beach – Sweat & Sparkle

Beaches, Sunsets, and Classrooms

This week, my husband and I celebrated 19 years together. We’ve made a tradition of taking a weekend trip near our wedding anniversary. It fell on a weekday this year, so we took a few days off to spend our anniversary at our favorite beach.

It threatened to rain on us, and it was actually sprinkling as we set up our chairs and umbrella the first day, but that was surprisingly soothing: relaxing in our chairs and listening to the gentle rain tap lightly on the umbrella, waves crashing rhythmically in front of us. Then the rain decided to give us a break, and we spent a beautiful afternoon alternating between jumping in the waves and half-dozing under the umbrella.

The days went by so fast. I loved our time together, nothing to worry about but what to get into next. On our last evening, we took a long walk down the beach, picking up seashells that caught our eye, pausing to take in the pink and blue and purple sunset that managed to peek through the clouds, seemingly just for us.

Today, my husband is helping our older daughter set up her classroom for her very first teaching job. I’m not sure which one is more excited about it, him or her! She has talked about being a teacher ever since she was very little. I got her a teacher Barbie doll many years ago that she still has, with a mini chalkboard, stored away with other cherished toys in her old bedroom closet. We played endless hours of school over the years, sitting in front of her while she instructed, preached, told random stories, issued commands, whatever popped into her head as she strutted in front of us. And now, here she is, awaiting the first day of school and her first classroom of (real) students.

I have been thinking of both of them all day. It’s fitting, actually, that the two of them are working together on her classroom today. They have always been close. I love that she was at our house when she received the job offer, and I love that my husband is with her today, working in her classroom with her. They deserve to share this happiness together, after all the jealous and bitter attempts by his ex to drive them apart. It didn’t work on them, and it didn’t work on us. Go figure.

I’m looking forward to heading home and hearing all about his day, and her classroom, and her new school, before we settle into our weekend together. It’s going to be diabolically hot, but yard work doesn’t do itself, so there is definitely some heavy sweating in our Saturday forecast. But after that (and after much-needed showers) is our date night, so it will be a great day, no matter what.

Just What I Needed

When we decided we needed one more beach trip before this summer wraps up, we randomly picked an open weekend and booked our room. Little did I know that we chose the perfect weekend, because I sure needed it!

Work is so hectic right now, insanely busy, and I am in overdrive all day long just to keep my chin above the water. Just when I think I might actually get caught up, I am interrupted, or someone has a question.

I almost brought my laptop home with me. Almost. But I decided I desperately needed a break. My laptop and everything else work-related stayed right on my desk, where it could all wait until I got back.

My husband and I packed up and eagerly headed out. We didn’t even check into the inn first. We went straight to the beach. It looked like something from a postcard, with brilliant blue and emerald water, so clear at the shoreline that you could see shells scattered beneath the breaking waves.

As I floated deeper and deeper into the cool water, my toes barely touching the soft sand, all the stress and tension from the work week evaporated. We had the beach almost to ourselves, which was amazing to me. The weather was perfect. The water was amazing. I thought the beach would be packed. Well, so much the better for us!

Normally I prefer huge, crashing waves to jump around in, but the tranquil, calm water was perfect this past weekend. It was just what I needed. The gentle lull of soothing waves, the dazzling blue sky all around, fluffy clouds, my arms around my husband’s shoulders…I could have just about dozed off peacefully right there in the water.

We went out to dinner then came right back to stroll along the beach, look for shells, and watch the sunset. I love all the magnificent colors that light up the horizon just before the sun melts away. No matter how many times we have watched one, sunsets at the beach are mesmerizing.

I read a joke once that people who unpack as soon as they get home from a trip are serial killers. It made me laugh, because that is exactly what my husband and I do! We unzip our bags, put everything away, start a load of laundry with still-damp swimsuits and towels. We always clean before we head out of town, so we come home to a neat, tidy house and can just relax the rest of the day.

We went out for ice cream last night and just sat and chatted, talked about the beach, our next trip, the kids, anything that popped into our heads. We stayed up a bit too late, because we didn’t want our weekend to end, but alas, Monday mornings always roll around eventually, don’t they?

I fired up my laptop at work this morning but just wasn’t ready to dive in yet. I sorted my beach photos into a folder, scrolling them one more time with a smile. It’s time to get back to work now, but just for the record, my mind and my heart are still floating blissfully under the warm sun, cotton ball clouds, and ocean blue sky.

Salon Selectives Conditioner Review

After my very negative review of a Dollar Tree beauty item in my last post, I feel the need to balance things out with a much more positive one. For the most part, when I take a chance and buy make-up, nail polish, or another beauty item at Dollar Tree, I end up liking it, so I want to be fair here.

My hair is very long, down to my waist, and tangles easily. I am not one of those carefree, whip-my-hair-around ladies on the beach, like you see in movies and commercials, because if I did, my hair would be full of knots the size of birds’ nests. I dampen my hair, douse it with detangling spray, and braid it before I even think of getting into salt water.

Last year, before one of our beach trips, I decided to get a cheap conditioner, something I didn’t mind using a ton of, and coat my damp hair with it before I braided it. I liked the smell of Salon Selectives Argan Oil Hair Treatment:

Even if you don’t like perfumed products, the scent doesn’t stick around after you rinse it out. I coated my hair with this conditioner before braiding it and swimming, and then in the shower afterward, I spread a generous layer on my hair and let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing it out.

After my shower, I was quite happy with how easily I was able to comb my hair. No little knots or tangles–the comb glided right through my hair, which is unusual for me after swimming in salt water.

Even better, when my hair dried, it felt so soft and light, bouncy. My hair is fine, so I appreciated that this conditioner does not weigh it down or leave a greasy residue. And did I mention that I really like the way it smells?

I had picked up a jar of this conditioner thinking it would be a one-time purchase just to load up my hair and protect it from salt water at the beach, but I ended up going back to Dollar Tree and stocking up with two more jars. It’s now part of my regular rotation in our shower.

This is one product that I absolutely recommend. I experiment with hair products all the time, and this one is high on my list. Not bad for a dollar (and a quarter)!

Stronger

Today, I am celebrating the day that I stood beside an amazing man and became his wife, and he became my husband.

I write about my husband a lot here, because he’s my best friend. So many people complain about their spouse, but I am the opposite: I enjoy spending time with my husband. We don’t get nearly enough time together.

Part of feeling that way is that we took so long to find each other. Both of us had been married and divorced already, so both of us knew what it feels like to tie that knot with the dreadfully wrong person. We both learned first-hand what it’s like when your marriage was a mistake instead of a blessing, and we knew with certainty what we did not want, ever again.

We stumbled across each other one day and were drawn to each other, despite all the chaos and negativity around us at the time. Other people tried like hell to keep us apart. They failed. Through all the lies, attacks, and rages, we held onto each other, supported each other, and went to battle for each other.

This past weekend, we escaped for a long weekend to one of our favorite beach spots as an early anniversary gift to each other. Sitting beside him in the sand, listening to the waves, is one of my most cherished ways to pass an afternoon.

We slept with the drapes pulled back so we could watch the sunrise from the bed, relaxed in each other’s arms. Typically we get up early, walk on the beach, pick up shells, and watch the sunrise from the water’s edge, but this time, we just wanted to stay right where we were. And it was perfect.

We have been together about 18 years now. Who knew, that first time I saw the tall, loud man who can make everyone laugh, how much my life was about to change?

We haven’t always had it easy. We haven’t been allowed to. But in sweet irony, every attempt to drive us apart only forged us closer together. We have leaned on each other, supported each other, and backed each other up, and through it all, we knew that what we found with each other is well worth fighting for.

Today, we celebrate our decision to make it official, to become husband and wife, to face all of our tomorrows as a team. There is no one else I want to watch sunrises with, for the rest of my days. Words cannot adequately describe how I feel about him, so I will let my actions show him every day instead.