Weekend in Seabrook

Happy Monday! We spent Mother's Day weekend in the sweetest coastal town called Seabrook, just about 2 hours from where we live, and it was perfect in all the right ways! We rented a super cozy, coastal style home (Moon Dance for those of you who are local) and were able to walk to literally everything. The kids had the best time exploring the beach, flying kites with nana, visiting the most adorable boutiques and of course getting their daily servings of ice cream & candy. Baylor had tears in his eyes when we left and said he'd like to move to Seabrook for 100 weeks. ;)

Every storefront & house in Seabrook is incredibly charming. Sweet Life was our most favorite - filled with vintage candy, cute little toys (we came home with some Maileg mice) and the most delicious local ice cream. 
If you're local to the Seattle area, you really have to take a weekend trip to Seabrook. I'm not normally one for Washington beaches (notoriously cold, windy & rocky), but this one is special!

We're jumping back into our routine today, but can feel summer slowly creeping in around here. School is starting to wind down, we have sun (!!) in the forecast, and we're working on lots of projects before summer (& baby #4!) arrives!

Disneyland Trip & My Top 5 Tips!

We spent one of our vacation days at Disneyland, and let me just say, it was not for the faint of heart. We've taken the kids to Disneyland every year for 3 years now, and it gets harder yet more exciting every time. Winnie is 18 months and an absolute rodeo. She wants to walk (hell to the no) and is an endless pit for snacks. The kid's favorite rides were It's A Small World, the monorail (eyeroll...), and of course, the Teacups. Our kids are little enough that rides weren't a huge priority so we strolled through a lot of the day taking in sights, watching parades and dodging sunburns :) Collin and I decided we'll skip Disney for the next couple years, with a fourth baby coming and the logistics of taking 4 kids under 5 to Disneyland ... just sounds a bit daunting ;)

 5 THINGS TO NOTE: 

1. We brought a change of clothes for the kids & were so glad we did... Disneyland is home to all the sticky things. It was nice to have something to change them into before dinner - they feel fresher and I feel like a respectable mother. ;) 

2. The Disneyland App was a total lifesaver. It's totally worth downloading before you visit - it showed wait times for rides, locations of characters and a schedule of shows & parades. We used it all day. 

3. Go before they open! We ended up arriving late at Disneyland (my worst nightmare), and waited in line for the trams for a solid 45 minutes ... by the time we actually got into the park, the kids were already hot & irritable. Had we arrived earlier, I'm sure we would've missed some of that headache. 

 4. We packed snacks & lunches for the kids, which was a total lifesaver. We didn't have to wait in line to eat anywhere, we could fill them with something other than total junk, and we could eat on the go, which kept them busy & content! 

5. Toon Town was our favorite - not only because it was age appropriate, but because they have a huge playhouse that the kids can run around in, it's air conditioned, and just seemed less busy than the other areas of the park. The food there was also more accessible & there weren't any lines - we got the kids soft serve cones and sat under an umbrella in the shade for a bit - it was the perfect spot!  

Overall, it was every bit as enchanting as it always is and our kids haven't stopped talking about it since we got home.

California Vacation

We're back! We returned yesterday afternoon from a quick trip to California to get some much needed R&R and of course, a hefty dose of Vitamin D. We accomplished all of that & more!

 We stayed at Marriott's Newport Coast Villas, and I honestly can't rave enough about the experience. This hotel was the MOST kid friendly hotel we've ever stayed at - they had huge play areas indoor & outdoor for the kids (a put put course, a couple huge sand boxes, a game room, an arcade room, a movie theater and a kids play area with coloring tables, blocks, train tables, ect). The pools were amazing, and it was virtually paradise on every level.

Winnie loves pool service as much as her mama. Bring me a Pina Colada by the pool and I'll kiss you!

We spent a morning at Laguna Beach with the kids, and after a minor adjustment to the sand, the kids had the best time. I will just say though, I'm much more of a pool person. All that sand all over all the things stresses me OUT.

Winnie spent the morning thinking she was Moana in the ocean and it was basically the cutest thing ever!

Bellamy is our poser of the family and she doesn't pass up an opportunity to put out the vibe.

I'll share about our Disneyland experience tomorrow - but let's just say, three kids & pregnant at Disney is almost an out of body experience. 

BLUE GINGHAM DRESS // LIFEGUARD SUIT // CACTUS SUIT // PALM TREE SHORTS // LEOPARD SUIT //

Suncadia 2016

After a really long week, I'm back online. I had to walk away for a few days post-election and just love on my people. This time of year gets so busy for us, as a family and work-wise, things really go into full gear. I'm learning each day to pace myself, to say no, and to be present when I can and to grind when I have the chance. It's all a balancing act and while I often times fail (miserably), it's just important to me that I keep learning & moving forward! 

We spent the weekend in Suncadia (a little vacation town an hour into the mountains) and it was everything my heart needed. We have some very generous friends (thanks M&J!) who invited us to their home and we spent the weekend relaxing, unwinding and just hanging with our people. I have a really hard time slowing myself down, so the best way to do that is to escape. 

The kids played hard, we skipped naps, went to bed late, ate too many treats and had the best time! 

California + Disneyland!

Happy Monday! We just got back from a quick trip to California for a wedding & a little stop in at my favorite place on earth ... DISNEYLAND. Magic doesn't even begin to explain Disneyland with kids. BUT, let's get real ... traveling with three kids under 4 is totally crazy. We had lots of help (thanks nana + mimi!), but goodness, it's a lot of work. To top things off, we got home only to be locked out of our house by our construction guys. If there was ever a time to drink... 

The kids did really great on the airplane - we brought lots of snacks, an iPad for shows, and some coloring books! The flight is only a couple hours, so it went quickly! The flight home was a little more wiley, as we sat on the tarmac for almost an hour before taking off (the pilot blamed "LA TRAFFIC" ... no time for jokes here people.) I nursed Winnie pretty much the entire flight because any time I tried to "disconnect" she lost her shit. That was super comfortable. 

We spent the morning at Laguna Beach, and even though it wasn't hot outside, the kids loved playing in the sand and watching the waves. Total "I'm on vacation... I can breath!" moment. 

We didn't last super long at the wedding, because my kids could care less about wedding cakes and best man speeches. We headed back to the hotel early and opted for room service and a movie in bed. Not our worst Saturday night. (My love language is eating in bed... chicken strips to be specific #nowyouknow)

Not even sure what's going on here, but the amount of captions we came up with for this photo... well, there wasn't enough hours in the day. 

We headed to Disney the next morning and it was practically as if Minnie was waiting inside the front gates for us. The kids were blown away at almost everything they saw and it was incredibly magical from the moment we arrived until the moment we left. I love Disney. 

Baylor decided that he wanted to go on the roller coaster in Tune Town (Bellamy was passed out in the stroller like a drunk princess) and we caught the whole thing on my mom's Go-Pro. Priceless memories my friends. Let's just say, he had no idea what he'd signed up for. 

If you have a little one who love princesses, you must visit the Bippity Boppity Boutique in Disneyland. Bellamy wasn't old enough for the entire princess treatment, but she got glitter sprinkled all over her hair and hands (she was thrilled, the stroller, however, still hasn't recovered). The have all the princess dresses and it's such a sweet little shop! 

Baylor was completely smitten with Daisy and didn't want to let her go when our turn was up. I pretty much die every time I look at this photo. 

Winnie's first time in the pool! She loved the warm water and spent her afternoon avoiding the tidal waves set on by her older siblings.

The trip was so much fun (notice I didn't say vacation) but we're happy to be home, causing a ruckus in our own space! 

Weekend Update - Memorial Day

Starting the week on a Tuesday has some seriously great potential, if I must say so. Our Memorial Day weekend was pretty fantastic. Things started off on a bit of a whim, as we decided on Friday night that we'd go visit Pullman for the weekend, watch a few Cougar baseball games and enjoy the SUNSHINE that was missing on this side of the mountains. We packed up the car, headed out at 6:30 AM (with a quick stop at Starbucks, but of course), and listened to Toy Story in the backseat for the umpteenth time. The kids had an amazing time in Pullman (how could you not?!), and we made so many special memories. Baylor played baseball with Butch on the home field, we had Martin Stadium as our own personal playground, and caught up with lots of great friends. It was seriously such a perfect weekend! 

Hope your weekend was patriotic and that your week is off to an excellent start! We're ready to bust out the swimming pool and give summer a big wet welcoming kiss!