Travel – Page 3

Cruisin’ the Bahamas

August 18, 2015

Last week, my family took a week long vacation to Florida and then on a cruise to the Bahamas! The Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas cruise ship did not disappoint. We had so much fun! I was so worried about Hampton’s cast getting wet or worse – sand in it. Luckily, my husband is a Jedi Google Master and found an amazing cast cover at a surgical supply store in Jacksonville! Hampton was able to swim, and take baths. He was so happy and it made the trip really enjoyable!

Our ship had a splash pad for the kiddos and kid-friendly pools. The babies had so much fun and the adults had a blast. The shows at night were very entertaining and the early shows were very kid-friendly.

Our cruise ship made two stops – The Bahamas and Coco Cay Island which is a private island owned by Royal Caribbean. Ryan and I went on this cruise back in 2012 for our 1 year anniversary and the island was just as I remembered it. It is so relaxing and peaceful. My sister and I booked an excursion to swim with Dolphins off Balmoral Island located just off of the main island of the Bahamas. Swimming with dolphins has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I have always loved them and while I have seen and pet them many times, I had never actually swam with them. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

I was very nervous to take our toddler on the cruise with us, especially after he broke his ankle, but if I could, I’d do it a million times over. Hampton did great and even cried when we had to leave the “ba-boat.” My grandparents are talking about taking the entire family on another cruise or vacation again next summer and I will be thrilled to include SR on that vacation. I missed her so much while we were gone, but she stayed at my grandmother’s house in Florida and it worked out perfectly because she had 5 people swooning over her and spoiling her rotten for only 4 days. It was hard being away from her, but it was also really nice to spend one on one time with my boy.

Have you ever been on a cruise? Did you travel anywhere this summer?

Travel Activity Bucket for Kids

July 27, 2015

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TwizzlersSummer #CollectiveBias

We are officially 14 days away from our cruise! We are actually leaving a couple of days earlier to visit my grandmother in Florida where I will be spending my birthday! I can’t tell you how excited I am to have this week long vacation. It is so needed.

I have been sort of dreading making the 7 hour drive to my grandmother’s house with our two babies. Mostly Hampton, because we can’t keep him still. I’m so scared he will be miserable that long in the car. After thinking about it, I decided to put together a travel activity bucket to keep him busy while we are on the road.

My friend and I ran to Walmart after our lunch date last week and grabbed some fun things I thought would keep Hamp busy in the car. In addition to a coloring book, stickers, and games, I also thought it would be fun to add one of our favorite family snacks – Twizzlers Twists. I also threw in some rainbow twists for fun!

Here is what to put in an activity bucket for your summer road trips:

Coloring Book – This will keep them busy for a while. All kids love to color!

Games – We love to play all sorts of games in the car. Including some little hand held games for your toddler will help keep him occupied.

Snacks – I threw in one of my favorite snacks that we can all enjoy as a family! Twizzlers Twists have been my road trip choice for years and I can’t wait to share that tradition with my son. Snacks are always a great thing to have on hand with children. They get hungry and it’s not fun when you aren’t prepared for that.

Books – My son loves to read, and for that I am thankful. Reading books can keep him occupied for a few minutes at a time and they can also be educational, so it’s a win/win!

Your bucket doesn’t have to be complicated. Just think of things that will keep your child occupied and try to get several different things so that when they get bored with one, they can easily move on to another. Having an activity bucket will also help limit their screen time, which is something badly needed this day in time! Don’t forget to sing songs and make pit stops so the kids can stretch their legs for a bit. That will also help break up the trip.

Twizzlers Twists remind me of my childhood summers. We used to eat them all the time. I remember always stopping on our road trips to grab some snacks and they would always be my go-to.

What would you include in your activity bucket? Twizzlers Twists remind me of my childhood, do they bring back memories for you, too?

Washington D.C.

February 26, 2015

This post is sponsored by Vimbly but opinions are 100% my own.

Ryan travels to Washington D.C. several times a year with his job. Although I have been to the city before, I have never been with him. I’m determined to go with him after the baby is born. I have been so excited about visiting our nation’s capitol again that I am already planning our trip. Of course, I would like to visit the monuments and museums, but I really want to spend more time touring the city itself. Vimbly is one of the websites I have been using to find things to do and places to see and it has shown me that there is much more to DC than the typical tourist stops.

I thought the monument tour looked really great and being the chocolate lover that I am, I’d love to go on the chocolate tour. As far as food is concerned, the possibilities are endless! Did you know you can go on a Gelato factory tour? Yes, it may be the pregnancy cravings talking, but yum. I don’t turn down gelato.

If we go during the summer, I would love to go kyaking or paddle boarding! There are so many options for fun activities that we don’t get to do here very often. From dance classes to BYOB Wine and Painting, this city has so much more to offer than I ever realized.

Vimbly has made it extremely easy to plan our entire trip to D.C. They operate in 18 major cities across the U.S. and are expecting to establish a national presence this year. It has helped me tremendously in finding great restaurants and date ideas. Be sure to check out all of the incredible classes, food, tours and more going on in your city!

15 in 2015

December 31, 2014

We just got back from a wonderful long weekend trip to Jacksonville to visit my grandparents. We don’t get to see them very often, so it is always fun to get away for a few days and visit them. They spoiled Hampton with a trip to the beach and a lot of time outside. The weather was so warm and perfect, but I must admit, I am glad to be back to the cooler weather. I mean, it is December, but not for long, which reminds me…

We are welcoming a new year tomorrow. I love this time of fresh starts and new beginnings, opportunities and for us, we are going to welcome a sweet baby girl into our lives. It is an exciting time. Here are 15 goals I look forward to completing this year:

– Complete the Love Your Body Series and #100byVDay (it starts tomorrow!).

– Read 15 books

– Save $1,500.00

– Improve my photography with my NEW CAMERA!!

– Travel as much as possible.

– Read through the bible.

– Sell our house

-…and buy a new one.

– Try 15 new recipes.

– Organize and set up Hampton’s big boy room. and organize and re-decorate our little girl’s room.

– Brush up on my French. I just bought a couple of books to help me get started!

– Take more pictures. I already take so many, but there have still been times I regretted not taking any.

– Clean out our closet.

– Blog productively.

– Make new friends and spend more time with my old friends. Friends are everything (along with family and good food. :))

Well, there you have it! Some of my goals are super easy if I will just get organized. haha This year is sure to be a wonderful exciting time as we welcome our baby girl, travel, and hopefully sell our home. Yes, it is still for sale. Sigh.

Today, tonight and tomorrow, we will be spending time with family and friends while eating more food (Yikes). That LYB challenge is coming at the PERFECT time! I look forward to continuing my exercise journey throughout my pregnancy and the future. My TIU girls have been wonderful in helping me and encouraging me to stick to it. I am so thankful because it has made this pregnancy so much easier than the last.

What are some of your goals for the new year? Do you have big plans tonight?

Happy New Year!

Summer Travels: Destin, Florida

July 22, 2014

Destin is my favorite beach to visit. No offense to Gulf Shores, but Destin’s waters are so clear (most of the time). I am really funny about getting out in the ocean. I’m not trying to get eaten by a shark. No thanks. This trip, I actually felt comfortable being out there. I could see the bottom of the ocean at shoulder length deep water, so I felt okay about it…until the one day when the life guards ran frantically down the beach blowing their whistles and yelling to get out of the water. It turned out to just be a school of fish. haha It was still exciting, though.

This was Hampton’s first time to see the ocean. He loved the sand (and may have eaten some), but he wasn’t a huge fan of the waves. He definitely prefers the pool, but he will get used to it and learn to love it if he is anything like his parents.

We enjoyed a lot of sun, and food, but my favorite part of the trip was walking on the beach with Ryan and Hampton our last evening there. The sunset was beautiful. I hope to go back to Destin before the summer ends, but I don’t know if it will happen. We will see!

Where have you traveled this summer? Do you have any other trips planned?

To see more photos, follow me on Instagram!

Summer Travels: Chicago

July 1, 2014

Last week, Ryan and I traveled to Chicago for 3 days for a conference. We went a day early so that we could explore this city. It was our first time there and so we were pretty excited to travel to a new place. After we checked into our hotel, we went to Giordano’s for pizza. It was delicious. They don’t skimp on their pizza. It’s much thicker than ours at home, but I’m not complaining. It was delicious.

After lunch we headed to Millennium park where we saw the bean and the beautiful amphitheater. It was pretty neat.

We went to Wrigley field for the cubs game Wednesday night and it was really neat to see the ball park. They still use the original scoreboard which is pretty cool. It was definitely a lot different than Turner field. Also, we packed shorts and tanks thinking it was going to be in the 70’s, but when we arrived in Chicago, it was in the low 60’s. By the time we got to the game, the temperatures dropped into the 50’s and so we froze our tails off…until Ryan bought me a sweatshirt. It was a bit shocking coming from our 95+ degree weather to that. Also, they aren’t kidding about the whole wind thing.

Our second night was spent in a different hotel (the one that Ryan’s company paid for) and it was absolutely beautiful. It was right in the middle of downtown Chicago across from the Trump and Chicago Tribune buildings. The Hotel Monaco was wonderful. It was so clean and luxurious. My favorite part was this window seat. While Ryan was in his meetings, this is where I hung out. I read, blogged and did a lot of people watching. Some tourists even took a picture of me from the ground which was pretty awkward. Whatever works, I guess. They were probably jealous of my window seat.

We walked all through downtown and loved seeing all of the buildings. We did a lot of shopping, and I bought my very first Kate Spade bag! I just love my little “”Kate” as I call her. She is beautiful.

Friday morning we woke up early and walked down Bellevue Street because I just had to see Giuliana and Bill’s house! This is it! It was really cool. Their house is only a block away from Lake Michigan so we also walked down by the lake which is so big it looks like the beach. It was really foggy that day.

We ended our trip by one last stop by Millennium Park!

That’s “Kate” at the bean!

Kate touring Chicago.

Here are more pictures from my phone:

Summer Travels: Orlando

May 27, 2014

Ryan and I traveled to Orlando last week for a conference. We stayed at the Gaylord Palms Resort, and let me tell you, it was nice. I seriously felt like I was at a resort in the Caribbean rather than Orlando. Ryan worked most of the trip, although we did have dinner together both nights we were there. I left Hampton with my mom for the first time and it was tough being away from him, but it was really nice to get a break and be able to relax for a couple of days. I read 2 books and lounged by the pool. It was pretty great.

They had a sail boat in our lobby, I say “our lobby” because there were several. I also enjoyed a Starbucks and got a couple of great workouts in at their Fitness center.

The gators in the hotel were neat and creepy at the same time. They fed them at 6:30 a couple of nights a week for all the guests to come watch. I skipped out on that. Ryan and I enjoyed dinner at a Mexican Cafe and Joe’s Crab Shack. Not in the same night, obviously.

I honestly preferred the kid’s pool to the adult one because…who wouldn’t with this play center?

Who wants a $25 sandwich? #resortprices

Of course I had to purchase the book I’ve been anticipating all year because it released while we were on our Vacation.

And then I was reunited with my baby love! <3

Do you have any summer vacation plans? Have you ever been to Orlando?

How To Pack For Baby

May 6, 2014

We recently attended an out of town wedding that I was a part of. Of course we brought Hampton along. I love to be efficient with my packing so that I don’t end up taking 15 bags on every trip. Who wants to carry those? Not me. My goal was to pack as little as possible, but still have more than enough for any situation. Here is what I packed in Hampton’ bag:

Baby Spoons
Lots of Zip Lock Bags
Garbage Bag for dirty laundry
Garbage bag for diapers
Diapers
Wipes
Baby Food
2-3 onesies
2 sleepers
Pack ‘n Play (to sleep in)
A few of his favorite toys
Pacifiers
Blanket (to spread on the floor for him to play on)
Travel size Shampoo and Lotion
Baby Towel (optional – the hotels have several so you can save room by not bringing on unless you just want to.)
2-3 nice outfits
Socks
Diaper Bag

There you have it! We were set for the weekend with these items. Hampton did great and we had plenty.

What did you take on your overnight stay with baby? Are you planning any trips this month?

A Bache of a Time

April 7, 2014

I went to the beach for my cousin’s Bachelorette party this past weekend. When you put us together, there is nothing but fun and good memories in the making. Although it rained most of the weekend, we did get a little beach time in. We shopped till we dropped and ate…and ate and ate.

Once we got to PCB, we went straight to Margaritaville, wore funny balloon hats (I didn’t get a picture of myself, darn) and got our Parrotheads on. I also enjoyed a Cheeseburger in Paradise that was as good as always.

In PCB there were too many crop tops. Too. Many. Old women, young women, pregnant women, old men, dogs, every store we darkened were covered in crop tops. It was interesting. Lucky for you, I didn’t capture that part of our trip on camera.

Saturday we ate a late breakfast at Another Broken Egg and then back to the beach. Saturday night, we crowned the bachelorette and went to Boars Head for the most delicious dinner I’ve had in a long time. That chicken was melt in your mouth delicious. Obviously. An older gentleman offered to be our stripper once we finished eating which we graciously declined, but wasn’t that nice of him?

On Sunday before we left, we realized we had to meet someone to pick up 200 Mason jars for Zana’s wedding. After we had already packed our car with our bazillion bags. So this happened…

…and we were carrying luggage in our laps on the way home. Good times.

We watched tons of Glozell videos, laughed, made fools of ourselves, gained a few pounds and made incredible memories. I am so blessed to have these girls as cousins and best friends. I can’t believe Zana’s wedding is only 3 weeks away and I’m so blessed to stand beside her as she stood with me on my day. She has become a beautiful woman and is marrying a pretty fantastic guy. #FtoA2014

Take Me Back to Jacksonville

January 17, 2013

Downtown Jacksonville on the river.

My grandparents live in the best part of Jacksonville, FL.- Jax Beach. We try to go visit them about every other month or so because we love spending time with them and don’t get to see them as often as I would like. My grandmother and I have always been very close. We are very similar in a lot of ways and she is always making me laugh. I also love the city of Jacksonville. It is a big city with a lot of smaller suburbs and it has a beach and a river. Their food is wonderful, the atmosphere is extremely laid back and their stores are on steroids (at least compared to Montgomery’s). We love to go shopping while we are down there because you can always find the best deals.

I won’t get into all of the clothes that I bought because we will be here all day. I will however tell you about the books that I purchased. We stumbled upon a little used bookstore where I bought all of these for $8 + tax. No, I’m not kidding. Most of them were $0.50 a piece! How can you beat that? My mom was ~~agitated~~ surprised to hear that this Christmas entertaining book I found was only $1 when she paid $34.99 for the exact same one. Needless to say, I was pretty pumped about the purchase. They are all in very good condition and look like they’ve hardly been opened. I really wish we had a used book store in Montgomery. I buy most of my books on Amazon because I read too fast to justify spending full price. I recently bought a book that I paid $8.25 for after shipping. It was used on Amazon. When I received the book, I was a bit perturbed because it was in terrible condition and the seller had listed it as “good” condition. Then I flipped it to the back cover…the original cost of the book was $7.50. That’s right. I was not a happy camper, but that’s life. It happens. So having a used book store around would save me from paying too much for a sad looking book. If we stick around here much longer, I may just have to open one. 😉

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