Melissa Baswell Williams

Our final summer hurrah, also titled “If you don’t go to a Wisconsin or Michigan lake in the summer, are you even really from Chicagoland?” 🌞🌊 I can’t believe my kids start school next week. As hard as it is to work from home when your kids aren’t in school, and as much as I am over the freaking sibling fighting, it always makes me sad when this time of year comes to an end. I cherish these long, sunshine-filled days that aren’t over-scheduled to the point of exhaustion. Once August ends, I instantly begin counting down until the next summer starts. 💛

Tell me one thing more epic as a kid than seeing an ice cream truck rolling into your hood blasting some nursery rhyme bangers. 🤘🏼 I LOVE SUMMER.

In 2021 we tacked Disney World onto our annual vacation as a one and done. I’d never been, and was 100% sure that I was too cool to ever be a “Disney person.” At the time, I thought there was only one park, had no idea what any of the rides were, and only booked it so my kids could go once since I never got to go. Welp, we loved it so much that we went again in 2022. In 2023, we were determined to go somewhere else, but couldn’t think of anywhere else we’d been or wanted to go that would be as much fun, so Disney it was. Finally, in 2024, we booked a beach trip to Florida with no plans to go to Disney World. Guess where we ended up the last two days? (Epcot and Magic Kingdom. 🫠) I’ve given up on fighting it. We are Disney people. And someday when I strike it rich, I’m going to go once a month. 😬🐭🏰 Also - Orange Bird 🍊 is my favorite Disney character, hence the cover of this reel. People are usually like “wait, who?” I’ve always gone for the weird ones. 🤪

#ad Back-to-school shopping time is officially here! Here are few things I do to make it easier: 1. Go through current school clothes and see what is needed. 2. Make lists (supplies, clothes, lunch items, etc.). 3. Shop early rather than last minute. 4. Grab all of your back-to-school supplies in the School Supply Aisle at @Walgreens! Walgreens has everything you need right in one convenient aisle, like Pilot G2 Gel Pens, which, along with all Pilot items, are 20% OFF for all of July and August! There’s another epic Back to School aisle-wide promotion going on too: when you spend $20, you’ll get $5 Register Rewards to spend on your next in-store purchase. Pretty great, right? In just a few minutes, we got everything from pens and pencils to scissors, crayons, markers, rulers - even grabbed a Target Gift Card so my kids could have some fun shopping for new school clothes. I have to say, it feels pretty great to have school supply shopping checked off the list and know I saved money. Get back to school ready by heading to your local Walgreens today, or click the link in my bio or stories! https://click2cart.com/291300bd #BackToSchoolAtWalgreens #WalgreensOfficeBacktoSchool

It’s been a while since I’ve shared a recipe here, and this protein filled savory + sweet snack mix hits the freaking spot during summertime activities. (It’s also so easy that calling it a “recipe” at all feels a little ridiculous - which is actually my favorite kind of recipe. 😬) 🥜 SWEET + SAVORY PROTEIN SNACK MIX 🥨 4 cups Peanut Butter Chex 3 cups pretzel twists 1 cup dry roasted or cocktail peanuts 1/2 cup pepitas 1/2 cup sesame sticks 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cup raisins Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well, and store in an airtight container if you don’t eat it all first. 🤤

I mean who needs therapy or anxiety meds when you can just take a walk? 😑😏 To be fair, walks and fresh air and sunshine and exercise and good nutrition do help - a lot. But don’t let anyone tell you therapy or meds aren’t necessary. They actually save lives. 💛

CLOSED Summer is my favorite time of year, and to celebrate, I’m giving one of you a ✨$250 gift card✨ to shop for beautiful, custom made, sustainable fashion from @gaiaconceptions! (Check out some of the pieces from their new Core Collections in this photo! So good!) 
HOW TO ENTER: 1. Follow @bubbyandbean and @gaiaconceptions, and LIKE and SAVE this photo.  
2. Tag friends in *separate* comments. (Each friend tag is worth 1 entry, so the more friends you tag the more entries you get!)  3. For 3 extra entries, share this post to your stories.  You can also enter/gain extra entries on the blog (link in profile). Ends this Friday (7/19) and is open to Bubby & Bean followers worldwide. All valid entries from this post and bubbyandbean.com will be combined and winner will be randomly chosen, then announced on the blog as well as here in this post. (In no way is this sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Instagram/META.) UPDATE: Congrats to randomly chosen winner @mommyinva! Please check your DMs.

Currently working, but mentally I’m back at @seaworldorlando. 🌊🎢🐬 #ad Daydreaming about Sesame Street Land (as seen in background of first photo with my husband and me - middle aged and Sesame Street fans for life 😂🙌🏼), epic coasters (and getting to be at the front of the line with Quick Queue Unlimited!), delicious snacks, fun games, and learning more about marine animal rescue/rehabilitation (they’ve rescued over 41,000 so far) and the importance of ocean conservation - all in the sunshine and without a care in the world. 🥹 Anybody else reliving a recent vaca in their head today?!

That one time (last week) when we took a family vacation with almost no plans and ended up not only poolside daily at a seriously fantastic hotel (@druryplazahotelorlando - we will be back), but also at Cocoa Beach, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, SeaWorld, and Disney Springs, all in 6 days. Like I said before, I don’t like the phrase “much needed” about vacations because we don’t *need* vacations, but to say this was much appreciated would be a major understatement. Thank you universe for this sweet glimpse of light in what has not been my favorite year. Family time is everything. 💛

We just had the most jam-packed vacation and one of our favorite experiences was our day at @seaworldorlando! 🌊🐬🎢 #ad My son has been begging to go to Sesame Street Land for years, and this was like a dream come true for him, but I also loved every second. The rides, the games, the character interactions - they were all incredible. We also have some thrill seekers in our family who were blown away by the coasters. Mako and Infinity Falls topped our list. Pro tip: make sure to get the Quick Queue Unlimited Plus for unlimited front-of-the-line access to some of the most popular rides and reserved seats at shows! We were also a big fan of learning more about how SeaWorld has rescued more than 41,000 animals, as well as everything they do to support conservation. If you’re looking for a family adventure that is a guaranteed core memory maker, make plans now to visit SeaWorld Orlando!

Summer so far. 🌞 Dance recitals, end of season sports (baseball, soccer, football), local fairs, dance company parties, performing in parades, gardening, rock band practices, fun with friends, and so much more. Not pictured: so many pool days, summer dance program, play dates galore, incessant sibling fighting. 🤪 I’m posting this from vacation in Florida. I don’t love the phrase “much needed” when describing vacations because we don’t “need” vacations. But this sure is a much appreciated vacation, times a million. 2024 has been one kick in the a** after another and I can’t put into words how grateful I am to have been able to figure out a way to get away with my family for a week. I’m sure I’ll be sharing all sorts of annoying vacation footage soon. 😘

True story… When I was in first grade, I was so painfully shy I would sit in a corner up against a fence at recess waiting for it to be over. As I got older, this subsided, but I remember being pregnant and so fiercely hoping my kids would have more confidence than I did as a young child, because it wasn’t easy. Clearly, I had nothing to worry about with this one. 🤪 She is so happy to be who she is and lives her best life every. single. day. It is fantastic to watch. 🙌🏼

I didn’t expect to see them getting along (I mean it’s summer break, people) much less freaking drawing together. 🥹 (5 minutes later there were fighting over who had the best artwork but let’s just pretend.) Also how about E’s drawing of Envy from Inside Out 2? Have you see it yet? I thought it was phenomenal. 🤌🏼

My favorite thing about E is that he is 100% unabashedly himself. He is strong, sensitive, full of emotions and feelings, brave (epilepsy warrior! 💪🏼), freaking hilarious, wild, artsy, sporty, outgoing, compassionate, loyal, loud, affectionate, and intense - and he doesn’t try to be anything other than himself. I try everyday to be more like him. 💛