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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Everyday Life, Life Lately, Nantucket ·

Life lately.


Happy Thursday, friends!

Here’s a little look at life lately with my little fam…

With a very open calendar these days, we’ve had way more time to do things together.  This big guy and I have loved riding bikes together.  He even indulges me with a selfie from time to time 🙂 .

We have LOVED being able to pop into “town” as often as we like.  On this day, we needed a few things and were clearly really happy about being there.

Kensington and I have been working out together almost every single day which makes my mama heart SO HAPPY!  We’ve never worked out together, so the entire experience has been new.  My favorite part?  All of the chit chatting we do from the moment we leave the house until the moment we get home.  My second favorite part?  We ride our bikes to the gym.  I LOVE being able to bike around town.

I was sitting at the bar working and looked over at my super cute “work mate”.  How sweet is my littlest love?!

The dogs have all settled in quite nicely 🙂 .

We found and LOVE Surfing Hydrangea Nursery for our outdoor flower needs.  Andrew has already planted so many new shrubs, hydrangeas, he’s filled our flower boxes, added plants to our pots.  It’s looking really fantastic!

We love “field trips” to the nursery!

We also love field trips to the beach.  We’ve been stopping by and visiting different beaches any chance we get.  Even if the weather is a little chilly, we can bring lunch/snacks/books/the frisbee/etc and just enjoy the ocean and being outside.

Just at the marina with my favorite guy.

I mostly work either at the kitchen counter or on the patio table.

We’ve been driving out to Madaket (on the west side of the island) for years to enjoy their market, beach and of course, Millie’s.  We went to Millie’s Market the other day for an afternoon ice cream.

The birthday girl picked dinner at Cru for her special dinner.  They were closed for a private event on June 9th, so we made reservations for June 8th where, of course, she wanted to eat…

…all the oysters.  My family is a big fan of oysters!  Cru has amazing food and the most fabulous location!

This is my new favorite picture.  We were trying to take a selfie and Smith couldn’t get his hair “just right”.  We could not stop laughing.  That boy and his hair!

The Bake Shop for the win on Ashby’s birthday morning!  They have a huge selection of gluten-free baked goods!

She’s always all smiles.

Well, I could cry.  Seriously, cry.   One of my very favorite islanders made Ashby’s birthday dinner SO SPECIAL at The Lobster Trap!  From the minute we walked in until the minute we left, she had our table all fixed up, she had a special birthday sash and she had an ice cream cake for Miss Ashby.  You guys, it was the sweetest.

We are so thankful for the small community of people we’ve met over the years that have taken us Texans in, loved on us and made us feel so welcome and special.

Ashby had the sweetest 11th birthday dinner all because one person decided to make it special JUST BECAUSE.  I am forever grateful.

She’s not even the “dog person” in the family 😉 .

A sunny Saturday afternoon got us out to Nobadeer Beach where we were able to use our vehicle’s beach pass for the first time and drive out on the sand.

We spent all afternoon there enjoying the sunshine…and the convenience of driving right to our beach spot.

The Sox and Yankees played last weekend, so on Saturday night, we decided to head to one of our favorite outdoor spots to watch the game.  We had the best time (per usual!) at Ventuno’s outdoor bar.

Before church on Sunday, this kid and I took a 7 mile round trip bike ride through the most beautiful farm land to and from Cisco Beach.

We sat on the dune and watched 20+ pretty amazing surfers as we chatted.  I told Andrew it was probably my favorite thing I’ve done so far during our time here.

After we biked, we hit up Island Kitchen for breakfast before church and…

…then we headed out to Sconset Beach for the day.  The water was too chilly for me, but these two were in it all day long!

Mades’ passed on the chilly water, but Ashby is brave and would dip in from time to time.  It was the most gorgerous day!

My big and my little…and count…all three pups 😉 .

Monday night of laundry (see the pile?), Bravo TV and two sleeping pups.

That’s a little look at life lately.

I’ll see you tomorrow! xx

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Comments

  1. Mary Brown says

    What a fun update! Have you found a church on the island or are you watching online?

  4. shelly says

    Hi! Could you please link your Ray Ban sunglasses in the cute picture with Ashby? Thank you!!

  5. Kim says

    I’m so happy for you =-) This is just wonderful! I’d love to hear about the weather. Some of the pics look so chilly! What are temps like in a typical week?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      We’ve been in the 60s every day since we’ve been here…a big departure from the 90s back home right now!

      • Becky N says

        Definitely colder than normal – I am outside Boston and heading to Nantucket in a few weeks. It has generally been perfect weather by then so hoping that will be the case this year!

  6. Nicole says

    Awe, so sweet! Do you have a sunglasses link? And also curious about your table outside, do you have a link? Thanks!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      They’re Ray Bans that I picked up at a Sunglasses shop. I thought they were fun, right?

  7. Jennibell says

    Looks like you all could not have made a better decision then to spend it together on Nantucket this summer!

    • Alice H says

      I am loving your Nantucket posts! This is such an amazing opportunity for your family.

      How’s Andrew handling work? I know he can work remote, but I also know he owns his own agency. I’m just being nosy in regards to that lol.

      How are your kids handling not being involved with the activities/sports they normally do during the summer?

      • Mix and Match Mama says

        Thank you so much! Thanks to technology, Andrew can work from home this summer which is amazing! He tries to work from home two days a week in McKinney (thank you, COVID for I guess figuring this out). No one has complained about missing the summer activities in McKinney. We really scaled back last summer, so it’s not a big change for them. They’re loving all of the outdoor activities they can do here which is awesome!

  9. Katrina says

    Love this life for you! Looks like great time spent with your kiddos. I would love to be able to bike to the gym one day. Last year my ten year old daughter and I went to Martha’s Vineyard and biked. I was so sad we couldn’t fit in Nantucket,, but one day!!!

  10. Lyndsey says

    These are the days! Hydrangeas are my moms very favorite. I took her to Nantucket last year and she was over the moon with how colorful and plentiful they were around the island! Next time we may need to make it out to a nursery.
    I have followed you for a decade(!!!!) and I was finally inspired by you to be bold and start my own blog where I will be documenting our life! Would love if you followed along 🙂
    http://www.presentlyparks.com

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      GOOD FOR YOU!!!!! That’s amazing!!! I’m going to check it out right now! xx

  12. Laura says

    I was tearing up so many times reading this. Such special moments y’all have been having!! And a big yay for all the bike riding!! Love it!!

  13. Kristen says

    What a fabulous summer you guys will have ..enjoy! Question , I live here in MA and I have to ask if Andrew gets any heat wearing his yankee gear. I grew up in NJ and when my family visits they know not to sport their yankees gear, lol!!!!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Honestly, not at all. It’s very disappointing. I need people to start shaming him as soon as possible.

    • Laura says

      My husband is a Yankees fan and we live on the north of Boston. Sometimes people will give him some slack or ask me why I’m with him 😂

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I’ve been lifting three days a week, biking one to two days and running about four (some combo of all that), plus, I’ve been biking/walking for leisure everywhere which is so nice!

        • Mix and Match Mama says

          So far, they’ve all been around 4. I’m excited to add miles as the season progresses. I haven’t been able to find the time just quite yet.

  15. Kate says

    Looks like you’re having an amazing time! What precious memories you’re making and so special time with those kiddos! Also, I can’t get over how big Smith is!!

  16. Sheaffer says

    Well, this is just dreamy!!! And listen, I’ve never felt closer to Smith. It’s important to get your hair “just right” for a selfie. 😉

  17. DJ says

    I have followed you for years but I love this post. It’s a breath of fresh air from sponsored content (I know it’s necessary!) and just seems like the OG blogging days. It seems like yall are really settling in nicely and I hope you continue to enjoy your summer!

  18. Paula says

    Pure sweetness!!! I really feel like you should start a book, seriously!!! 🙂 Sea Shulls down by the Sea Shore…I mean, don’t let us down Shay!! 🙂

  19. K.K. says

    I LOVE these type of posts… Book days come in second! Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
    Love to see what island life is looking like!

  20. Karah Stracener says

    It looks like yall are having a fun summer so far. Thank you for taking us along for the ride. The beaches look beautiful.

  21. Amy Heinl says

    It looks like you all have found “your place”. You can just see it on all of your faces. There is just such joy and contentment in all of you. I am so very happy for you and thanks for taking us along. Now you have to get Erika’s crew up there for a visit and the gang will be together again

  22. Claire says

    Could you blog a “traveler’s guide” of Nantucket at some point? It looks like such a cute place to visit!

  23. MelanieL says

    Love this life lately so much! I feel like we’ve all moved to the island right along with you!

  24. kristin says

    Wow, you know when your kids are older then will look back at this summer with such amazing memories. What a special gift for you and your family! Many island blessings to you this summer there!

  25. Tess says

    What a beautiful island. I hope to visit Nantucket once our sports life settles down. We live in NW Arkansas and our school has mandatory summer practices everyday but Friday! We do have two weeks of “dead time” the last week of June and the first week of July. We are hitting up Orange Beach, AL this summer.
    I also have a thirteen year old son and we tease ALL the time about the hair situation. I swear it has its own personality! Ha! 🙂

    • Sally Ratcliff says

      Traveling in the summer with practices was tough when my kids were younger. Always had to go on those 2 dead weeks for sure!! We are in Northwest AR too!

  26. Kristin Lyngaas says

    I seriously could just cry happy tears for you. Time with family is everything. Enjoy it all, even a bit of sand in the house. Have a gorgeous and adventurous summer. 💙

  27. Michalina Peterson says

    Ahhhh! I love following your adventures on Nantucket. It looks magical! I wish your family the very best summer!

  28. Alison says

    Love following along with your summer on Nantucket. Can you share a link for your outdoor patio table? We are looking for one. Thanks!

  29. Kelly says

    We LOVED our time on Nantucket thanks to your recs! Saw you jogging one morning, but didn’t want to be a bother 😉 Already convincing my husband revisit during Christmas!

  30. Kathy says

    It looks like your summer of 2023 is a long and perfect vacation! Love seeing all the Nantucket content on your blog. The photos are wonderful!

  31. SS says

    Shay,
    We have some pix like that of our boys fixing their hair and it makes me giggle every time. We have one where oldest looks like he is doing the “smolder’ look from Tangled. Lol.
    Looks like a great summer…with more to come.
    I have hydrangeas that my Dad got us years ago. They are so pretty round and green, but rarely bloom. He even asked what they were… I had to tell him. He said well they look nice even without flowers. Lol. Last year 2 flower bundles bloomed ( I cannot tell you in how many years…think Dad sent them to us).
    Have fun… No one has asked .. what type of bike and seat do you have?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Oh my gosh, the smolder from Tangled, YES!!!! That’s it! My bike is the one from McKinney that I’ve had for years. I’m not even sure off the top of my head what brand. I just picked it up at our local bike shop. It’s not fancy or really all that special…just a basic bike that’s done me well.

      • SS says

        LOL!!! I knew you would get me with the smolder and Tangled. LOL!!!
        We have a basic bikes, but with biking Mackinac Island (like 9 miles around) we all got better seats to sit on. LOL!!! That is all you pretty much do there bike and eat fudge. LOL!!!

    • Jm says

      SS-
      Are you cutting your hydrangeas back? Most of them bloom on “old wood” so if you’re cutting them you may be losing your blooms. Hydrangeas like some water, shade & that’s about it.

  32. Alison says

    Loved every single photo! Everyone looks so happy and content. But then that last one, with the pup curled up at the bottom of your coffee table. That sealed it. 😍

  33. Paula says

    Awww…what a sweet family ‘Life Lately’ update. I bet Andrew is enjoying the temps for sure. I tell you what these do for me, just increase my desire to see Nantucket. 😊 How far in advance would you suggest planning for the fall?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      This fall, I would plan right away. Next fall? I would secure your hotel in the spring. Thank you! We’re having so much fun!

  34. Michelle says

    Yesterday on one of your Insta stories you had on an adorable green dress with white stripes. Are you able to link it?

  35. Barbara Griffin says

    So excited for all of you. You can tell by the expressions on each face you are so enjoying being there. Such wonderful memories for all of you.

    Thanks for the wonderful pictures.

    Many blessings and Praise to God from whom all blessings flow!

    Barb

  36. Alexia says

    I was wondering how you handle church during holidays… if you’re in an english-speaking place, do you go to a local church ? or do you watch service online ? Stopping by a new, unknown church always make me very happy !

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I love that you do that! When we travel, we watch church online or not depending on what our day looks like that day.

  37. Tami says

    Such a special family time for you! Where did you get your copper colored sweatshirt? I love that color on you!

  38. Kathy says

    What great memories you’re making with the family. Does the ocean ever warm up to 75 degrees?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I don’t know what temp it gets up to, but it’s certainly not the Caribbean temps!

  40. Andrea Conrad says

    Do most people there actually live on Nantucket (all year) or are there mostly vacation/rental houses?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      There is a very lovely population of people who live here year around (I believe around 20,000) but certainly a really big population comes over seasonally as well.

  41. Heather M says

    Is it hard to adjust to such a small house when you’re all used to a much larger one? Surely it’s not all unicorns and rainbows six people and three dogs in a 1400 sq ft home. It’s ok to be more vulnerable with your audience. It’s not very relatable to be sweet sweet sweet all the time. I get you want your space to be a positive one for everyone. But it doesn’t have to be either or. It’s a very rigid way of thinking. It’s not either positive or negative there’s an in between you know. You come across as not relatable to a lot of people as well as fake.
    How did the restaurant know it was Ashby’s birthday? Did you let them know?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      There is a lot of shade thrown in here that I just don’t have the energy to care about, but I would like to say nicely that we met someone several years ago who is adorable and so sweet and over time, she started reading my blog. We saw her at breakfast the first morning we were here and she asked Ashby what she was doing for her birthday and we told her that we were eating at The Lobster Trap, and so she surprised us and set it up. Some people are genuinely nice. Based on a quick IP address search here on my website, you are not one of them 😉 .

    • Michele says

      There’s no need to be rude. I’m a 50 year old single, chubby, woman with no kids and I relate to Shay. I’ve followed her since the beginning and I’m thankful that she, Andrew, and the kids allow us to look into their lives. Shay has said many times that they have struggles. I will never understand why people are nasty to another human for no reason.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I kind of already feel settled, but it really feels like the best of both worlds. I still do all the “normal” things (work, laundry, clean up after kids, take care of the dogs, pay the bills, etc), but I have gorgeous weather and the beach when I’m done.

  43. Kate R says

    Does your Monday night Bravo include Below Deck Sailing Yacht?? And if so, are you team Gary or team Colin 😂

  45. Sharon says

    Hi Shay! I’m wondering if you and the fam plan to take any day trips to other parts of the cape or even Boston since it’s all right in your backyard now!

  46. Anne says

    Is it difficult for you to sit down and work? If I was there, I would be totally in vacation mode every day.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I’m trying to set really good limits on working and make it structured so that I have time to “play”. Right now, it’s 6:00 AM, and I’ve been up working for an hour. At home during the summer, I would typically work and then take 3 to 4 hours every afternoon to do something with the kids (like go to the pool), so I’m still trying to channel that a bit.

  47. Ashley says

    Gosh, Nantucket looks absolutely incredible!!! As a fellow Texan, I have to ask, are you missing Tex-Mex or Mexican food? Or have you found a good restaurant there??

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Oh my gosh, so funny because we are eating fish pretty much every single night buuuuuut we decided to still make tacos/guac/something Tex-Mex at home at least one night a week. We love our Tex-Mex!

  48. Nancy says

    Shay I’m just so happy to see God open so many doors, adventures and memories for your sweet family! everyone looks SO happy and relaxed!

  49. Amy l Tretter says

    Have you read any of Pamela Kelleys books? I read her Nantucket series and it was so cute!

  50. MARY says

    so much fun! can you link your couch in the pictures and do you like/love it? thanks!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      The couch is from my brother’s line! It’s The Thomas by Home by Sean and Catherine Lowe at Wayfair. We love it so much that we have it in McKinney too! I love, love, love it!

  51. Maggie says

    How are the kids doing without friends? Do you have drawer microwave and if so do you like it? How is your family adjusting to a smaller home? Just curious! Thank you for bringing us along with you to Nantucket!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      My kids love their friends at home, so of course, they wish they could have brought them all along with them, but they’re out and about trying to socialize and meet new people here too. Yes, we have a drawer microwave here and in McKinney. We love them!

  52. Sheri says

    I’ve always found Shay to be very relatable, and able to share both the positive times and the tough times with her blog readers. I don’t know how you see fakeness in there, as she has been very real about things that she shares. And she manages to share the good and the bad with kindness.

    Shay – thank you for sharing your Nantucket times with all of us. The house looks wonderful and the daily activities sound fun. You’ve made me want to visit Nantucket, so my husband and I are looking into the possibilities for a trip one day!

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