helpful hints for your next vacation.

 *warning: this post has too many pictures and most were taken with my point and shoot camera*

Just in case you didn't know a few things about how to have a family trip to Pawley's Island I thought I'd give you a couple of hints and tips. (if you missed my first vacation post...click here.)

#1-Get ice cream every day.  Bruster's will give you heaping ice cream cones that will make your eyes pop out of your head when they hand them to you.  You'll wonder who they think is planning to eat this one ice cream cone?  You and everyone that lives in Texas?  Of course, my kids loved that they got to down that much ice cream. 

#2-If you go to Bruster's...you must try the peanut butter explosion ice cream.  It's making my mouth water just thinking about it.

#3-If you don't get peanut butter explosion...you have to have cotton candy explosion.  It has pop rocks.  Gracie and Emma got it every time.

#4-Make sure to measure yourself 10 times while you're there to make sure you are too BIG to get the baby ice cream cone.

#5-When you go crabbing...make sure to go at low tide.  You will actually see crabs.

#6-When you put the chicken leg bait in your net...tie it on...or the crab will take off with it and laugh at you when you lift up your net.

#7-Let your kids put the nasty chicken leg in the net.

#8-Big brothers are an excellent way to get out of walking...anywhere.

#9-A new hat makes for a great souvenir, especially if you look like an awesome cowgirl in it.

#10-Digging is mandatory on the beach.  It's possible that you could dig all the way to water...or buried treasure...never give up.  Just keep digging.  Get the big shovels.  Not those whimpy beach shovels.  Put your heart into it.  Be serious.

#11-It is impossible to collect enough seashells.  Each and every one is so completely beautiful.  It doesn't matter if they are broken or not.  They are all, every one, wonderfully wonderful.

#12-You can be the youngest child in the family and be the very first, brave soul to try boogie boarding.  And then love it so much that your entire swimsuit fills up with sand.

#13-Your swimsuit will fill up with sand...especially if you're a girl.  Good luck getting it out.

#14-Pizza Grill-a has excellent pizza and corndogs...and stuffed Gorilla's that will stare at you while you eat.

#15-Riding bikes around the island is super fun...even if you almost have a heart attack...or three...or four... when your child rides their bike out in front of oncoming traffic (yes, that means multiple cars...multiple times).

#16-Jumping on beds is good stress relief.

#17-Eating cold breakfast cereal at a beachside condo tastes better than it does at your own house.

#18-A joke book from the 1950s can keep kids entertained for hours.

#19-You can go out on a deep sea fishing boat.  We saw the ads.  We're going next time.

#20-It will never be a long enough trip.  Kids will be sad when it's time to leave.

good. LIFE.