Happy Happy Happy Tuesday, friends!
Today is a THREE POST TUESDAY!
First up, I am once again reminding you that NOW IS THE TIME to grab your Sam’s Club Membership for a crazy good deal! Plus, I am also sharing my CANDY CANE NEIMAN MARCUS BARS just in time for your Christmas season. And below, I have PART TWO of our weekend on Nantucket for Stroll.
Three posts, one day 🙂 .
Alrighty, if you missed PART ONE, make sure you check it out too.
Here we go, on Friday morning…
…I woke up and found a dog wedged next to me on the couch while I read my Bible 😉 .
I love a cozy December morning.
After my Bible time and coffee, I headed out on a chilly walk to town. When I returned…
…this girl asked me if we could go get breakfast at 45 Surfside. Yes, please!
Smith was up at 4:30 both mornings and out the door by 5:00 to hunt all day. He had the BEST time. He spent his entire weekend outside in the woods and loved every minute of it. While he hunted…
…Andrew and I took these two into town.
Our first stop was lunch at Brotherhood of Thieves. Delish. After that…
…we walked around the downtown area and checked out all the festive shops…
…we were so happy to be bACK.
Later that afternoon, we dropped the girls off at home and headed out to the brewery!
Cisco Brewery is VERY family and dog friendly. From babies to seniors, it runs the gamut. We asked the little girls if they wanted to go, but they were ready to head back to the neighborhood to see friends.
Oh so festive!
Live music and LOTS of festivenss!
The Brewery is way more fun with friends!
That night, Andrew and I headed home to change…
…you guys, I AM OBSESSED WITH MY FLEECE LEGGINGS! I plan on talking about them at least 4 billion times between now and spring. Brace yourself. They completely changed my comfort. It was like walking around in the warmest fleece leggings all night. LOVE!
Smith came home from hunting and the five of use had dinner at Sea Grille. Delish. It was GREAT day!
The next morning was officially Nantucket Stroll.
What exactly is Stroll?
Over 50 years ago, Nantucket decided to make this first weekend in December a time when shops, hotels and restaurants would all open back up and give the locals an opportunity to do their holiday shopping on island while also encouraging others to come and spend their holiday shopping money on Nantucket. It has since turned into one big Christmas extravaganza during the off season.
Happy Stroll…
…from sleepy Charlie 😉 .
Smith was up and out to hunt some more, but Andrew, Ashby, Mades and I couldn’t wait to get into town…
The city shut off Main Street to traffic, so it was a great time to be out and about…
People go WILD with costumes for Stroll. W-I-L-D.
Favorite place, favorite person.
All over town, different shops/organizations/clubs decorate trees that line the street. They are all so cute and original.
The city also closes off the Harbor Stop & Shop parking lot…
…for a Christmas market. There are dozens of stalls and vendors selling everything from cocoa to yummy bites, merch and more. It’s very sweet and a great place to pick up treasures and gifts.
That smile. She was having SO much fun!
Who doesn’t love clam chowder, fries and cocoa from the market?!
At noon, Santa is brought into town by the Coast Guard…
…and he makes his way up Main Street.
After Santa had passed, we made our way to The Nantucket Hotel and Resort…
…to enjoy their special Stroll lunch. I ordered the lobster roll (of course!).
After lunch, the girls wanted to take the bus back home, so Andrew and I walked down to the Nantucket Yacht Club. This is a private club that opens its doors annually…
…for a holiday market. I always get excited to go inside and take a look.
We wrapped up our Stroll afternoon…
…back at the Brewery for day number two of Jeff Tuohy and his band.
I love it when a band adds Christmas music to their set!
Later that night…
…we had dinner with friends at The Nautilus. I did a TERRIBLE job taking pics. I love MY FLEECE LEGGINGS with MY SEQUIN DRESS. Stroll night is really Christmas-y! I am so sad I didn’t get a pic of Andrew in his TARTAN PANTS. It was so fun!
On Sunday morning…
…I enjoyed the last few minutes of Christmas before I packed it up, and we headed out.
It was a GORGEOUS chilly morning as we said goodbye to Nantucket.
The five of us hopped on the boat and headed back across to Hyannis…
…well, the six of us 🙂 .
And that was Stroll 2025.
My FAVORITE part of this last weekend was our little community. We have truly found “our people”. It’s so nice to visit and have this sense of community. I am a BIG believer in prayer. PRAYER WORKS. I have a yellow piece of paper in my Bible where I wrote out prayer requests for myself when we were newly married and lived in Detroit. On that little list it says “meet couple friends”. I was genuinely looking for couple friends for Andrew and me and holy cow, we moved to McKinney and the Lord blessed us with the VERY BEST FRIENDS. When we bought our home three years ago on Nantucket, I started praying over finding a community for all six of us, and we have really found so many amazing people. Prayer works, and I always love to give God all the glory when it does.
Don’t forget, it’s THREE POST TUESDAY so make sure you grab your Sam’s Club Membership and check out my CANDY CANE NEIMAN MARCUS BARS!
Have the best day! xx
Elspeth Mizner says
So fun!! I’m glad you got to enjoy stroll! Have a great week!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Julie says
Stroll looks so fun! Random question…I really liked your toaster in the first picture. What brand is it?
Mix and Match Mama says
I love it too! It’s Smeg!
Erika Slaughter says
Short but oh so sweet trip! LOVE the plaid skirt outfit!! I’m a SUCKER for a Christmas plaid!
Laura @ Our Grand Lives says
Prayer does work! So glad you’ve found your people = they make like so much richer, don’t they! I think Nantucket Stroll should be the backdrop for a Hallmark movie (maybe it already has been?) – It’s the perfect setting!
Mix and Match Mama says
I SAY THAT ALL THE TIME!!
Kristen says
Looks like the perfect weekend! What boots are you wearing in the stroll pics and curious about Smith’s hunting? what does he hunt and in Nantucket do you need permits for that. I live in New England and you don’t hear of people hunting a lot.
Mix and Match Mama says
They are oldies but goodies from Sorel that I keep there. They’re really comfy! Nantucket has an insane deer population and encourages hunting, but yes, you need a permit. He had one. Someone told me (so this could be totally wrong) this weekend that they had an estimated 11,000 deer right now which is a lot for such a small space.
Grace says
I think that it is wonderful that you found community in Nantucket! I will say that I was drooling over the lobster roll this morning! Like wow that looked awesome!
Paula Hobbs says
Those leggings look life changing!!! Adding to cart ASAP.
Amanda says
Do a lot of the people in your neighborhood live there all year or is it most seasonal people?
Mix and Match Mama says
The last time I asked our HOA, it was only about 10 families who truly live there year around. Now, I have neighbors across the street who come every single weekend from Boston, so that’s pretty “year around”, but not many live there full time. One of Ashby’s besties on Nantucket does live there full time.
Sarah DeWald says
Looks so much fun and now I want to head there next year!
Laura says
It sounds like such a fun time.
Alison says
STROLL looks so darling and full of festive fun! Nantucket seems cute and charming in the summer…but the Christmas charm?! Love it. It sounds like it was the perfect December weekend. I’m curious, how chilly was it while you were there? In your photos, I noticed some people in jackets, some in hoodies, some in slides, and some in boots. I’m sure the temp is relative based on where you come from, but I was wondering if you guys felt cold coming from Texas.
Mix and Match Mama says
Friday was the coldest (it didn’t get out of the 30s), but Thursday and Saturday were around 43-ish.
lee ann vicary says
You are going to have to get a bigger house – your kids love this so much that they will be bringing friends when they are in college and significant others as they age. Think how much fun you will have with grands introducing them to all that Christmas joy. (this is coming from a grandmother who brought her daughter and now granddaughter to the beach every summer) Traditions are so important and fun.
Mix and Match Mama says
I say that all the time!
Nicole Klaver says
Oh I just love this!! I really admire how you enjoy life so big and balanced. It’s hard for me to break away from my routine, how do you do it? Is it a mindset? Do you bring your supplements along? How do you bring your healthy habits with you and which ones do you take a break from? Thanks! Always learning from you! 🥰
Mix and Match Mama says
You’re way too generous, Nicole. I think in my old age, I’ve gotten less rigid (I’m still pretty darn Type-A!) because I’ve realized that solid routines will still be there when you return. In fact, it really energizes me to come back to my routines (because I love them so much and miss them when I’m away). I have been traveling with fewer and fewer supplements (giving myself a reset), but I keep most of them on Nantucket, so I still took them this trip. I worked out every day while I was away (except for Sunday when we left) and kept my diet protein-forward. Life is way too short not to enjoy special things, so I always remind myself of that and just happily pick my “norm” back up when I return home.
Faith says
I always thought it would be so easy and so fun to make couple friends before I married. Then I met my husband later than many of my friends (21 days after my 30th birthday to be exact) and we had babies later than our friends, so it has been an interesting and sometimes disheartening experience to try and find couple friends as we do not fit the mold. Maybe you could do a Shay’s Ways in adult friendships with a special focus on couple friends! However, just you sharing it was a prayer request for you and Andrew is an encouragement and how faithful God has been in that area for you is great to hear!
Mix and Match Mama says
That’s a great idea for a Let’s Look topic too! I will write that one down for next year.
sandi says
Faith! Right there with you on this one… My husband and I married in our early 30’s, had some infertility issues so all of our babies were born between my 36th and 41st birthdays. We are now 57/58 and most of our friends our age have married children and grandchildren. Our youngest is still in high school. I’ve always been the older mom of the group but we’ve never really been in the same life stage (with kids, yes, but with things going on physically and aging we are not in the same phase). Our oldest just graduated from college, we have two in college and the youngest like I said, in high school. Instead of traveling and enjoying this phase like some others that are our age, we are moving kids in and out of dorms and such. It is just different as some friendships have faded and others have not taken there place.
kristen says
SO much fun!!!
Arika says
Beautiful painting that’s hanging over your couch! Sounds like a really fun weekend. I have a special place in my heart for small, local businesses. I hope lots of people spent their Christmas shopping money at those sweet shops. Amazon doesn’t need their money, those businesses do. If we all just make a few extra purchases from our local vendors it’s so meaningful. Thanks for sharing the weekend with us!
Alyssa says
Does Smith hunt deer or is there other wildlife that he specifically hunts in Nantucket?
Mix and Match Mama says
It’s deer hunting season on Nantucket.
Brooke Griffith says
Loved reading about your weekend! So festive and fun! What does Smith hunt on Nantucket? My husband and three boys are all bird hunters (dove, duck, and sandhill crane). Just curious what hunting is in that region? Maybe we could plan to attend Stroll weekend one year and they could hunt while I shop! Win-win!!
Mix and Match Mama says
Deer! My boys aren’t into bird hunting, but so many of their friends certainly are!
Brooke Griffith says
So interesting! I just read the other comments and saw your reply about 11,000 deer being on Nantucket. I never would have guessed that. I thought for sure it would be some type of waterfowl hunting.
Peggy says
Love reading about your time in Nantucket! It’s on my bucket list to visit!
Josie says
Did smith go hunting by himself? I know nothing about hunting so may be ignorant but is it safe for a teen boy to hunt by himself? Was he successful?
Mix and Match Mama says
He went with friends 🙂 .
shannon says
Is it legal for teens to hunt in Mass? DId he have to get a special license? What does that process look like?
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes, you only need a hunting license which he had.
Andrew Shull says
Hey I can chime in! I wish I could have joined him but the just the thought of pulling a bow back 2 weeks post op would kill me. It’s pretty cool because you can buy a non-resident hunting license online and Nantucket needs all the help they can get. Last year they harvested on Nantucket a record, around 900 deer. However, the population is increasing faster than what they can harvest. They expect a record year with the population exceeding 12K by end of year. With Lyme disease from ticks, overcrowding, and no natural predators they need all the help, so much, that they extended the hunting season to 1/31 this year. Hunters are allowed an unlimited amount of anterless deer and two antlered. Any hunters out there it is a great place to harvest quality meat and help conserve the population.
amy miller says
So is it bow hunting only or rifle too? This is intriguing and I just texted my husband that we need to go to Nantucket “so he can hunt” 😜
Mix and Match Mama says
Right now, it’s both in Massachusetts.
Caroline says
Archer is only from October 26- November 29 though on Nantucket. Shotgun is December 1-13…which is in the time frame you were there. So, why say bow? When archery season was over?
Mix and Match Mama says
As much as I appreciate you trying to figure out hunting, you can always use a bow during gun season but never a gun during bow season which means that bows are perfectly allowable now 🙂 .
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/general-hunting-regulations
Lois says
Did Smith kill any deer on the island? If so, did he do any processing, or did he hand it over to a butcher? Does your family eat venison if/when he & Andrew kill deer?
Mix and Match Mama says
Not this trip, but we always donate our meat when they do harvest an animal.
Chrissy says
i have THE MOST random question lol! What do you and andrew call each other’s parents? Asking because you were so young when you got married, I assume you originally called them “Mr. and Mrs. Shull.” Was it hard to start calling them by their first names? I was raised in the south and still have trouble calling adults by their first name (I’m 35!! LOL)
Mix and Match Mama says
That’s a very random but really fun question. We met when we were in our 20s, so our parents always told us to call them by their first names. He calls my parents Jay and Sherry and I call his Steve and Cheryll. Always have.
Stephanie says
Where is the plaid skirt from? So cute!
Mix and Match Mama says
It’s a “skort” from Abercrombie, but it’s no longer in stock (or even on their site). I only bought it a few weeks ago. It sold out fast!
Michele says
Looks like Andrew is doing great after having his surgery. Does he not have to wear a sling any more? How long till he can start working out again?
Mix and Match Mama says
He was released from wearing his sling after two weeks post-op. He’s doing great! He just went to another check up yesterday. He hasn’t stopped working out, but he’s only working his bicep/shoulder in PT (twice a week). This side was way less complicated than his other side. Woohoo!
Alexa says
How festive and sweet!
Stacey says
Shay! Can’t thank you ENOUGH for the link for the fleece leggings-wow they look just like tights and so warm! Game changer! I’m so happy with them!!! Happy winter!❄️
Mix and Match Mama says
YAY!!!! I am so happy you love them too!! They are total game changers!
Debbie Turner says
Love seeing your post about Nantucket!!
Just booked my 50th bday trip with your travel agency so looking forward that!!
Love love the plaid mini skirt….where did you get it from?
Mix and Match Mama says
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! We are so excited to help you!
Nichole Sutcliffe says
I love how independent your littles are!! Truly shows how safe and comfortable you feel on the island and how much of a community you have built!
Caroline says
Did you really just put your Christmas decors iron up for two days and the took them down?
Mix and Match Mama says
It took me about 20 minutes…so compared to the 12 hours it takes me in McKinney, that felt like nothing. Ha! My tree literally pops out of the box and I plug it in. The other items just stay in a little cabinet in my kitchen.
Mix and Match Mama says
Four days but yes 🙂
Caroline says
Decorations*** then*** and sorry, my comment sounded aggressive. Merry Christmas!
Carol says
Replying to Andrew. Yes, please take care of your shoulder. So easy to mess it up again. My brother is also having shoulder issues. It is a very painful thing for him. He played football almost 32 years ago and they think it might relate to that. So take care. Maybe take over one day for Shay and do an Andrew post.
Laci says
Stroll looks like a holiday movie! I love it