Tag: travel

February Round up

The month might be shorter than most but it always feels jam packed! February meant the start of baseball practices for the boys, a trip to Tahoe (see our trip here), celebrating Valentines Day & my birthday at the end of the month. We had some pretty big rain storms at the beginning of the month which lead to lots of throwing our rainsuits on and jumping in puddles. Here’s a little glimpse into what we got into this month, recipes I loved this month, books I read, where we’re at on our 1K hours outside and my decluttering challenge! I also posted an essay on the phase of motherhood you can read it here: Legos in the Laundry

This month I joined a volunteer organization that bakes birthday kids for Foster kids who otherwise may not get a cake. I baked my first cake for the organization this month. It was a batman themed cake for a 15 year old. I have loved baking my boys cakes and the idea that there are kids out there that won’t be made to feel special or celebrated on their birthday, pulls at my heart. It really felt like the perfect fit as a way to give back to my community, spread joy & use skills I already have. I joined the bay area chapter face book group and I’m so impressed with all the amazing bakers. Also this brought up so many important conversations with my own kids. We talked about how fortunate we are and how we never know other peoples circumstances. Not to mention just broadening their horizons that there are kids who are only getting a cake because someone like myself is making it. Before we can even think about teaching our children gratitude we first have to teach them awareness and noticing. So exposing them to truths in age appropriate ways can foster gratitude! Here’s pic of the cake I did, I love the way it turned out and I loved the recipe the organization had in their resource center for black frosting that won’t stain teeth.

My Dark Knight cake!

Recipes I’ve been loving:

Protein cookie dough: I’m usually underwhelmed by high protein desserts because they never really taste as good as I’d like. but this cookie dough legit tastes like you’re eating cookie dough. I’ve been making it on repeat all month long. Just combine 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/2 vanilla protein powder (I’ve been using this one), 1/4 maple syrup, 3 tbsp melted coconut oil and 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips. I combine in a bowl until all mixed up and then spread out onto parchment paper. I usually place another parchment paper over it and flatten to desired thickness. Then chill in the fridge or freezer and cut into squares. This has been my go to snack when I’m craving something sweet.

kimchi fried rice – I made it with chicken but honestly you could put any protein in it. I’m making it again this week. 10/10 I used this recipe . I think next time I make it I’m gonna use shrimp.

Shrimp spring rolls. I’ve also been making these ahead of time for easy lunches. I bought a pack of rice paper wraps off amazon and have been trying different additions to my spring rolls. Right now I’m loving a mix of shrimp, mint, cilantro and bean sprouts with a spicy peanut sauce. It’s so crunchy and good.

Books I read this month:

The Great Alone – my favorite book this month. I love Kristen Hannah. I love her writing style and her stories are always so emotional.

Small Things Everywhere – This was our bookclub book. It was super short, a little strange. lol. By no means a bad book, but just hard to understand what would actually be important in the book since it was literally only 100 pages.

Jesus and John Wayne – This was a political non-fiction book about how the evangelicals and their impact in american politics. It was as dense as it sounds lol.

After I do – quick romance read. My second Taylor Jenkins Reid book of the year and this one didn’t disappoint!

Slow read of War & Peace – I’m still chugging along. This month I kinda fell behind and was having to read multiple chapters a sitting. In March my goal is to really try to stick to the one chapter a day plan!

podcast that I loved: Dr. Becky – how to not raise an asshole. – I love Dr. Becky her podcast and book is such a powerful resource for parents. And this podcast episode seriously knocked it out of the park with talking to our kids about gratitude and our ideas behind raising entitled children. I listened to this episode twice taking notes to pass on to my husband! 10/10.

As Far as:

Decluttering Challenge: I have a decluttering goal of purging 2025 items from our home this year. So in February I purged a little over 300 items total. This is definitely a hard challenge but it’s been fun to track.

1000 hours outside: in February we logged 51 hours outside, bringing our total to 122 hours for the year. Like I mentioned earlier in the post the weather was pretty dreary at the beginning of the month. And now we’re in full swing when it comes to baseball so I’m sure those hours will tick up as the weather continues to get better.

Looking forward – we are taking the boys to Monster Jam in March and have some fun things planned around Spring break including a glamping trip with friends and of course loads of baseball as well as some little projects I’m working on at our house.

xoxo

Sunday Somethings no. 2

Sunday Somethings

  • I made this Parmesan and Italian Sausage soup this week & it was SO good. I ended up using half sausage half ground turkey to curb some of the fat content but it was delicious and I’m definitely making it again this week!
  • I’m almost done reading Wintering which has been on my list to read for so long. January just feels like the best time to read it. This is one of my favorite quotes, May writes “Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to get them through... that’s where the transformation occurs. Winter is not the death of the life cycle, but its crucible” I love how the book is all about celebrating and leaning into times of rest and how when we allow ourselves to recognizes hard, dark, withdrawn times that’s when growth and transformation and wisdom occurs.
  • I’ve also been working on my January declutter challenge of filling boxes – I have 4 to drop off at the Goodwill this week, which feels so good. I love the feeling of clearing space and letting things go!
  • Something I’m grateful for this week is generous friends that totally saved us on our annual snow trip. After we had not one, but two Airbnb FAILS!! I booked a place back in December that had good reviews. When we got there we quickly realized the heater was not working at all and it was a chilly 42 degrees in the house. Then I went to check the hot tub only to look and see it was empty except for broken glass. I bundled the kids up and let them play in the backyard in the snow while we game planned. We realize that after I had booked this house someone had left a review with the exact same complaints from 2 weeks ago! So nothing ever got fixed. We ended up booking another house that said we could check in at 6pm. So we pile the kids in the car, reload our car and then aren’t able to get into our new airbnb because the owners live in France and it was 2 or 3 am their time. It was a nightmare!! Thankfully we had some friends who let us use their cabin that was only another 15 minutes away and it was a LIFESAVER!
  • I’m also grateful for Chris and my ability to not let a frustrating situation ruin our trip and still be able to work together as a team to figure it all out! We always tell the boys not to panic almost everything is “figure-out-able”
  • Something I loved this weekend was where we took the boys sledding. We went to Granlibakken and watching the boys fly down that hill and not be scared was so much fun!! And I was so impressed with their ability to keep trekking back up the big hill. If you’re local and looking for a place to take your kids sledding I 10/10 recommend. They sell 90 min tickets and that is MORE than enough.

Hope everyone had a great week!

24 in 2024

2024 has some big goals, big destinations, big DIYs! I want to create a better post work routine. I feel like I have a nice morning routine on days when I’m not working. But after a long shift at the hospital I always feel like I’m floundering a little when it comes to morning time. So I really want to cultivate a better morning routine for those days when I’ve gotten way less sleep. Also being easier on myself is a goal for 2024. I deserve the compassion I extend to others. We are so often our own worst critics, and have trouble holding space for ourselves and our own struggles. So really focusing on when I’m struggling and instead of telling myself to “suck it up buttercup” I want to be more gentle with myself. Watercoloring was such an unexpected hobby I picked up this winter so I want to keep it up, it’s so peaceful and I love including my kids.

I would love to hear what some of your goals are for this new year. I love doing these lists and I do so knowing I likely won’t cross everything off but it’s a fun exercise to think about what sorts of things you might want to try this year!

check out previous lists here: 20 in 2020 21 in 2021 Monday Mindset: 2022 Wrapped 23 in 2023

Monday Mindset: A holiday pep-talk

Let’s talk IG vs. reality… On the daily instagram serves us ultra-curated snippets of perfection. Perfect angles, perfect lighting, spotless homes with farm sinks and all white aesthetics. And then the holidays hit and it multiplies – elaborate family costumes, porches decorated to the nines, kids smiling in photos. It is so easy to scroll on social media and feel like you aren’t doing, buying, planning, being “enough”. This Monday Mindset is here to remind you are enough and your reality is beautiful even if it looks nothing like one of those curated squares. Let go of the pressures to do/be/buy more & instead just be. Let’s embrace the parts of the holidays we truly enjoy and let the rest of the expectations go! This halloween is completely different for us, because everyone is sick. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t felt the pangs of disappointment that Will is missing wearing his costume to school and their Halloween Party, but at the end of the day I’m disappointed because I’m attached to that expectation. As soon as I let go of all the expectations I had and welcomed our reality it felt easier to shift gears and decide to make the most of our halloween at home this year. So whether you’re a crafty mom, and event planning mom, an amazon prime mom or some combo like most of us, here’s your reminder to leave your phone in the other room, let go of whatever expectations you’re putting on yourself. The funny thing is when we take a deep breath and slow down and be, our kids mirror that energy and you might just get a genuine smile.

All Things Arches, With Toddlers

Double Arch Trail

This summer we chose Arches for our National Park in Utah to explore with the boys! Today I’m sharing our overall experience, the hikes we managed, gluten free food we found & the accommodations so you can make the most of your trip! We have made it a goal to take them to one park a year if possible. You can see our winter trip to Yosemite last year here .

I found Arches to be very family friendly and very manageable when it came to a National Park. It’s a fairly small park only about 1/10 the size of Yosemite so driving through the park, hiking and exploring felt less daunting! There was no shortage of short easy hikes some that were even stroller friendly. We saw tons of families enjoying the park & would say it’s toddler approved!

what hiking with toddlers looks like
playing with dinos at the top of The Windows

Hikes:

The Windows: This was the longest hike we did with the boys! But it was definitely one of the most beautiful! This hike definitely has some incline & lots of steps, but is 1 mile round trip with phenomenal views at the top!

Balanced Rock: Stroller Friendly 0.3 mile loop hike with tons of photo ops! This is a great one to save as a second activity of the day! You can see balanced rock from the road but the loop trail has next to no elevation gain and is mostly paved making it super accessible for kids!

Double Arch: Take this 0.6 mile hike to see the tallest arch in the park! This relatively flat packed gravel hike leads to 2 gorgeous arches. You could easily take a stroller right up to the base of the arch!

Delicate Arch Viewpoint: Lower viewpoint is stroller friendly – we didn’t use the stroller but wish we had! By the time we did this one the boys were pooped, it was peak heat in the day so needless to say we didn’t stay long. This viewpoint is wheelchair accessible and only about 200ft, but for a tired, overheated toddler you might opt for the stroller!

Sand Dune Arch: This was on our list but we didn’t get to hike this. This 0.4 mile hike is listed as a popular hike for kiddos! But as the name eludes to there’s lots of sand so plan accordingly!

*If you’re planning a trip in the summer I can’t recommend these cooling towels enough! They’re ultra light weight and you simply pour water on them when you’re ready to cool off! We used these everyday we were out in the park & they’ll definitely be a summer staple!

Main Pool at Springhill Suites

Accommodations: We stayed at Springhill Suites in Moab & LOVED it! If you’re visiting in the Summer this resort is amazing. They have two pools, a splashpad & 4 hot tubs including one that is considered a “warming tub” that is significantly less hot & geared towards littles! One of the pools is super shallow which was perfect for toddlers who are still getting the hang of swimming! They also have family suites that include bunk beds and a great free breakfast that starts at 6am which I never truly valued until I started traveling with kids!

Balanced Rock

Things to consider:

Time of year – the weather can certainly be a factor so if your trip is lined up for mid summer be sure to plan accordingly. The actual park does not have any food inside and you’re encouraged to bring a LOT of water with you inside the park. We went ahead and booked tickets for early morning entry & spent the morning in the park and left by noon when the temperatures were reaching their highest for the day!

Plan your days – My advice is to plan to do about 2 hikes or sights in the park per day if you have young kiddos, especially in the summer when the heat is no joke. We found it was to start with the longer hike & save something that is stroller friendly or shorter for the second half!

Expect / plan breaks – Toddlers are more than capable of enjoying and participating in hikes and national parks but planning in breaks is KEY. I recommend bringing some small toy for the halfway point of the hike. When we hiked The Windows hike I knew we’d want to stop at the top, rest, hydrate and admire the sights. Toddlers are less into pausing and soaking in the vastness… So I brought the boys little toy dinosaurs to play with at the top. I kept them in my backpack so there wasn’t any temptation beforehand and then it was a little surprise. Then I told them we had to pack them away so they could get down the hike safely again! This seriously bought us 20-30 min at the top, which allowed for both Chris and I to go see the views at the very top, and allowed for everyone to feel rested for the walk back!

Keep it fun – hiking in the heat, even short distances can be a lot for little kids. So keeping it fun and lighthearted is the best way to keep your toddler moving forward. We play red light / green light. Chase / stomp on each others shadows, play ispy, and look for little creatures and of course racing each other! These little distractions helped a ton with our kids and kept the carrying them to a minimum!

Miguels Baja Cafe

Food – Downtown Moab has a ton of options all within a 5 block radius. There was no shortage of gluten free options available.

Pasta Jays – gluten free pastas, garlic bread, huge portions and large outdoor patio!

Miguels Baja Cafe – Nearly everything here is gluten free unless otherwise noted! Super cute colorful outdoor area to eat!

Moab coffee roasters – affogatos to die for here.

Food Truck Park – A ton of food truck and a nice shaded square to enjoy your food!

Moab Giants: If you extra time this Dinosaur park is the best add on for your toddlers. It’s a few minutes from the park entrance and you can explore these life size replicas of Dinosaurs. They also have an air conditioned museum. We did this one morning instead of the National Park & the boys loved it!

All in all we had a great time at Arches, I think the boys were at a great age to experience this park & I didn’t feel like we missed out on much! Obviously the older your kids are the more they can hike and explore but I think for toddlers this park is perfect. There’s short hikes, minimal cliffs and plenty of beauty and nature to be appreciated!

I’d love to hear about other National Parks you think are great for kids! Every time we finish one of these trips it gets me so excited to research and plan our next park so I’m open to any and all suggestions!!

Winter in Yosemite

Last month we went on our first trip in exactly one year! We went on a road trip & visited Yosemite. A few months leading up to this trip Will started enquiring about seeing snow. We landed on visiting Yosemite, because as much as I wanted Will to see snow, the idea of three days with a toddler & infant with snow as the main / only attraction did not seem like my idea of fun. So we landed on going to Yosemite & it was the perfect getaway! I thought I would share what hikes, trails we went on that were kid friendly, info about snow play areas etc in case you find yourself in a snowy yosemite with a toddler & 6 month old!

Cooks Meadow – Located on the valley floor, this trail has incredible view of half dome & Yosemite Falls & you are surrounded by beautiful meadows. There are boardwalks that make pushing a stroller easy. We were able to pull off the trail and have our lunch in a meadow with Yosemite Falls in the background. So serene.

Lower Yosemite Falls – This is a 1 mile loop that is paved, easily manageable with a stroller or a toddler. (although when did this hike it was day 3 & will was exhausted so he opted to ride in the stroller, but on any given day he could easily have walked this trail!)

Badger Pass Ski / Snow Play Area – did you know Yosemite had a ski resort?? I did not, until researching for this trip. At the time the actual ski resort was closed & lifts were not running. however the snow play area was open to visitors. William had a great time sledding. We took our monkey mat and put it down in the snow & Johnathan got to watch. We also packed tons of food for this portion – I premade a batch of chili for our trip, heated it in the morning & stored in a XL Thermos. When we got done playing in the snow we had a picnic in the back of the car with warm chili! I would say be sure to pack lots of food because to & from badger pass there is very little / no food options & I did not want to risk and hungry toddler or husband after playing in the snow for two hours!

Tunnel View – If you’ve been to Yosemite you’ve probably stopped at Tunnel View – there’s not much to do, it’s purely a vista, but I love stopping there & taking it all in! (I just popped out of the car to grab a few photos, no pulling toddlers out of carseats for this stop.

Things to consider

  • If you are planning a trip to Yosemite be sure to check which entrances are open, because many roads are closed during the winter months.
  • Be sure to check if reservations are required to enter the park as of Feb 2021 they were.
  • Depending on accommodations, at the time we booked our trip the Awahnee was still closed for overnight guests, however we booked an airbnb about 30 minutes from the gate. Something to consider is the driving factor – although we were only 30 minutes to the gate, often our actual destination was an hour or so away. So it made for LOTS of time in the car.
  • We loved our airbnb, it had stunning mountain views, a hot tub that you could enjoy the sunset from & was SUPER kid friendly, including a play structure, miniature horses & everything from highchairs to pack n plays! This is the airbnb link in case you are looking for a place to stay!

Have you ever visited Yosemite in the winter?? I would love to hear about your experience or your experience taking young kids to national parks! After this trip Chris & I are really making an effort to take the boys to more parks around us! Leave me your favorite parks in the comments below!

Sunday Sunsets

Last night we spontaneously decided to head over to Baker Beach for the sunset and it ended up being one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve probably ever seen. This past week was so busy, Chris was gone Monday through Thursday for work, I worked 3 shifts including Saturday night. I celebrated a friends birthday & Sunday we went to Dim Sum for a red egg & ginger party. So Sunday was the first day Chris, William & I were all together for a whole day in a week!

Before having Will I used to take Juno to the beach weekly. It’s truly her heaven on earth but now days it’s a two person job. One to wrangle the dog and one to wrangle the toddler. I’m acutely award that we won’t live 10 minutes from the beach forever so I’m trying soak up all the beach days I can & even though it can be hectic I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Chasing Fireflies & other sweet things in the South pt. 2

Part 2 of our trip to Tennessee & Georgia! These photos are from the wedding we attended in Bell Buckle Tennessee. As you can tell by most* of the photos William had a blast. We got to spend some great time with family, we all stayed at a B&B together & were just a few blocks from the rehearsal & wedding.

Chasing fireflies, & other sweet things in the South pt.1

Earlier this summer we visited Bell Buckle Tennessee for a wedding on Chris’ side, but our trip started out just outside of Atlanta. Our first stop was visiting William’s Great Grandma Peggy! We got to go have lunch with her, we ate outside on a beautiful patio while Will played & explored. It was the sweetest. After our visit we spent the rest of the time relaxing at Chris’ Aunts home. That night we took Will outside to look for fireflies. Chris & his sister showed Will the ropes. I was a novice also, & got to experience fireflies for the first time too!

The next day we headed out to Bell Buckle, Tennessee!

Curaçao continued

I’m finally getting around to posting the remaining photos from our trip to curacao. Travelling has certainly changed now that we are bringing our little guy with us, but he was such a trooper. We were gone for 10 nights, took 5 flights, were in 2 climates & he totally rolled with the punches. He isn’t the baby that is just going to pass out on a flight & that’s okay, we just had to change our expectations that even if he’s tired the flight is probably just too stimulating for him to be able to nap for longer than 30-50 min at a time. Despite William not sleeping a ton on travel days, he was in such a good mood which made travelling with him a ton of fun. We booked this trip while I was still pregnant, granted it had a pretty flexible cancellation policy, but we figured if we waited till after we had him we may chicken out and not book it, rather than just planning on going! I think if travelling is something you enjoy than it’s completely possible to continue doing so with a baby. We may not have ventured off the resort as much as we would have, we have woken up far earlier than years prior, but we still had a great time & it was amazing getting to see our guy take in so many new things!! This week we are finishing up Christmas gifts, I’m working two more shifts & then we are heading to my parents on Friday for Christmas, I can’t wait!