Little Traveling Toes

This post is sponsored by ConAgra, Danone, Amy’s Kitchen, and Good Food Made Simple. All opinions are my own.

Bet you didn’t know you could find all of these amazing brands at your local Walmart! I was happily surprised to find all of these products in the frozen food aisle on a recent trip! Vegan, vegetarian, whole-grain, and dairy-free options? Yes, please! Let’s jump right in and take a closer look at my amazing finds!
We grabbed two delicious products from Good Food Made Simple; Frozen French Toast Slices, and the Cauliflower Kung Pao Bowl! The French Toast is a perfect quick toaster breakfast for Brayden and they are packed with protein and whole grains! The Cauliflower Kung Pao is for me when I need a lunch on-the-run! It’s vegetarian and gluten-free, and has a little spice kick! 

Another top pick for my family is Amy’s Kitchen! The mac & cheese has always been my favorite! And now they have added a veggie spin on their classic in the Mac & 3 Cheese with Cauliflower! And the same creamy cheese I love from the original is now in the gluten-free rice pasta! The Cheese Pizza on Veggie Crust is another awesome gluten-free option that’s packed with veggies! The crust is made from broccoli, cauliflower & sweet potato, and I love it! And a great (sneaky) way to get Brayden to eat some veggies without knowing it!

Don’t worry! I didn’t forget about Marie Callender’s Chick’n Pot Pie made with Gardein Plant-Based Chick’n! This is such an unexpected vegetarian option and I’m here for it! I’ve been eating Marie Callender’s pot pies my entire life, so they feel pretty nostalgic for me. I still love the warmth and comfort of them on a chilly fall night, and now I can have it in a plant-based version!

And last, but not least, you can see which item Brayden was most excited to try right away! So Delicious® Dairy Free Frozen Dessert Bars in Salted Caramel was a hit with this kid-and his mama! This dairy-free treat is a great option for those with dairy sensitivities, or those who prefer to stick to a dairy-free diet! And with decadent caramel, covered in chocolate, it really tastes like an indulgence!
You can find all of these items in the frozen food aisle at your local Walmart now. And they are available at the everyday, unbeatable prices we have come to expect! Can’t wait to see what we find next!

The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas in Ka’anapali is by far my favorite resort that I’ve stayed at! Our first stay was back in May of 2019, and we are excited to be returning in April! This is the Westin’s (member of the Marriott family) newest property on the island, and it is stunning! Beautiful grounds, perfect beach access, and amazing villas! But please know, I would not recommend this property if you are trying to travel on a budget! This one is more of a splurge!

The Nanea offers 1, 2, and 3-bedroom villas. All villas are equipped with full kitchens, so it’s the perfect time to save a little money and eat in! We really lucked out when we were given a 2-bedroom villa since we were expecting a 1-bedroom! It was seriously huge…1200+sq.ft with two bathrooms and a kitchen! The master bedroom and bathroom have an awesome open floor plan. But, there’s a huge sliding door that can be closed to separate the spaces completely! And the bathtub? It is incredible!

The second bedroom also has a King bed and a full bathroom. This bathroom is accessible from the living room and the bedroom. Bonus: There is a stacked washer and dryer in a closet in this bathroom! We love having access to laundry facilities because it means we can pack fewer clothes, and wash before we leave, so we’re not stuck doing five loads of laundry as soon as we get home! Nothing makes a vacation hangover worse than having endless laundry to complete!

The living room and kitchen are open, so this space is perfect for families! And the large lanai with table and chairs is another great spot to eat if you don’t want to eat at the counter. The sofa is a pull-out bed, so this unit will sleep 6 adults comfortably, and a family with children easily! The kitchen has all the appliances you need, and a large hidden pantry next to the refrigerator! That’s where we store all our Costco food!

While the rooms are gorgeous, it’s the pools and ocean views that make this property shine! This resort is amazing for kids as there is a great splash pad with shallow pool connected to the main pool. Beneath that on the lower level are a family hot tub and the natural pebble splash pad with a slide! It’s so cute because the little ones are all down there sitting and digging in the water. There is also a large bin full of sand/water toys and various floats for kids to use and return. The waterslide is very mellow and the kids, and parents, love it! There are also the two plunge pools, as pictured above. And the beach is just steps away from the pool area! And don’t forget that there are also many BBQs on the property if you want to grill outside with your family for dinner. And then play some fun games like corn hole and an extra large Connect Four game!

The property has one higher-end full service restaurant and an eat-in bar right by the main pool. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They also have a great little market where you can get essentials, but the grocery store is much more affordable. The newly renovated Safeway in Lahaina is HUGE and has anything you would ever need. And don’t forget the gas grills around the property! They are cleaned daily and very easy to operate! We definitely love getting fresh, Hawaiian fish at the local fish market and grilling at least once or twice while we visit! It’s just so yummy, and nice to not have to drive to town for a good meal! (Pro tip: When you pick up fresh fish to grill at the Fish Market try the fresh fish tacos! They are AMAZING!)

On a side note: this property is one of the “home” properties we have access to with our Marriott Vacation Ownership (which I will talk more about in a later post) and it is one of the main reasons we decided to become owners. We will be staying here again next month for nine days, and I was able to book this using JUST CREDIT CARD POINTS! I highly suggest getting a credit card that works for YOU if you want to travel more often. We opened our American Express Bonvoy credit card when we purchased our vacation ownership and were gifted A LOT of points. That is how we can stay in a $400+ a night villa for nine nights at no out-of-pocket cost! We will also return to Maui before the end of the year using our Vacation Ownership Options. (More about this later!) Moral of this story: get a credit card that helps you travel more!

As always, please message me with any questions or leave a comment on this post if you’d like! I hope you enjoyed this resort review, and I have something VERY exciting coming up with my next post! Please stay tuned…you don’t want to miss it!

This is a VERY long-overdue blog post! We have actually stayed at the Ka’anapali Beach Club (not to be confused with the Kaanapali Beach Hotel) on Maui, three times since December 2018! We first stayed here in December of 2018 to celebrate my 40th birthday! It was a bit of a last-minute trip, so we were looking for someplace that was available and affordable. We had driven past this location several times, but had never researched it. Once we looked into it, we were ready to book! And we clearly enjoyed our first stay since we returned in August AND December of 2019! If you are looking for affordable and right on the beach, this is the place for you!

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The property is beautiful, with an open-air layout. The building is actually the old Embassy Suites Hotel, so the entire structure is open to the elements. Love the cool Maui breeze blowing right through the halls! There are waterfalls and koi ponds all around the property which really add to the tropical paradise feeling you get in Maui. There is one large swimming pool, a very large adults-only hot tub, a two smaller hot tubs for all ages, and a smaller pool that is connected to the waterslide. (This is an enclosed waterslide, and is for older children and adults only.)

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There’s a really cool grass-covered entertainment space on top of the parking garage! I love the use of space, and making it green so it’s not only pleasant to look at, but it more sustainable for the environment! This is where they have their weekly luau and I’m sure it’s used for weddings!

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Since this is a smaller resort, they only have one full-service restaurant that is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They have outdoor patio seating right by the pool, and indoor seating. They also have an open-air, full-service bar where I had the most delicious pineapple cocktail! I have no idea what was in it…I just asked for the pineapple! LOL! Pro tip: Walk to the Food Truck food court that is right out front of the hotel (and eat on the beach)! They have so many great cuisines to try! There is also a small strip mall with a grocery store and other small eateries right across the street from the hotel! The 1-bedroom suite that we get has a partial kitchen (no oven/stove) so we always buy food to have on hand, especially for breakfast and lunch. And don’t forget the adult beverages! Reminder: Head to Costco (if you have a membership) located right as you’re leaving the airport! Otherwise, there’s a HUGE Safeway in Lahaina!

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And right next to the restaurant and bar is a walk-up, to-go style eatery! We love this option for Brayden because we can get French fries, pizza, plain white rice, smoothies, fresh fruit, and cereal or granola bars right there and take them back to room or to the pool! Wait times are usually short so it’s perfect for kids! There is also a gift shop in the hotel that has food/drinks, travel-sized toiletries, and gift items. (There are also laundry facilities on each floor *for free* so you don’t have to pack as much because you can wash your clothes!)

We like to spend most evenings at the beach so Brayden has time to play and we can catch the sunset! We pack up the sand toys, which we rent from BabyQuip -and you can rent ANYTHING you need for your little ones- grab our adult beverages (pack your thermal mugs from home!) and head to the beach! Just a quick shoutout for BabyQuip-we’ve used their service several times and have been so pleased! We’ve rented sand/pool toys, a wagon, bath toys, books, a video baby monitor, step stool, and a little potty for Brayden! It’s so nice to have these items and not have to pack any of them! And Brayden is usually quite popular with the other kids at the pool and beach with all his cool toys! (Yes, you can buy some of these items and leave them for other children to use, but this is not a sustainable practice…especially on an island.) They also offer delivery and pick-up to make vacation even more enjoyable!

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Overall, I highly recommend this hotel if you are looking to save some money on your trip to Maui! It may not have all the fancy bells and whistles that some of the larger resorts have, but it has all the necessities! As always, please leave me a comment or a message if you have any questions about this hotel, or anything in general about Maui! I’m always happy to help! Aloha and Mahalo!

 

This is a long-overdue post from our trip to The Westin Desert Willow Villas in Palm Desert back in October! If you are unfamiliar with Palm Desert, it is located about a 14 mile drive east of Palm Springs, in California. Palm Desert is known for their golf, dining, and shopping. Oh, and the spectacular weather! It averaged about 80 degrees when we visited during the first week of October! Perfect weather to spend all day at the pool so Brayden could tire himself out!

This is a very family-friendly resort that boasts several pools with water slides, and toddler/kids pools. The property is spread out, with different buildings surrounding the golf course. There are barbecue areas, a fitness center, kids club, restaurant, and marketplace too! And if you can’t find what you need inside the property, there are grocery stores and other shopping venues conveniently located just outside the property.

We stayed in a large, 1-bedroom villa and we loved it! It had a full kitchen, full-size dining table, living room, bedroom, and large bathroom. We also had a furnished balcony that overlooked the pool, barbecue area, and golf course. Pro tip while traveling with little ones who still nap: always get a 1-bedroom! That way you can enjoy your time while you are hanging in the room. We put Brayden down in the crib in the bedroom and still had access to the entire villa while he had a quiet, dark place to rest! And he does a lot of resting when we travel! The pool and fresh air always knock him out!

October was a great time to visit Palm Desert as the weather is starting to cool down, and it’s also not crowded! We found ourselves to be the only ones at the pools on many occasions, and at different times of the day! It was like having the entire resort to ourselves! It was very peaceful and relaxing-even with a 22 month old!

We literally stayed on the resort the entire 3-night stay. We ventured out to grab sushi (as always!) for dinner, and we ate it on the balcony back at our villa. We spent our days exploring the different pools on the property, and just enjoying not having plans! We love when we vacation and can just let Brayden play at the pool as long as he wants.

And because the resort was relatively empty, we took the opportunity one evening to sneak onto the golf course for a little impromptu photo session! We couldn’t pass up the chance to get some good pics for the ‘gram!

We have stayed at a Westin property in Seattle, Maui, and now Palm Desert, and we have loved every one of our stays! The accommodations are always beautiful, the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable, and the locations are perfect for families like us!

And I may have forgotten to mention that our stay on this property required a 90-minute vacation ownership presentation. (This is a great way to get hotel stays at a fraction of the regular price!) We were able to bring Brayden and we were treated very well! We loved everything we learned and-spoiler alert-we became owners! The deal was just too good for us to pass up! And with this program, we are guaranteed at least one week in Maui every year-forever! We couldn’t be happier to start planning our Maui vacations for years to come!

But, if you have ever considered a trip to Palm Desert, or Palm Springs, I HIGHLY recommend this property. It has everything a family could need and more! And as always, please feel free to leave a comment or send me a message if you have questions about any of the properties I’ve stayed at. I’m always more than happy to help!

 

I’m sure you know by now that we L O V E Maui! It’s our number one destination choice  time after time, and we are lucky enough to be only a 5-hour flight away from our favorite island! We typically stay in a condo, but on our most recent trip in July, we stayed at a resort for the first time! We stayed at the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas and it was stunning! PRO TIP: Get on the Westin’s email list! We stayed at the Westin Seattle many years ago, and ever since we have been receiving emails with really great offers at a number of their properties! Our 5-night stay in Maui was only $799! And there is no vacation ownership tour required! It is optional though, and they offer a resort credit if you do. We actually chose to take the tour because we wanted to scope out their newest property, The Nanea, and the $100 resort credit didn’t hurt either!

This is one of their newer properties and the location can’t be beat! It’s located 5 minutes north of Whaler’s Village where you will find several high-end hotels, fun restaurants, and the shopping mall. The property is right on the beach, so you get an AMAZING sunset every night, and you can watch the sun rise over the West Maui mountains to the east! There is also a great jogging path right along the beach. We took Brayden out every morning for a stroll and enjoyed the fresh ocean air! He actually would hop in his stroller first thing to let us know he was ready to roll!

This resort is definitely family-friendly! I personally think the pools are the best! There are several areas for kids and two awesome pools for little ones! They also have a kids club so parents can take a little break from the kiddos if they need a vacation on their vacation! You can order food and drinks poolside, but the best cost-saving tip is to bring your own beverages in a pool-safe container! Or only drink during happy hours!

Brayden loved the kiddie pool, which was only a foot and a half deep and had a waterfall on one side! Splashing in the waterfall was a big hit. He also loved the big play pool which had a huge pirate ship in the center with waterslides! So much fun! And adjacent to the pirate ship is a big play structure in the shade! We will have to return when he’s a bit bigger so he can go on the big-kid waterslide in the main pool. We couldn’t take him on that one because they only allow one person to slide at a time. Shoot…a reason to return?!?

I do have to mention the one thing about the resort that we didn’t enjoy, and unfortunately, it’s a design flaw with the hotel, so it’s not something that can be remedied.  When you enter the door to your villa, you walk into a small vestibule area. There are two doors inside there-one on the left, and one on the right. This was a bit surprising to us. We found out that this is a terrible design if you like it quiet…which we do because we have a baby who takes naps during the day and goes to bed early.

Because the doors and rooms face each other, you can hear so much more than you would if the doors were side-by-side in typical hotel design. We could hear our neighbors’ children laughing and screaming in the bathtub at night! And you also have to listen to TWO doors slamming shut when people are going in and out, rather than just one. Since the vestibule area has tile floors, it is essentially a small, but very loud, echo chamber! This was pretty difficult for us to deal with as our neighbors had several children running in and out of their room at all hours…and they didn’t do so quietly. Just something to keep in mind if you decide to stay here! *Note: I am not sure that all of the rooms in the resort are set-up this way. I would ask before booking!

The resort has several restaurants that are very family-friendly, and even a higher-end Italian restaurant, Pulehu, that was very accommodating when we arrived with a stroller and no reservations! We walked down the jogging path to eat at Duke’s one night, and also had two nights of sushi take-out from Sansei in Kapalua. (It was just easier to eat in some nights when Brayden was exhausted!)

And as always, we ventured out to Kapalua Golf Course to eat at our favorite restaurant, Plantation House. We had breakfast there several times, and actually had dinner there for the first time! (We met up with some friends who were in Maui at the same time we were…we were actually on the same flight out of San Jose! What are the odds?) Dinner did not disappoint! I’d say it was slightly more expensive than a dinner would be in downtown Lahaina or Ka’anapali, but the views are outstanding, so we feel it’s totally worth it!

We had another amazing time in Maui, and every time we go, we don’t want to come home! Leon is always grabbing real estate magazines while we’re there and we daydream of what our retirement home will look like! We are blessed to be able to travel to Maui so often and we cherish every moment while we’re there! I can’t wait to continue to take more adventures with Brayden as he gets older and is able to do more with us!

 

 

 

We love Cancun, but boy, does the weather always give us a run for our money! (Looks amazing in this picture though, so that’s how I’m going to remember it!) We’ve traveled to Cancun three times together, and always at different times of the year. We’ve visited in January, and our beach wedding was completely rained out! We’ve gone in October and had a few super wet days. And our last trip was just this past June, and it stormed four out of our seven days there! But, the first three days were absolutely beautiful so we made the best of the sunshine while it lasted!

We discovered the Omni Cancun on our last trip (pre-baby) when we booked through BookVIP. Maybe you’ve seen their advertisements on Facebook? Well, they are totally legit! They offer amazing deals for couples (must be married or cohabitating) who earn a specific income, and it requires that you attend a vacation club presentation (which is only 90-120 minutes). But, when I say amazing deals, I mean A M A Z I N G. We only paid $499 for both of us for a 5-day trip! And that included the all-inclusive meal and drink plan, and transportation to/from airport! I definitely suggest looking into BookVIP for your next vacation. (They also have resorts that offer packages for families!)

Needless to say, we totally got sucked into the vacation club presentation (but you can easily say no thanks, and continue enjoying your vacation!) and became owners! It was a great deal and we couldn’t pass it up. So last month, we finally made our return to the Omni and brought our extended family with us! It was really nice being treated so well by all the staff…it felt like we were {almost} famous!

We had beautiful weather the first three days, so we basically lived at the pool. Brayden is definitely a water baby! We brought a small floaty for him so we could push him around the adult pool while we sipped on our adult beverages. We also sat in the kiddie pool with him while he splashed around. I’m not a huge fan of sitting in the kiddie pool though. They are so shallow that the water warms up quickly and isn’t very refreshing. (There’s another reason why the water warms up…yuck!)

Then the weather took a turn for the worse. Storm after storm started rolling through and there was just no way to be outside. We got very lucky when the first storm arrived. Brayden’s uncle noticed the dark clouds moving towards us so we packed up from the pool and headed in for lunch. No sooner had we been seated when the skies opened up and started dumping! Everyone outside began scrambling for shelter and many were soaked within seconds! And so began the rainy portion of our family vacation…

The remaining four days were filled with me trying to figure out how to entertain a 17 month old while we were stuck indoors! Luckily, we had access to the Vacation Club Members Lounge in the resort that was always stocked with hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, snacks, and beverages. Brayden was able to run around and eat snacks, while the adults chatted and had a few drinks! Win for everyone! When we tired of the Lounge, we would take Brayden out in his stroller-outside if there was a break in the rain, and inside otherwise. He loved being strolled around! He was happy as long as he was moving! (I should also mention that we decided not to go on any excursions this trip. Brayden just wouldn’t be able to handle the long days and he still depends on his nap schedule. We are looking forward to doing more activities with him when he’s old enough to manage!) Other than those options, we were in the room watching his nursery rhymes on the iPad until he would pass out and nap. Not exactly how I envisioned our tropical paradise vacation to unfold, but you can’t change the weather, so it’s best to change your expectations! (I learned that one on my wedding day…)

It was a great trip spent with family we don’t see often enough, and we can’t wait to plan our next vacation together! We’ll probably opt for somewhere other than Cancun next time though! Maybe Cabo…another favorite destination of ours. We were just happy to survive another adventure with a toddler. All you mammas can understand that! We had ALMOST made it home completely unscathed, when 20 minutes before our flight landed (it’s a 5 hour direct flight from San Francisco) Brayden started getting very fussy, and then he threw up–all over me! That was an unexpected (and disgusting) treat! He’s actually never vomited before so this was completely new to us!

Time to break out the wipes and extra clothes I had packed for him! No problem! We got him changed and cleaned up in record time…and even the poor woman sitting next to us had no idea what had happened. BUT, I had never thought to pack an extra anything for myself! I had to sit in my vomit-soaked clothes for the rest of the flight!  (The smell was less than delightful! Gag!) And I wouldn’t get my luggage until after we went through immigration and customs. Lesson learned big time! Wish I didn’t have to learn that one the hard way though! Here’s hoping nothing like that happens on our next flight to Maui, but if it does, you can be assured that I will be prepared!

I’ve always wanted to stay at CVR, but it can be pricey! Luckily, Leon had found an amazing deal through a discount golf website, Golfmoose.com and we were booked for one night, and Leon had unlimited golf during that time! We got an early start on the day so we could hit the coast and visit a couple wineries too!

The weather was definitely less than desirable! But, it’s to be expected along the California coast in May and June (May Gray/June Gloom). We bundled up and set out to see the ocean, birds, and squirrels too! That’s one awesome thing about kids: they could care less how cold it is-as long as they are having fun! On a side note, we also got to see a little of the filming of the show Big Little Lies out on the golf course that morning too. Pretty sure I spotted Reese Witherspoon with her blonde ponytail!

 

We then made a quick stop at the Parsonage tasting room in Carmel to pick up a couple bottles and were bummed to find out that one of our favorite wines, The Hawk, didn’t taste as delicious as we remembered it. Turns out that the smoke from all the Carmel Valley fires had a real affect on the grapes and it gave the wine a VERY smokey flavor. So interesting how the environment can affect the grapes and in turn, the taste of the wine!

Our final wine stop was Folktale Winery. We originally discovered this gem because Leon’s niece, Serina, worked there for a while. It’s really a beautiful location (would make a great wedding venue!) with an indoor/outdoor tasting garden! It’s definitely a must-see if you’re traveling to Carmel. Perfect spot to let Brayden run around while Mommy had a few sips!

And then we were off to Carmel Valley Ranch to grab a quick lunch and Leon had to make his tee time. One thing I quickly realized is that CVR is a huge property! 500 acres, give or take! You definitely need a vehicle to transport you from the room to the lobby/restaurants/pools, etc. (Not so convenient with a little one. But, they do offer a shuttle that treks guests around the property.) We stayed in the room for the most part though since it was a pretty chilly day out. Entertaining a 17 month old in a hotel room for upwards of 4 hours is not an easy task…especially when he doesn’t want to take a nap! We did take a few stroller walks around the grounds and even caught a quick pic of a sweet deer!

We decided to do room service for dinner since it was just too daunting a task to get everyone ready, loaded up in the car, and head out to the restaurant. Everything seemed perfectly fine…Brayden had fallen asleep in the crib (housekeeping brought one over for the evening, no charge) while Leon and I had a little floor picnic of wine and cheese & crackers.

About an hour into his sleep, Brayden woke up screaming. Not your run of the mill crying…screaming bloody murder. We tried to comfort him and nothing worked. We couldn’t get him to stop crying! (And for reference, Brayden doesn’t cry…ever!) He was also super sweaty and was leaning/shaking to one side. This is when we started to really freak out. We ended up calling 911 because we just had no idea what was wrong. Better to be safe than sorry!

One ambulance ride and a short stay at the ER later, and we find out that there was nothing medically wrong with him!?! We were completely relieved, but also so very confused. We chose to forgo our stay at CVR and head for home at 1am! We just wanted Brayden to sleep in his own bed at home so we could all feel more secure. So lucky we weren’t too far from home!

After chatting with his pediatrician, it seems like Brayden may have had a night terror (even though they are most common in 4-12 year olds) and was not even awake for most of the trauma that we experienced! Turns out that night terrors can be brought on by many things, but pure exhaustion is a main factor. Brayden hadn’t napped more than 25 minutes the whole day! We have now learned that keeping him on his nap schedule is crucial, especially while traveling!

Hopefully we will get a chance to stay at Carmel Valley Ranch again in the future. The staff were super amazing to us during the whole ordeal. They came to our room to check on Brayden before we left in the ambulance, and even called us the following day to check-in. They offered us a free room upgrade when we decide to return. It was so nice to feel truly cared for.

 

I wasn’t going to include my trips to D.C. in this blog because they didn’t include my son. But after connecting with some of my favorite students on Instagram who I had the privilege of taking to D.C. over the years, I was inspired to write about our experiences! And let’s face it…my students were, and always will be, my first children!

One of my greatest joys and accomplishments during my 10 years teaching middle school was having the opportunity to take students to Washington, D.C. annually. It was such an honor to offer these students a lifetime learning experience that they (and I) will never forget. For some students, it was their first time on an airplane, so no pressure, right?!

I’ve been to Washington, D.C. (and Philadelphia) every year for the past 8 years, so I’m pretty confident I could give the tours myself at this point! But while I’m clearly a seasoned vet, every year I was fortunate enough to bring groups of kids who were seeing everything for the first time. Each trip was different for me because of what my students brought to the experience. But enough with the sappiness! Let’s get to the trips!

Let me tell you–you haven’t lived until you’ve taken 20-50 8th graders on a plane! And not just ON the plane. Getting everyone through the airport is a special kind of chaos all to itself! I would get the craziest looks from people in the airport, and looks of complete fear and dread from other passengers on our flights when they would see us coming! I secretly loved it though! My students were always well-behaved and courteous to everyone. And they would chill out if I had to say anything.

There is SO much to see in D.C.! We saw all the memorials and monuments, and tried to get to a handful of the most “fun” museums while we were there. Luckily, we travel with a tour company that has a full daily itinerary to keep the kids busy. Breakfast by 7:30am and not back to the hotel until 8 or 9pm! So busy that they would be beyond exhausted by the time they got home from their 5-day trip!

Every site is notable, so it’s impossible to choose just a few. We always went to the Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, and the Capitol Building first. Then a quick trip to the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. Then it was off to the war memorials: Vietnam and Korea. And the Lincoln Monument too. And that was just the first day! The highlight of the day for students though? Dinner at the Pentagon City Mall! A mall?!? How exciting! You would think they’d never been to a mall before! (And boy were they disappointed when they realized the National Mall wasn’t a real mall…!)

Day two would take us to the World War II Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery. (And I’m sure there was a museum stop thrown in there somewhere too!) Arlington is an absolutely beautiful cemetery and students were always amazed by the number of people buried there (more than 400,000!). And the changing of the guard at the Tomb at the Unknown is a chilling display that all should see.

Day three would bring pure exhaustion! Being on-the-go for the past several days, combined with staying up as late as they could in their hotel rooms, would make for some very tired kids by this point in the trip! But we would persevere! We would see the Washington Monument, the White House, the Marine Corp Memorial, and some more museums!

Day four brought slight reprieve from the exhaustion as we would take a two-hour bus ride to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to see our country’s governmental birthplace. Lot’s of snoring kids on this bus! Lots to do with my bleary-eyed students once they awoke! The National Constitution Center, Independence Hall, Congress Hall to start. Then the Liberty Bell and over to Washington Square Park to see the Tomb of the Unknown from the American Revolution. Then back to D.C. we went! The four-hours of travel made for such a long day. But then students realized it was their last full day on the trip and they would get a little depressed.

Our final day always started at the National Archives so students could get a firsthand look at original documents such as the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Then we would end with a trip to one of the many Smithsonian’s. Our favorites have always been the Air and Space Museum, the Museum of Natural History, and the American History Museum. I often tried to take students to the Holocaust Memorial Museum on my own. We would find the time and make the trek over there as it is such an important part of history for my students to learn about and understand more fully. And a special highlight for me on the trip last year was getting to visit the newly-opened National Museum of African American History and Culture. Such an amazing space with so much to see! I didn’t have nearly enough time to explore everything though!

I could literally write a book about my 8 years traveling to D.C. with my students, but I don’t think anyone wants to read that! I could tell you how fun it is to get 47 students on and off the Metro at the same time and in the same car! Or what it’s like when our flight is delayed and then we miss a connecting flight and are stuck in some random city for an extra night! And how hard it was for me last year when I had to leave my 5 month old son for 5 days because I promised my students I would be there for them. (And I hope they know that I am a woman of my word–no matter the circumstances!) We all survived, and learned a little along the way.

But honestly, the behind the scenes work was exhausting and not very glamorous at all. Fundraising, organizing student meetings, collecting payments, meeting with parents, and reassuring everyone (students, parents, administration!) that everything would be fine for the 9 months leading up to the trip, was my least favorite part of this experience. But then I got to take the kids ON the trip. That was the best part. That’s what was so special. And I get to carry those memories with me forever. I hope my students will too.

We decided to close out 2017 and begin 2018 with another trip to Maui! (We go to other places…I swear!) We had a lot to celebrate in a very short amount of time: Dec. 30 was Leon’s 50th birthday, Jan.1 was Brayden’s 1st birthday, and Jan. 4 was our 4th wedding anniversary! And don’t forget New Year’s, too! So, a trip was the best way for us to capture all of these amazing moments.

Our flight was uneventful, and that’s the way I like it! And don’t worry-I remembered Brayden’s birth certificate this time! I worried a lot about entertaining our almost 1 year old on the five hour flight, but he did fairly well! Lots of snacks and the iPad, of course. He napped a little, and went straight for the boobie (he was still nursing) when he got fussy. It also helped that we sat in First Class. The extra space is a lifesaver!

The day we arrived was Leon’s birthday and I had made reservations for the three of us at Merriman’s. For some reason, I had the ridiculous idea that we would all manage to make it through a nice dinner after a long day of travel. Boy, was I wrong! Brayden starting getting crazy as soon as we were seated! So, we did what any parents of a toddler learn to do; improvise, adapt, and overcome! We promptly left the restaurant and headed back to the condo! We ordered take-out sushi from Miso Phat and enjoyed our meal at home while Brayden ran around in his pajamas. It was a perfect night!

The rest of our trip was filled with more realistic expectations on my part. We took short outings that always involved some space for running around, playing on the beach, or strolling around looking at the sights. We kept meals pretty short as they became less enjoyable when Brayden was “done.” And once again, we made sure that we included nap time into every day. This worked for us and we had zero meltdowns!

Two notable stops for us this time around were our tried and true favorite spots: The Plantation House  at Kapalua and Roy’s Kaanapali. We are always treated so well at The Plantation House, and they accommodate our little guy with no problems. And don’t forget those views! We had our New Year’s Eve/Brayden’s birthday dinner at Roy’s and it was great. They had a prix fix menu and it wasn’t outrageously priced! They even brought out special snacks, a dessert, and a birthday hat for Brayden. It was a very special night for all of us.

As always, Maui does not disappoint! We did have one minor hiccup in regards to our accommodations on this trip though. Again, we stayed at the Kahana Villas because we are creatures of habit, and we just feel at home there! Unfortunately, the owners of the unit above us were doing construction during our stay and we could not handle the noise! They were grinding down their cement floors in order to install new tiles, which means they were grinding on our ceiling! We asked to be moved, but there were no available units since it was the New Year holiday. We ended up getting moved to the property across the street (read OCEAN FRONT!) and even though packing everything and moving was a hassle, I think we made out like bandits! We had a gorgeous one-bedroom condo at the Kahana Beach Resort on the third floor and it had complete ocean views from every angle! We were so blessed to be given this unit for our last three days! Another amazing trip to Maui is in the books! Can’t wait to share our next adventure with you!

Check out this view!

 

 

Brayden took his first flight when he was just shy of 4 months old! And it’s safe to say that I was a complete stress case before the five hour flight. First, did we have EVERYTHING? Carseat, stroller, Ergo carrier, diapers, formula, etc.?? Good lord this baby required a ton of luggage! I was so worried about the arsenal of baby gear that I didn’t even know that I needed to bring Brayden’s birth certificate with us in order to check him in for the flight! Total amateur mom move for sure! I was completely disappointed in myself. I usually have all my research done and am on top of all travel requirements. But this was a fail. No way around this one.

Would Leon have to rush home to grab it? Would we miss our flight now? My heart sank. I desperately explained to the woman at the ticket counter that clearly we had never flown with a baby before and had no idea what we were doing! Thankfully, she took pity on us and checked us in without his birth certificate! We were so grateful. Vacation was saved! (Thank you, Hawaiian Airlines!)

We were on our way! I could breather a little easier now that we had survived check-in and security, and were safely on our plane. Brayden did so well on the flight. He didn’t even cry once! He was his usual, happy self switching between Mom and Dad, and he took a few naps as well. All in all, a very successful first flight for our family of three!

In a nutshell, Maui was amazing! We had some great meals out (which is something we don’t do often back at home). Our first stop is always Cheeseburger in Paradise. I think it might be more for the view than the burgers though! Another favorite spot is The Plantation House at the Kapalua Golf Course. Another great restaurant with amazing views of the greens and the ocean!

We took our family beach stroll every morning and Brayden was so happy just having the ocean breeze on his face and the sound of the waves crashing around him. He was so peaceful! He honestly slept more on this trip than he has EVER! All of his napping meant we spent quite a bit of time in the condo waiting for him to wake up! Forced to relax…oh darn! Luckily, we were staying at my mom’s timeshare condo at the Kahana Villa Resort, so we had all the comforts of home.

A few notable highlights of our trip: the first time Brayden had his toes in the the pool and the sand! We know he will be a water baby for life! And he looked so cute in his one-piece swimsuit and hat! He also looked adorable in his authentic Hawaiian outfit (thanks Grammie!) complete with sandals, and his matching father/son golf outfit. Where did my chunky little baby go?

We had an amazing week in Maui. So many fun, new experiences for Brayden, and for us! As always, we left and were already mentally planning our next trip! Fortunately, we would return at the end of the year to celebrate Brayden’s 1st birthday! Stay tuned for the next blog post!