Santa Monica Pier

We're still recovering from our travels to Los Angeles with two small children, but we had a blast and can't wait to go back (maybe without the kids or when they are a little older). Traveling on a plane with little ladies who are not fond of sitting still is rough, y'all!

Traveling to a different timezone is rough too. Jet lag + long car drives (hello! LA traffic) meant my girls took many naps in the car. Completely acceptable when it gives momma a chance to relax in the parking lot while the little ones sleep.

This trip was all about the wedding (my sister-in-law got married to a great man that my oldest daughter just adores), but we still had plenty of time to explore the city and eat lots of great food. Seriously, LA has some super delicious restaurants. You might have to search for the good ones (I think there are more restaurants than there are people), but Esther from Adventures with Esther & Jacob has a fantastic list to start you out.

I'll give details about our eating adventures in California next week. Esther's list definitely came in handy and one of the restaurants we dined in was unexpectedly featured in Food Network Magazine this month. We're so on trend. Lol.

Before stuffing our bellies with that trendy restaurant, we drove to the beach… which I could have lived without. This was our second time to the Santa Monica pier. The first time was a couple years ago, in the fall. The summer season brought lots of tourist, as expected, but also lots of trash on the beach. I was not a fan.

Neither was little bit. Ellington, on the other hand, had a blast. We only coaxed her to leave the beach by offering up a trip to the amusement park on the pier. She had a blast riding rides as well. As we stood in line for the ferris wheel, I had a brief second where I thought we just might be crazy for taking our 1 year old and 3 year old on a rusty old ferris wheel. Once we all jumped in an saw the amazing views, I knew it was worth it. Winsley didn't really appreciate the awesomeness (we later discovered that she had been sick the entire weekend… oops), but Ellington requested 5 more rides on the ferris wheel. She is definitely my little adventure seeker.

You were good to us, LA. We will surely be back to enjoy all that Los Angeles has to offer and continue eating our way through California. Any suggestions for food or fun around LA are welcomed and encouraged!

A First Aid Kit: Travel Edition

In a few days, my little family will be headed across the country to celebrate the wedding of my sister-in-law. We are all super excited, but I am also dreading the packing process.

Can somebody else just come over and make sure we have packed every single thing we may need? I just know I will forget something essential, like the girls' flower girl dresses.

With a 1 year old and a 3 year old, my packing list is about a mile long. Oh yeah, and we are flying… normally this would be a welcomed change, but I'm so not looking forward to being inside a small space with 2 crazy girls that don't always act like little angels in public. Plus, how am I suppose to pack everything we need into 2 pieces of luggage?! No, really. How?

I figured I would start with something easy and work my way up to packing our main luggage. Without a home base, we will need a stash of first aid items to help mend little boo-boos and soothe tiny tears.

Many of these items are not needed for everyone's travel first aid kit, but they are essential for our travels. Purell and wet wipes are a must for anybody traveling with small children, as are tissues. My oldest has eczema that randomly flares up, so we always travel with some sort of hydrocortisone cream and a thick lotion. Another essential that every parent should carry while traveling is a thermometer and children's tylenol. I have too many extra thermometers from buying one while traveling because somebody gets a fever. I also always throw in adult tylenol because momma always gets a headache while traveling.

Last, but certainly not least, band-aids and neosporin. BONUS: Band-aids can double as stickers to occupy restless toddlers on long plane rides.

Now that that's done… I guess it's time to stop procrastinating and start packing all of our clothes. So many clothes.

THIS POST WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY NEOSPORIN. I WAS NOT COMPENSATED FOR THIS POST, HOWEVER I DID RECIEVE A SAMPLE FOR MY REVIEW COURTESY OF INFLUENSTER. ALL OPINIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE VERY MUCH MY OWN.

A bucket List for Your 30s

We are officially old. John and I are now both 30 years old. A house, 2 kids, and a career path… we are grown ups. Doesn't really feel like it, but there is no denying that we are all grown up now. Instead of settling into a life of monotony, I've come up with a list of 30 things I'd like to do over the next 10 year. TRAVEL

1. Travel to Italy. 
2. Visit Asia. I'd love to go to Japan or China, but it is more realistic that I will fulfill this goal by visiting South Korea again. Still counts in my book and this time I'll get to experience SK with my daughters.
3. Attend the Taping of a Show. Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show would be nice. I'd also settle for SNL - maybe when Justin Timberlake was on. Please and thank you very much.
4. Visit Africa. Any country within the continent will do.
5. Go on a Safari in Africa. Number 4 & 5 can be knocked out in one trip if I'm lucky.
6. Visit the Grand Canyon. More specifically, I would really like to cross over the skywalk! Now, that would be one incredible view of the Grand Canyon.
7. Visit the Sequoia National Forest. And stand at the base of the amazing redwood trees.
8. Fly in a Hot Air Balloon. Silly, but it's something that I've always wanted to do. It would be an awfully romantic date, but I'll have to find a friend to fly with me because there is no way John will do this.
9. Go Surfing. I don't really want to 'learn' to surf, just want to try it out. Double points if it's somewhere fun like Hawaii.
10. Visit the Galapagos Islands. I don't think this one needs any explanation.

LEARN

1. Learn another Language. In my case, Korean. I have been putting it off for way too long. It's time to really learn the Korean language, so I can actually have a conversation with my in-laws.
2. Take a Photography Class. 
3. Learn to Solve a Rubik's Cube. I'm a big puzzle lover and I've actually solved a Rubik's cube before, but I had the help of the internet so it doesn't really count.
4. Learn about Wine. I'm a little embarrassed to say out loud that I normally pick my wines by how cute the label looks. I know, I know - don't judge a book by it's cover. I'd really like to learn how to pick out a nice glass of wine without resorting to looks.
5. Learn How to Garden. Successfully. I do not have a green thumb, sadly. I can't even grow a chia pet. Someday, I'd love to actually grow something.
6. Take a Cooking Class. Future date night?
7. Learn to Sew. And actually sew something worthy of gifting. I have a sewing machine, but I am horrible at sewing (can't sew a straight line).
8. Drive a Motorcycle. I have always had a fascination with Harley Davidsons. I don't want to own one, just take it for a spin.
9. Learn to do my own Makeup. I'm 30. I should know how to do makeup by now, right?
10. Learn to Reupholster. Lame, but very useful. Plus, I have a ton of really comfy furniture that just needs a little updating in the fabric department. Doing the reupholstering myself would save much dinero!

OTHER THINGS

1. Run. I've done two half-marathons, but I think it would be absolutely amazing if I could check marathon off my list in my thirties.
2. Eat something out of my comfort zone. I'm a picky eater married to a man who will eat anything. He would love it if I adventured out a little, so we could share more foods at restaurants… I'm not thrilled about this one, but it's all about pushing boundaries and living without regrets.
3. Build a Habitat for Humanity Home. Always wanted to, always had an excuse to delay signing up. In the next ten years, I'd really like to do this.
4. Find my Style. As one of three girls and a stylish mom, I've mostly relied on hand-me-downs to bulk up my wardrobe. FREE= awesome sauce, am I right? Except, I am wearing a mix of everyone else's style and have yet to discover what looks best on me.
5. Be Completely out of Debt. I'm talking no house payment, no car payment, no student loans… I'm realistic so I know this is a tall order, but I'm also an optimist.
6. Leave a Significant Tip. We've all heard those stories of someone leaving a $100 tip on a $20 bill. Well, I'd like to be that someone. Maybe more than once if we have the money to spare.
7. Find a Job I Love. Isn't this everyone's career goal?
8. Pay for the car behind me. You know those chains of pay-it-forward backwards? You are in the drive through at Starbucks and pay for the car behind you - that car pays for the car behind it - and so on and so on until the chain is broken. Yeah, I'd like to start one of those.
9. Throw a Surprise Party. And make sure the guest of honor is completely surprised!
10. Go Vegan. Just for a month, maybe.

What about you? Do you have anything you would especially like to do in your thirties?

Olympic Memories

With the Winter Olympics fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to look at a little recap of my experience during the 2012 Summer Olympics I wrote for Chits & Giggles last year.

I'd love to share with you a little vacation we took in 2012 to England. Oh yeah, did I mention we went to the Olympics too and I was 3 months preggers with my second child?!

First off, I wouldn't exactly recommend taking your first big vacation away from your little one overseas during a pregnancy. Talk about emotions on overload. I think I cried the entire flight over there and my husband (as well as a few others on the flight) thought I was coo coo for cocoa puffs. I don't blame them.

Secondly, even if you are exhausted, go see EVERYTHING on your to see list - no excuses! If I can drag my tired pregnant butt across England, you can certainly drag your hungover self out of bed to sightsee all day!

Now, on to the good stuff.

As you can see from my second little tip above, I was not thrilled to be up early to spend all day walking around the Olympic Park. Our tickets were for a night event and I would have rather slept in then gone to see the handball a few hours before the event.

Fortunately, I got myself out of bed, put on my comfy shoes, and headed out for a day of long lines and lots of walking.

London did a great job with the park! I think I only stood in one line all day! Surprisingly, there was never a line to the bathroom + there was plenty to do + plenty of little gardens everywhere. It never felt crowded despite the thousands of people surrounding you at all times. Plus, the event volunteers (yes, almost everyone who worked the event were unpaid locals just in it for the thrill and excitement of the Olympics) were hilarious and extremely friendly at all times. It was a fantastic experience and I almost forgot that we were there to see Handball and not just walk around the park.

The day ended with sore feet and lots of new friends! I could talk for hours about the nice people we met during our trip. Londoners aren't exactly know for their hospitality, but the Olympics brought a sense of pride in their country that Londoners and the rest of England was very eager to share with us foreigners.

If you find yourself at the Olympics one day or even just somewhere you don't believe you'll ever visit again, be sure to fill your itinerary to the brim with activities + talk to every local willing to tell you a story. Exhausting, sure, but you will be so glad that you saw everything you wanted to see and you'll have a blast listening to locals describe their life in their own country to complete strangers!

Sorry, Sochi. Nothing can beat the generosity and friendly spirit of London during the summer of 2012.

A little Sunday Giveaway!

Checking in on a Sunday to announce a fun giveaway put together by the lovely Chelsea, who blogs over at Lost in Travels - she's a blogger friend that is pretty awesome, so you should definitely check out her blog. In fact, this giveaway includes ladies that are all pretty awesome!

And on to the giveaway! Enjoy. 

The season of 'GO GO GO' is upon us, so why not GO in style? That's why I've teamed up with some very lovely ladies to give away one ONA Bowery Canvas camera bag, Little Miss Gee camera strap and a Starbucks gift card (because we all know coffee is needed when we go anywhere.) These are such great bags to carry all of your camera gear in without screaming 'tourist' wherever you go! Enter below for your chance to win and spread the word!

Lost in Travels // The Nectar Collective // Postcards from Rachel // Until Only Love Remains // Brachel Boulevard 

Perpetually Caroline // Lego House // Side Street Style // Daisy Bisley // Kimchi Sweet Tea

Mr. & Mrs. Foster // Found Love, Now What? // The Happy Type // Treasure Tromp // Home Sweet 'Homa

Oh the Places We Will Go

ONA Bowery Canvas Bag // Little Miss Gee Scarf Camera Strap // $10 Starbucks Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules

1. Open to all participants living within the United States.

2. Winner’s entry validity will be verified by me and if an entry proves to be invalid, you will be disqualified.

3. Giveaway ends on the 27^th of July at 12:00 AM EST. Winner will be chosen by Rafflcoptor and contacted by email no later than the 28^th of July. Winner has 48 hours to respond, if the winner does not respond, a new winner will be picked.

4. Lost in Travels is responsible for the payment and ordering of won items but not responsible for any packages lost in transit. 

A Week at the Beach, Part 4 of 4

Okay, people. This is the last of the pictures from our beach trip. I was hoping to get a family photo on this trip (it's on my summer bucket list), so we headed to the beach for a short photo session and enjoy the feeling of sand between our toes for the last time.

I cannot believe how much our annual beach trip has changed over the past 3 years. Ellington was so little the first time we headed to the beach with the same awesome couples that joined us again this year. The second time (here and here) at the beach, Ellington was still an amateur beach goer and a little weary of getting her hands covered in sand. This year (here, here, and here), she was a true professional. I even had to bribe her a few times to get her off of the beach.

Next year's beach trip will be even more fun! I just know it. We started out with 3 couples and a baby. Now we have 3 couples and 4 babies. I foresee many more crazy times at the beach!

A Week at the Beach, Part 3 of 4

My grown up little lady absolutely adores the beach! Just a few months ago she was hesitant to play in the sandbox for fear of getting dirt on her hands, but now she is one with the sand. I have to trick her into going back to the beach house and, unfortunately for her little sister, I often use Winsley as an excuse. 'The baby needs to go home to eat' 'The baby has to get out of the sun for a little while' Seriously, this girl is obsessed with the ocean waves and the miles of sand. 

 I am not really sure why she is making that face, but I love it!

Ellington was really upset when she noticed that the dads were using her football to play a game on the beach, so she grabbed it the first chance she got and marched back to where I was sitting saying, 'No Daddy play my football!' I guess we need to work on sharing a little more before Winsley gets old enough to take her toys. :)

I see many more beach weeks in our future with these two little ladies! 

And just in case you're wondering if my 12 week old is super advanced and sitting up on her own already. . . she's not. I sneakily photoshopped my hand out of the picture. :)

A Week at the Beach, Part 2 of 4

Yesterday, we visited the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher. It's not huge and doesn't have a big feature exhibit like a beluga whale, but it's a special place for me because this is where I visited the fishies when I was a child. I clearly remember many visits to this aquarium (especially the trips to the arcade and doughnut shop at Carolina Beach while we were in the area. :)

We took a ferry ride over to see the aquarium and Ellington absolutely loved every bit of that short boat ride. She had seen many boats in the ocean on Sunday and Monday at the beach and was very eager to ride on a boat. 

Now on to the photos from our aquarium visit. Ellington was not so eager to get her picture taken while we were at the museum, so you'll see lots of Elli blurs and me trying to hold her down to get one good picture of all of us. . . it didn't work out too well. The museum tired her out and both girls slept the entire way home. :)

Thankfully, Ellington was gracious enough to let us take one family picture last night. :)

A Week at the Beach, Part 1 of 4

We take a beach trip every year with two wonderful couples and this year we ALL have babies! For the past two years, Ellington has been the only kid around and we just went for a long weekend. This year there are 4 kids and we are at the beach for an entire week!  I am super excited and because of all the friend time + craziness involved with vacationing with kids, this post will be short and sweet with lots and LOTS of pictures. Expect more posts this week with many more pictures. :) I'll get back to normal blogging new week. Enjoy your week and pretend like you're on a mini vacation if your not at the beach. Your boss won't mind if you show up in a swimsuit smelling of suntan lotion, right?

I'm not sure what exactly Ellington is doing here (she claimed she was 'washing' the baby), but lets just say we won't be leaving her alone with the baby anytime soon.