular order, I want to give you ten other reasons for why I am proud of Sloan.

Tonight I give “just a few” additional reasons on why I am proud of Sloan.

I Am Proud of Sloan Because…

She carries my last name – By no choice of her own, Sloan has my name. I need to lead a good life to make her proud of it.

She has her mama’s good looks – Thanks to Sidney for providing her dominant genes, Sloan stops people in their tracks.

She has been through a lot – Sloan has already overcome enough to validate her toughness for the rest of her life.

She is taking her hair loss very well – Sadly, some of her hair is falling out (typical for many babies) but she is taking it much better than most men.

She sleeps through the night – I am not kidding here, we put her down around 8 p.m. and she doesn’t wake up until I feed her at 4:30 a.m.

She is in training to become a professional soccer player – Kick, kick, kick, kick, kick. It seems to be all she does these days! We set her down and her feet go bonkers for intervals of up to 30 minutes.

She sits quietly through church – Perhaps one day she will become a nun? Nah, I think she is just very well-mannered.

She is not jealous of her newborn cousin – Although she hasn’t exactly told us that her feelings aren’t hurt by the birth of Henry, her body language seems to suggest that she is totally cool with it.

She puts up with daddy’s singing – If you have heard my singing voice, you would be extremely proud of Sloan too.

She makes you forget about the stresses of life – Feeling down? Text me and I will send you a video of Sloan being really cute!

Okay, I am finished with my bragging. I think I will hold off on sharing my other 100 reasons for at least another month. God bless you, Sloan! Don’t Blink.

Five Reasons to Compliment Walmart

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In the past, I have written blog posts critical of Walmart. However, I have always maintained that no matter how much I make fun of the mega retailer, I still shop there. Tonight I want to break away from the cynicism. Adding to the cost saving advantages I have written about in the past, I actually feel the need to compliment Walmart on a few areas where I think the company really does a nice job. How about I give you five?

Great Value is Great – I have made up my mind. In my opinion, the Walmart generic brand is actually pretty good. I have mentioned before that Great Value ice cream is amazing but it goes further than dessert. You can buy really good chips and cheese puffs for $1 per bag. You can purchase decent peanut butter for half the price of JIFF. You can grab cereal off the shelves that taste identical to that of the premium brands but cost around $2 per box. Pasta, cool whip, cheese, bacon, milk, etc. etc. are just a few of the other items I buy under the Great Value brand. Honestly, it is worth both the taste and money to opt for Walmart generic products.

Baby Formula – We purchase a baby formula for Sloan that runs for $12.99 at CVS or Walgreens. At Walmart, the exact same bottle is under 10 bucks. When you are purchasing 6-8 bottles at a time, that equates to some pretty significant savings. Even if you aren’t buying generic at Walmart, you still save a lot on premium brand products compared to what you would pay somewhere else.

So Much More Than Groceries – Walmart really is a one-stop destination. Before or after you finish shopping, you can take advantage of all the other lifestyle offerings available inside the stores. Everything from Subway restaurants to Redbox kiosks to salons to ATMs to photo processing centers can be found in your average Walmart. There is no need to drive all around town making multiple stops…Walmart has you covered.

Cold Soda – Last week, I mentioned how I have developed a taste for soda. These days when I walk out of a Walmart, I am tempted to drop some coins into the wide range of soda machines that you must walk by before exiting through the doors. However, the ambush isn’t entirely bad. The soft drinks are always heavily discounted and most of the product is distributed in 12 ounce cans. Who doesn’t love a can of soda dispensed from a machine? Ice cold and bubbly, there is no better way to drink it. These days it is easy to find Coke machines at malls and airports that sell 20 ounce bottles for $1.75, a far cry from the aluminum delight you can enjoy at Walmart for just 45 cents.

Checkout Convenience – A pet peeve of mine at Walmart is that many times there will be 45 checkout lanes installed but only five of them will be open. The company is now seemingly trying to combat this by offering more self checkout lanes. In fact, it now seems that the amount of self checkout lanes equals that of clerk-administered lanes. I have noticed that Walmarts now have self checkout (I think Walmart calls them Scan and Go) centers located at both ends of the checkout area. Each center has around 10 different kiosks where customers can scan their groceries. As someone who likes to scan my own groceries when I have under 20 items (which is most of the time), I really appreciate this convenience.

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Does Walmart offer you any advantages? If so, let me know. Hope your Monday went well and that your week is off on the right foot. Don’t Blink.

Sloan’s New Friend

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Well, things got much more exciting for our South Carolina family this past week. My sister-in-law, Steph, had her third child on Thursday. She gave birth to a handsome and healthy baby boy named Henry. Mom and son are both doing great!

The good-looking Yarborough family with newest member Henry (photo courtesy of Jon).

Sidney and Steph had a special bond over the past several months because they were both pregnant at the same time. However, now that both babies are here, I would dare say that bond intensifies even more. Two sisters will have the opportunity to raise their infants side-by-side.

Aunt Sidney holding Henry on Thursday (photo credit to Court).

Of course, the real winner in my opinion is Sloan. She now has a cousin who is exactly her age. How many of us can say that? Only 76 days separate the birthdays of Sloan and Henry. Better yet, only two miles separate the pair in location. Sloan only needs to get her mommy or daddy to take her on a five minute car ride whenever she wants to see her cousin.

Sidney holding Sloan and me holding Henry yesterday. Henry made Sloan look like a giant!

Actually, on second thought, perhaps the real winner is my mother-in-law who now has two beautiful grandbabies sandwiched between where she lives!

Okay, okay, I think we are all winners. To have two new healthy and happy babies in the family is a major blessing. For as long as the Resers and Yarboroughs are both in Myrtle Beach, it truly will be special to watch Sloan and Henry grow up together. It is my hope that they will be best friends and develop a special bond that will last their entire lives.

On Friday after work, I visited the hospital and got to hold Henry for the first time.

The seeds of that bond were planted yesterday. Stephanie brought Henry home from the hospital and it didn’t take long for Sloan to visit him. Although we were a bit surprised at how much she dwarfed her younger cousin (we still consider Sloan very small), we know it will all even out over time. The first meeting went well and there was nothing cuter than when both of their little heads were right next to each other.

I love this photo of Henry and Sloan resting right next to each other

This story will get even better in July but I will save that for when the time draws nearer. As of right now, we are so proud of the new additions to our Southern family and we can’t wait until later this afternoon when Sloan and Henry will meet again! Don’t Blink.

June Thursday Rundown

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June is here! I am extrememely exicted for this month, but more on that later. Let’s get this Thursday Rundown rolling…

Cool Book For Sloan – A few weeks back I mentioned that I needed more books that I could read to Sloan. Well, one came in the mail yesterday. My mom sent us a book titled Night-Night Washington. Throughout the pages, the author takes the reader (and listener) to different places in my home state as activity settles down for the evening. For example, there is a point in the book where the ducks in Riverfront Park relax for the night. Sidney and I have both already read Night-Night Washington aloud and we are excited for the opportunity to educate Sloan on her “home away from home.”

In the mail this week we received this childrens book titled “Night Night Washington.” Thanks, mom!

Movies This Week– I watched a classic and a new release over this past week. I took two nights to sit down and watch “Schindler’s List.” What a well-done film. I only really know Liam Neeson from the “Taken” franchise and a couple other action films so to see him in such a dramatically different role was interesting, but he owned it. Extremely graphic and very hard to watch at times, I still think it should be required that everyone watch it.

Last night, Sidney and I watched “The Shack.” I had read the book and was a little curious to see how it would be adapted to film. I also am a fan of Tim McGraw. Usually this never happens, but the images I conjured up while reading the book in my brain translated pretty closely to how they were depicted in the movie! “The Shack” definitely drew emotion out of us but I am pretty sure many others won’t enjoy it as much as we did.

Ready For An Awesome Month – As I mentioned in the introduction, I am stoked for this month. Why so giddy? Well, a few reasons: Sidney and I will celebrate our wedding anniversary. We will attend the Carolina Country Music Festival. My mom and brother will both come to town. I will get to celebrate Father’s Day as an actual dad! Sloan will be baptized. Talk about a lot of fun….and a lot of potential blog posts!

My brother is coming to town this month. He will meet Sloan for the first time.

NBA Finals – After pretty much a whole season of hype, the NBA Finals matchup that everyone wanted to see (again) will tip off tonight. The Golden State Warriors will battle the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third straight season. I would like to see the Warriors sweep the Cavs but my prediction is that the series will go six games, with Golden State eventually hoisting the trophy. Depending on whether the referees grant Lebron every possible call (per usual), the series could stretch to seven games.

Latest Sloan Photos – Our baby girl had an excellent month of May. Now almost 11 weeks, Sidney and I are so pleased with the little person that is ours. She rolled over last Friday and she is sleeping so well at night. Here is the latest picture collage.

Here is the latest Sloan photo collage. She will turn 11 weeks tomorrow.

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I hope you are as excited and optimistic about this month as I am. Have a great weekend and enjoy the NBA Finals. Don’t Blink.