Going back in time to Tulum

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Along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula sits Tulum, one of the last cities built by the Mayans.

We spent a sweltering afternoon walking among the ruins.

Mayan kings would come to Tulum as a retreat. Our little prince contemplated what it would have been like for the royals back then as they enjoyed this place of solitude.



There are new residents of Tulum in present day. Critters are running all over the place. I am not a fan of reptiles (except for belts, shoes & purses), but they were fun to observe.





It was a great afternoon strolling through Mexico's history.

Centuries later, it still feels like paradise.

Rikki Ragland
the preppy debutante

Sea life in Seattle

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After our wonderful trip to Mexico, we were home for five days, then off to the great Northwest.

Our destination was Washington, where we went to the Seattle Aquarium with relatives. Cameron and his younger cousin, Dallas, learned about starfish.

The aquarium is very "hands-on," encouraging kids to touch the marine life. The boys got a kick out of the squishy little fish.


There is nothing like watching fish swimming ABOVE you.

Like most aquariums, there was a cool selection of exotic fish.





Of course, a trip here wouldn't be complete without a goofy picture of Dallas & Cameron.

Afterwards, we had a great seafood lunch and the boys went home for much needed naps. What a full day!

Rikki Ragland
the preppy debutante

Preppy Calling Card

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Personalized phone cases can be found in stores and online. Monograms and initials have taken over iPhones, Droids and other phones. It is a glorified version of having one's name ironed inside of clothing during camp days. I love them!

Monogrammed phone cases from 2PreppyGirls

I decided to take a slightly different route and checked out the phones from flirtygirldesigns on Etsy. This vendor allows you to upload your favorite photo and they turn it into a phone case. I love that it is not a simple decal on the case, it is a permanent print embedded in the phone. Flirtygirl Designs provides EXCELLENT customer service too, so check her out!

Personalized phone case from flirtygirl designs

How could I resist uploading my company logo. It makes for the perfect calling card. Every time I make a phone call, I have a handheld advertisement for the preppy debutante.

Rikki Ragland
the preppy debutante

Tomorrow is the day-

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August 1st is the day that begins the calendar year for many diaries and planners. For years I carried a black leather agenda by Coach. I still have it in my home office, but when my little one came along, it was a little bulky in my handbag. Once I shed the diaper bag, I still had to maintain items in my bag to keep him happy (snacks, a mini tervis and an iPad) so the snazzy organizer had to go.

Last year, I turned to Lilly for an agenda. Though it was still thick, it packed a little less bulk than Coach. As a Lilly fan, it was also less formal than the leather one and added an extra "kick" to my daily planning.

One drawback is that the monthly tabs became dog-eared over time.The pages are also thin and if my little Kipster tugged on one, even a little bit, it tore right out of the spiral!

About a month ago, my friend, Ashley, at A Paper Affair convinced me to look at momAgenda. Ironically, Ashley wanted me to look at it a year ago, but I was too stuck on Lilly.

I originally purchased the leather-bound planner, but swapped it for this spiral. I like to have the option of folding it in half, which I obviously couldn't do with leather.

Always one to take advantage of branding, I placed my company logo on the front too.

A drawback to the momAgenda is that the lines are shorter than the ones I have used in the past and I feel as if I need to cram a lot of info into one box. The advantage, though, is the space at the bottom where I can write in my son's information, along with bills, travel plans, dinner prep and gym workouts. If I commit my weight-lifting, core classes or Zumba to paper, then I assume I am obligated to actually attend!

We will see how the next 18 months rolls along with this one. Otherwise, I will once again be searching for the next best thing to organize my life.

Rikki Ragland
the preppy debutante

Lil' Policeman

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Earlier this year, I blogged about C. Alexander's photo shoot for Spirit Halloween at their headquarters in New Jersey. They recently sent the final product for one of the costumes- The Lil' Policeman.
This was my favorite costume of the three he modeled for Spirit.
This is the shot that made the cover of the costume sold in stores. They simply worked some magic to add a police hat...
...and voila, this became the final product
You can find this costume (along with two more) at all of the Spirit Halloween stores in the U.S. & Canada. I hear there is another surprise in store for a certain little "duck." Stay tuned.

Rikki Ragland
the preppy debutante