I mean, today is still supposed to hit 80 degrees. But the weather is slowly changing, and we have made the most out of the past few weekends, with multiple trips to the mountains (peak fall foliage!) and a gorgeous run/bike along the trail behind our old house. It’s been glorious.
This Thursday & Friday is Fall Break for the girls, so we’re off on another adventure. But until then, enjoy these fall photos from our past few days.
Last weekend we spent our Sunday in Frisco, which was truly the first time we felt like we saw fall colors this season.We <3 it here.Emilia & Dad … a love story <3Occasionally she’ll pose with me, too.This place is such a dream.We grabbed lunch at Highside Brewing and sat outside while the kiddos entertained themselves.I am gearing up to run the Apex Center’s Trick or Trot 5K the weekend before Halloween. So we grabbed the kiddos and their bikes and hit up the trail behind our old house on Saturday morning. So much fun. So many memories.It’s easy to forget how pretty this place is when you don’t live 15 feet away anymore. We had the best morning!Yesterday we packed up the car and headed back to the mountains. This time for the St. Mary’s Glacier hike.Did Emilia spend 99.9% of the hike on Dad’s shoulders? Sure did.Colorado. Is there any place like you?Emilia had never been to St. Mary’s Glacier, and Lotte & Grace were last here when they were teeny tiny.It was some kind of special to be back this time <3Never not picking the more adventurous route.A stranger took this picture, and it’s probably one of our best ever. Classic.It was a very fun day.
In four days we’re off to Great Sand Dunes National Park, which is yet another place that Emilia has never been to and Lotte & Grace only visited once when they were very little. Call this an unintentional revisiting of our past … whatever it is, I’m here for it.
We just arrived home from the most delightful long weekend at Dreams Bahia Mita Surf and Spa in Punta De Mita, Mexico. This was a press trip, so I won’t share all of the details until the actual article comes out. But for now I’ll just say … this place was a pure delight.
Some highlights …
Our room included a small plunge pool, which was perfect for relaxing after a long day at the pool.The girls loved playing “restaurant happy hour” with the treats in our room. Lotte was the mocktail maker, while Grace and Emilia served up some sweet treats <3Me and my oldest babe, on our way to dinner the first night.We’ve got our relaxation down to an art.First night dinner views were a delight!Honestly, the food at this all-inclusive was something special. It was very tailored to kids, while also being super tasty & special for adults. I was told that in November, you can often see whales from the beach. Can you imagine?!There were SO MANY pools and special features. The girls had a blast!The new kids water park was really amazing! Tons of water features and shallow water so you didn’t have to worry too much about the littles.We had a private cabana on Friday, and the girls REALLY took advantage of the services 😉We caught some glorious sunsets from our balcony.We went to a fun festival with a live Mariachi band!The kids club was a huge hit! They did crafts, danced by the pool, conducted science experiments, decorated donuts and tons more!Mom & Dad also were not too sad to have some alone time 😉 It allowed us to check out the “Secrets” section of the hotel, which is adults only. It felt extra special <3YUM.We were pretty happy to get the kids back … eventually 😉Drinks at the swim-up bar in the adults-only pool. Super swanky.We sure do love you, Mexico!We rounded out our final full day with a last visit to the beach.Adios, Mexico. Thanks for the super amazing time.The girls & I all wore pant/short-suits to dinner on our last night, and it was friggin’ adorable.Farewell Mexico!You sure were colorful <3
We sure did manage to live it up for these 7ish weeks, though 😉 Here’s a bit of what we got up to after heading back from Down Under.
Camps!
I feel like we really hit our stride with camps this year. Rather than sticking to the same exact one, we switched it up.
Two weeks at the Arvada Center — for four camps total — was just the right amount of time. Even Emmy got to join in on the fun!Horse/riding camp at the Community Farm was a huge hit! The girls loved farm life, were obsessed with all the animals and, according to their instructor, were amazing at riding. The big girls did a week-long bike camp with Pedalheads. Lotte improved on her skills, went on road and trail rides, rode to the park and the library and just generally had an amazing time.And Grace finally learned how to ride! Turns out, with the proper instruction, she picked it up super quick 😉The big girls finished out their camp excursions with some awesome visitors <3 They attended “Muddy Buddies” camp at the Majestic View Nature Center and TKTKTKTKT. Which brings us to ….These cuties <3<3<3<3
Visitors!
We love our summer visitors. This time we were SO LUCKY because we had Grandpa and Mojo, Aunt Stephie and Ro, and our New York friends Carla, Fiona & Jake (who did camp with the girls). We sure do have the best time showing our loves around our Colorado home.
I love when my sister is here <3Steph & Ro & Gpa were here for Lotte’s birthday, which was so. much. fun!On Lotte’s birthday, one of her friends from school was having a birthday party at a local pool that Lotte wanted to go to. That made it super easy on us!Ro & Em got some quality time alone when the girls were in camp. It was predictably adorable.We went to Big Soda Lake one day, which was SO HOT, but also lots of fun!Sister <3We had lunch at the aquarium restaurant the day before Steph & Ro flew out.And walked through the downtown aquarium itself as well!Having a dog in the house — Grandpa’s Mojo — was a lot of fun, too!Besides going to camp together, we showed Fiona & Jake some of our favorite spots. That included, of course, the Butterfly Pavilion.
Miscellaneous
When we weren’t camping it up or entertaining guests, we managed to have a lot of other fun, too.
Grace’s first concert, and Lotte’s second, was BILLY JOEL at Coors Field!! How cool/fun is that?!We had so much fun with these cuties <3We spent a weekend at Auntie Moe’s where we rode the Buckhorn Northern Railroad train and visited that quintessential summer institution … Dairy Queen 😉Dad had a date with Lotte at Meow Wolf!Dad had a date with Grace … at Meow Wolf 😉Mom & Emmy celebrated her last day of camp with a date at McDonald’s 😉We had neighbors over for the sweetest little birthday celebration for Lotte <3We continued our annual tradition of testing books for the Good Housekeeping Kids’ Books Awards. So many great ones this year!I took Emilia to what was likely her last-ever toddler story time. She was pretty over it. That is absolutely the end of an era for me. I CAN’T EVEN!Tie-dying tees was a huge success!Who doesn’t love an outdoor/backyard summer movie night situation?!
And now, we welcome the next season of this year. So far, it’s been a pretty great one, and I have a pretty good feeling about this school year, as well. We still have quite a few fun adventures planned before we say goodbye to 2024, but until then … bis bald, friends.
I mean, I know it wasn’t. I have the memories, photos, and credit card bills to prove it 😉
We headed back to Sydney on Wednesday, but not before leaving Brisbane with a spectacular send-off.
How good is a rooftop pool, though?Love you guys! See you soon!Off to yet another airport! Flight No. 6 of this trip!Look carefully and you’ll see the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House off to the right.Thursday was so special. We took a short drive out to Cronulla Beach, which was beautiful. But we also went to meet up with …MY BESTIE SINCE SECOND GRADE! If you’ll recall, the last time Mina and I caught up was last August, when she and I and two other old friends met up in Savannah to celebrate our 40th birthdays.Mina’s Mom — who was basically a second Mom to me growing up — was there, too, which was EVEN MORE SPECIAL.I hit the SIL jackpot ….I mean … look at these cuties!We were able to meet up with another couple of old friends — and their kiddos! — on Friday night, and it was such a fun catch-up.Leaving sure will be hard …
I cannot believe it’s come to an end, but I’m so grateful that it all has happened.
We hit the air again on Sunday to head from Hamilton Island over to Brisbane to meet up with some friends and check out Bluey’s hometown. (Had to do it, obviously!) Our last morning on Hamilton was pretty special, though.
We hit up the Hamilton Island Wildlife Cafe for some coffee and koala watching!Chris and I had come here when we at Hamilton Island for our honeymoon, so it was very special to head back with our girls.Far and away my fave Aussie animal. Come on nowwwwww!We headed back to the beach for a bit, but they weren’t allowing snorkeling because of the waves.So we hit up the pool instead!Happiest in the water <3And then we were off again!Thanks for being amazing, Hamilton Island. We will be back!
We arrived late to our Airbnb on Sunday and were pretty exhausted, but not too exhausted to meet up with our crew for dinner!
Chris and Anton have been friends since college, and now our girls are becoming friends. Nothing makes me happier than when our kids become friends with our friends’ kids <3
On Monday we hit the town!
Le Bon Choix Bakery goodies are no joke. OMG how much was this gluten-full goodie worth it!The Wheel of Brisbane was so much fun! If you’ll recall from our Seattle trip, Grace in particular is a huge fan 😉Delight!Loved out little adventure with this group <3We even saw a water dragon when we came off the ferris wheel!The South Bank swimming area was so great for kids! It was too cold for us to get in when we were there, but I loved how they had life guards and the swimming depths were clearly marked. Plus, it was such a beautiful setting!A beautiful setting with birds that want to kill you, obviously. This IS Australia, after all 😉The kids got ice cream, so naturally we couldn’t help but reenact one of our fave Bluey episodes!The adults skipped ice cream in favor of beers.Endless entertainment provided by the pretty Brisbane sign down by the water.Dinner was a delicious cheese board, seafood and sausages on our Airbnb rooftop.Yummo!While these girls played <3And with this view.Album cover.The Queensland Museum was so cool! And most of it was free, which was a super-nice change of pace at this point in our trip 😉Then we caught the (also free) water ferry over to the other side of the river to head to Felons Brewing, which was a very cool spot on the water. They had the coolest playground area for the kiddos to hang out in while the adults did their adulting.The food and drinks were super tasty, too!There are so very many tired faces in this photo, but it was so lovely catching up with some other friends of ours who moved from Denver to Australia. We met up at Julius for dinner, and it was phenomenal food and a fun atmosphere. Just a really fun time all around.
Tomorrow we’re back to Sydney before flying home on Sunday. As our trip starts to come to a close, I’m so forever grateful that we were able to take the time and have this experience. I am also very much looking forward to getting back to my house, my neighborhood, our regular routine.
And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss my bed.
But for now … Sydney’s up next. Until then, bis bald, friends!
Hi friends! Welcome to installment four of our Aussie Summer Adventures! (Sydney, Canberra & Melbourne were the first three.)
We woke up 4 a.m. on Tuesday to head to the airport for our 7 a.m. flight to Proserpine, which was about a 20-minute drive to our Airbnb in Airlie Beach.
I do love a good window view.
We couldn’t check into our Airbnb for a couple of hours since we arrived early, so we stopped at Whitsunday Gold Coffee (a haven of delicious food and coffee, fun animals and a huge play area for the kiddos, even if you do have to pay $10/kid to play) and then found an amazing (free) playground by the beach that was literally one minute from where we stayed.
Delicious ice cream with a delightful Macaw as a chatting mate.Playground of our dreams.
We took it slow Wednesday morning, then headed out to explore in the afternoon.
The Airlie Beach Lagoon was such a hit! The depths of the water were so clearly marked and sectioned off that I felt totally safe letting the girls run around … PLUS there were lifeguards!Of course nothing beats the actual beach <3We spent a good few hours here, just exploring, collecting seashells and chatting with other beach-lovers.Such a gorgeous day.Chris was dying to see some crocodiles, but the actual tour would have cost us more than $500 for the five of us, plus it would have taken all day. Instead, we headed over to The (Real) Crocodile Lookout (thank goodness for Google) and did get to spot one!
Thursday was some kind of special. We booked the Northern Exposure Tour with the Ocean Rafting company, and it was AMAZING. The tour met up at 8 a.m., rafted out for about an hour and a half, and included two snorkeling adventures, a small “bush walk” to a gorgeous view, lunch on the beach at Whitehaven and then the ride back.
The crew was spectacular. They made me feel comfortable enough leaving Lotte and Emilia back on the boat for a bit when they got cold (Grace, however, rocked it, and absolutely adored snorkeling!), and they catered wonderfully to all of our dietary needs with lunches that were so super tasty.
This was a day that I know I’ll never forget. Hopefully our girls won’t, either.
Ready for fun!This girl has found her calling. Snorkeled for probably over an hour and saw a sea turtle, a bunch of Nemo fish, tons of other fish and amazing coral. It was a spectacular experience to witness.I cannot say it enough … these girls are up for anything, and I am so in love with their sense of adventure and fun.Such spectacular views.Beach love <3We spent about 40 minutes on the beach, which was meant to include lunch. Of course the girls had no interest in eating when the ocean was calling!Thanks for just an amazing experience, Ocean Rafting crew!
And that was it, friends. On Friday we packed up to ferry it over to Hamilton Island, our FIFTH DESTINATION!
After one final morning with Kate & Tom in Canberra, our little fam loaded up for the hour-long flight from Canberra to Melbourne.
As a side note, the Canberra airport was a dream!
We landed around 3 p.m. on Wednesday and checked into our Airbnb (which had THE MOST spectacular view!), checked out the neighborhood a bit (this is such a great spot!) and grabbed sushi dinner from Sushi Jiro (which was phenomenal). Not a bad way to start the third leg of the trip.
How amazing is this view?? One of the tall buildings in the corner even put on a light show every half hour in the evening. Spectacular!Sushi with a view!There’s street art down every Melbourne alley, and it’s so much fun to spot!I won’t post every photo I took because, as you can imagine, it was quite a few. BUT HOW FUN?!Some of my Mom’s fam met up with us at the Queen Victoria Market, which was a lot of fun. I love this family <3Just look at these cutie kiddos!It just goes to show that distance can’t keep family apart.We had the sweetest first full day in Melbourne!I sure do love my sweet travel buddies <3<3<3Riding the City Circle Loop (the free tourist tram) was a real hoot.Federation Square was a very cool spot for artwork, food, drinks and to check out the Yarra River.
Friend meet-up in Torquay!Torquay was about an hour from downtown Melbourne, and such a fantastic first stop on our trip!Poppa!We saw the most insane competition at Lorne between elite search & rescue teams. It was seriously impressive.And got our toes wet on the beach, of course <3Look at this gorgeous drive!Apollo Bay was cold but so, so beautiful.So. Beautiful.After about four hours of driving, we made it to the 12 Apostles!What a gorgeous view.Two cuties <3<3This was the idyllic view from the deck of our cabin in Port Campbell.The Bay of Martyrs was our first stop on Sunday morning.The London Bridge was also so. cool. Part of it fell several years ago — the part that connected the two rock formations — so it was pretty special to see what’s still up.The Grotto was my favorite, I think. What an insanely cool spot!Gorgeous.Then it was back to the 12 Apostles beach area for a bit more sandy toed fun.
After spending a few more hours on the Great Ocean Road, we headed back to Melbourne, and had dinner with my Mom’s amazing family. I hadn’t seen them in over 10 years, but it was as if I see them every day.
My cutie Italian Melbourne fam <3But how cute are all these kiddos, though?!My grandfather passed away years ago, but what an absolute treasure to spend time with his 94-year-old sister, Rosina.On our last full day the girls wore ALL THE SWAG they got from my wonderful family the day before <3We stopped at the Caldermeade Farm and Cafe on our way to see the fairy penguins at Phillip Island, and it was so much fun! Cute farm animals. A fun playground. Watching an assembly line of cows getting milked. What’s not to love?!Grace and Lotte’s abilities to sit through photos really started to wane about now. Fair enough. These kids have been AMAZING!We made it to the Phillip Island Fairy Penguin Parade! Phillip Island is about two hours from our Airbnb, and totally worth the drive! The penguins make the trek every evening around sunset from the ocean to their resting nests, and it is absolutely one of the best things I’ve seen in my life!You’re not supposed to take photos of the penguins or the march after sunset, but just trust me when I say that it’s incredible and well worth a visit.We <3 penguins!The penguin count for the day!
Grace’ face in that last photo says it all. Melbourne — we’ve done so much! It has been amazing in every possible way. And now we’re onto the tropical part of our trip. Airlie Beach, here we come! Until then … bis bald, my friends!
Welcome back to a recap of our Aussie Adventures! (The first round of fun in Sydney can be found here.) We fly out of Canberra today to head to Melbourne, but Canberra has been an absolute blast! After finally recovering from a round of stomach bug that knocked us all for a loop, we were able to fully and properly celebrate Aunt Kate & Uncle Tom in their home town, and to show the kids a bit of what Canberra has to offer. This is one of the spots they had never been before, so seeing it for the first time through their eyes was so magical.
Here’s a bit of what we got up to!
Our first couple days were stomach-bug rough, so it certainly was nice having THREE grandparents around to help out with the kiddos!Cockington Green Gardens was a nice way to spend a beautiful day outside, and the kids loved running around the tiny building set-ups.Tiny Aussie things.Cousinssssss!!!!We <3 you Poppa!And you, Auntie Sarah!Saturday was WEDDING PARTY DAY! The girls were super pumped to get their hair done.#teambride in full effectThanks for throwing a stellar party, Aunt Kate & Uncle Tom!Grandpa was here, too!My cutie MIL & SIL. I sure got lucky <3Can’t remember the last time Chris & I dressed up for a night out on the town. Love ya, hubs!Never not smiling when we’re with Nan & Poppa 😉A trip to the Australian War Memorial was both beautiful and sobering. Remembering those who gave their lives …The Questacon science center was so cool! Everything was so hands-on and the girls had the best time!We spent the better half of four hours here on a rainy Tuesday. So good.Adults had fun, too.We’re wiped, Canberra, but thanks for being a pure blast!
And now we’re off to Melbourne to visit my own Aussie family. I am so excited for the girls to finally meet my Mom’s family and to see that side of Australia. Until then … BIS BALD, FRIENDS!
Happy June, friends, and welcome to the first installment of our Aussie June!
We arrived in Sydney early on Sunday morning and have spent the past couple days showing my stepdad around. We drove to Canberra yesterday for my sister-in-law’s wedding party, and although a gnarly stomach bug has taken pretty much every single one of our gang down over the past few days, we’re hoping to be on the other side of it finally.
Here’s a bit of what we’ve been up to in Sydney so far!
No one does an Aussie airport arrival quite like the Connors <3We waited months for this moment!The treats started flowing immediately.Fam-bam party [with a super-special “for Chris” hand gesture … it’s an inside joke, don’t ask ;)]It was chilly and windy at Bald Hill Lookout, but so, so beautiful!These cuties are having the best time … minus the vomiting :/We are very intrigued by the Cockatoos.Cutie cousins taking a lil’ beach walk.<3 x 5!The Simbio Wildlife Park was the perfect way for us to say hey to some Aussie animals.Smiles all around!Koalas!Kangaroos!Feeding the kangaroos is always an absolute highlight of any Aussie trip <3On Tuesday, Lotte, Cath, Robert and I headed to the Vivid Sydney light show at the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and downtown area. It was so gorgeous!Dinner and drinks at the Opera Bar!Pretty hard to beat that view <3We’ve got a lot to cheers to.So gorgeous!Thanks for the fantastic time, Sydney
And now we’re in Canberra ready to celebrate Auntie Kate & Uncle Tom. Until the next entry … bis bald, friends!
I’m going to just put this out there … moving to the neighborhood that we currently live in changed our lives.
I was unhappy when we first moved to Denver. I expected it to be exactly like Manhattan. I missed my friends and family back in New York. I didn’t work in an office, have colleagues to chat with or feel particularly like joining any clubs or activities. I was lonely and depressed, and I didn’t know how — at the ripe old age of 32 — I would ever make friends again.
Wah wahhhhh!
Cut to the next year, when Chris & I bought our first house in a Denver suburb. We lived on a small street in a house that we loved, and we quickly made friends with our neighbors across the way. It wasn’t until our move into our second and current home, though, that we found our tribe.
I’m talking about those people you can text to ask, “please pick my kids up at the bus stop, I can’t make it!” or “please come to my house because my daughter got a pea stuck in her nose and I can’t get it out!” or “could you please come stay with my child while I bring my other child to the emergency room?” The women in the above photo — my neighbors — have sent all of those texts/calls to each other and then some. They have become my very good friends, my in-a-pinch-sitters … my backup family.
In other words, I adore them.
So when our one neighbor — whose husband works for the luxury travel company Inspirato — suggested that we book one of their properties for a girlfriends’ getaway, we were all too happy to jump at the chance. We picked a gorgeous place in Breckenridge (with a hot tub, obviously), and spent Friday through Monday of this past weekend having just the best time. I had one of the best meals of my life at the Blue River Bistro (so delicious, and so gluten-free friendly!), we never stopped chatting, went shopping, had margaritas at Rita’s and checked out the Breckenridge Troll.
You don’t usually know how your neighbors will be when you move into a new home, and it’s always a gamble.
Happy Monday, loves! Our little family just got back from a quick press trip to Steamboat Springs. While I can’t share all the details of the trip until the story comes out, what I can say is that we love Steamboat. We hadn’t been in years, and never with our own kids who could ski, so this was a real delight. Here’s a bit of what we got up to …
Drinks by the mountain just taste better.I highly recommend visiting after spring break, when the town is nice and quiet but still oh-so-cute!This snow-covered ice rink was a big hit!Joy <3More joy <3It snowed such beautiful snow while we were there!We will be back, Steamboat .. thanks for being so fun!
After our Grand Canyon adventures, we loaded up to head to another new National Park for our list: Bryce Canyon. Grandpa had been here before, but Chris and I hadn’t, so we were really excited to be hitting up this park on our ride back home. We were surprised how much snow was on the ground when we arrived, but luckily it was just enough to slightly cover the hoodoos (the amazing rock formations you’ll find in Bryce Canyon), but not to cover them completely.
Before we arrived in Bryce, though, we stopped off at Horseshoe Bend, which was only about two miles total to walk there and back, and was totally worth the stop.
Look at that beauty!Hello, Horseshoe!Just the cutest little adventurers! Also, Chris found these shoes for Emilia in a secondhand store in Moab and, to be honest, they were one of many MVPs of the trip 😉
Horseshoe bend was about 2.5 hours from our hotel in Williams, Arizona, and we had another 2.5 hours to go before we arrived in Bryce. It had taken us longer to get out of the hotel that morning than we originally planned, and the stop took longer, too, so we decided to rearrange our planned hikes. This turned out to be necessary anyway when we arrived and saw how much snow was on the ground!
Our original hike in Bryce — the Navajo Loop and Queen’s Garden — was going to take about 1.5 hours to complete, so we figured we would get to it the following morning. Of course, that was before we did the Sunset Point to Sunrise Point walk and came upon the (very muddy, very steep) entrance for the Navajo Loop. We quickly realized that wouldn’t be happening for us, particularly with the three littles and the muddy/icy conditions. What we ended up doing was great, but I do hope to get back to do the Navajo Loop at some point, since it seems beautiful.
For our tired, hungry group of travelers, though, the (mostly chill, not too steep, but yes still muddy) Sunset to Sunrise Point walk was just perfect.
Don’t mind if we do!The first time you see the hoodoos it takes your breath away.Insane.Did I take 1,000 photos of them? You know I did.
After our walk, a check of the general store and dinner, we were about ready to crash. It was the perfect dip of our toes into this gorgeous National Park.
When we realized the Navajo Loop wouldn’t work for us, we stopped into the visitor center Thursday and asked a ranger for a suggestion. Turns out, the Southern Scenic Drive was perfect. It would take us to Rainbow Point (the highest point in the park) and past the Natural Bridge.
Rainbow Point sits at 9,100 feet. So yes, it’s high … but not so high for these Colorado mountain lovers!These signs cracked me up. As if I wasn’t anxious enough already, thank you very much!The Natural Bridge was SO BEAUTIFUL.
And that drive took us through to the end of our Bryce Canyon adventure. We headed back to Grand Junction, Colorado that day, but not before stopping at our fourth (if you don’t count Monument Valley, which is technically a Navajo Tribal Park) and final National Park.
Considering that I had never heard of Capitol Reef, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But holy crap was this park gorgeous! It wasn’t small, either — it took us quite a while to drive from end to end. The hike we attempted — the Hickman Bridge Trail — would have been gorgeous had we finished it, I’m sure, but it was pretty steep and rocky, and a storm was setting in. Plus, we were just ding dang exhausted after nearly a full week of travel! Still, we were able to get out of the car and stretch our legs a bit, which was all we really needed.
Just keep hiking. Just keep hiking 😉Such a trooper <3
And then, just like that … we were back in Colorado!
One brief stay in Grand Junction and lunch in Frisco later, and we were … home!
Phew! Thanks for coming along that journey. It was a great trip from start to finish, thanks largely to awesome planning (the writer takes a bow), amazing weather and the best company a gal could ask for.
Until next time … BIS BALD, FRIENDS! And happy spring!
We spent the morning exploring the grounds a bit more, having breakfast back at the restaurant and, naturally, buying 10,000 gorgeous Navajo momentos.
Hope Gpa didn’t think this was a REAL vacation!What a view!Thanks for the mems, Monument Valley <3
Afterwards we loaded our trusty Heidi the Highlander back up again and hit the road. This time we made sure to stop at the Arizona sign.
Hey there, Arizona!
The ride from Monument Valley to our hotel near the Grand Canyon was a little over three hours, so we broke it up with two stops.
The Navajo National Monument was a short and beautiful walk to a beautiful, historical spot.Not gonna lie, we were a bit skeptical of these dinosaur tracks at first, but everything we’ve read about them seems to be legit!Besides being insanely cool, it gave the girls a chance to run around and get their wiggles out 😉
After a few hours and a few adventures, we finally made it to our hotel!
Woop, woop … a new hotel awaits!
Here are some of the details of our stay.
Monday & Tuesday
Where we stayed: Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel Where we ate: We opted for the buffet restaurant at the hotel for two dinners and two breakfasts while we were there. That, and the train ride from the hotel to the Grand Canyon, could all be purchased for a 10% discount if you bought them together with your rooms. Where we hiked: The South Rim Trail
After resting up a bit on Monday night, we were ready to hit the train on Tuesday! The train ride includes a very cute “shoot-out showdown” before you board, and the ride itself is about 2.5 hours. There’s a cafe car and entertainers and tour guides onboard to answer all your questions. It was honestly the absolute best way to do the Canyon with three littles and for our first time. We barely had to figure anything out for ourselves (they even took care of our park entrance tickets!), and we got to relax and take in the scenery. If we ever make it back we’ll probably stay in the park, but for this adventure, this option was magic.
I’d like to take an additional second here to thank … THE WEATHER! We’ve gone places for our kids’ “spring break” before, and it’s been less-than-springlike. This time was so wonderful. Besides one random snow squall while we were driving, we had such delightful weather. Breezy and cool, with sun and … NO CROWDS. I don’t know how. I don’t know why. But the National Park Gods shined down on us this trip, and we were HERE FOR IT.Absolutely insane.Incredibly gorgeous.Not to be believed.Emilia, you won’t remember this. But hopefully these photos will help <3Thank you, train, for being amazing <3
Having two nights in one spot was much-appreciated by this point in the trip, so we were all too happy to head back to the hotel after our train ride, straight back to the buffet, to the swimming pool for a bit and then to bed. The next day was on to Bryce Canyon. Until then … bis bald, friends!
Happy Friday, friends! Welcome back to the Grand Canyon Road Trip Heard Round the World, and our Day 2 Adventures. On Sunday we were already in Moab, so we hit up Arches National Park (National Park No. 1 of this trip!), then drove to Monument Valley, which is a Navajo National Park.
Along the way we also hit up the Mexican Hat and had some fun at Forrest Gump Point, the point in the movie where Forrest is running, running, running and then, suddenly, decides to stop.
Here we go!
Sunday
Where we stayed: A premium cabin at The View Hotel Where we ate: The gorgeous (with mediocre food) restaurant at The View Hotel Where we hiked: Arches! Plus we did the 17-mile Monument Valley Scenic Loop
Rock scrambles and terrifying cliff drops got nothing on these girls! (Despite Emilia’s face looking otherwise!)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again … my girls continue to shock and aww me. The Delicate Arch trail in Arches National Park is a “moderate,” 3.2-mile out and back trail that covers scrambling rock and terrifying cliffs. When I say that these girls rocked it, I very and truly mean it. I remember my first time doing this hike, and how difficult it was for me to complete, and I’m just so impressed with the way these girls handled it like pros.
Rock album cover.Totally worth the hike. I mean …We even dragged out kids out even further on the hike, so that we could take this precarious photo under the arch. I told Chris later that I had visions of never seeing them again the whole time we walked over … but when in Rome????Cute hat twins <3Another pair of cuties.
So, so proud of these loves. (You too, Grandpa!)
After our hike it was back into the car and on over to Arizona (new state No. 2 for the girls!) and Monument Valley. On the way we saw a few other cool things.
Mexican Hat!The Forrest Gump Point! You just KNOW Chris had fun with this one 😉
Then it was on to Monument Valley. I’m not going to lie — I didn’t know quite what to expect here. But man oh man was I blown away. This is such an insanely gorgeous spot in the world, and staying in the cabins overlooking the monuments themselves was an amazing experience.
The 17-mile loop is driven, so that makes it easy to check out all the gorgeous spots. A lot of the reviews say it doesn’t matter what type of car you have, but I would beg to differ. An all-wheel drive that’s not directly on the ground is, I would say, optimal. She bumpy!Couldn’t have asked for a cuter crew <3I would allow for about two hours to drive the loop, depending on how often you want to stop and get out.This was the view from the porch on our cabin. Absolute perfection.
That was Sunday in a nutshell, fam! The night included an incredible sunset and star-gazing. More cabin pics to come in the next post. Until then … bis bald, friends!
Hello friends — happy Thursday! Here I am, blogging from the road of our epic Spring Break Road Trip from our home in Arvada, CO to the Grand Canyon and then back. I can’t even remember the last time I’ve blogged from the road. Maybe … never??
All told we spent approximately 23 hours in the car and drove approximately 1,420 miles. We stayed in 6 hotels, visited 4 National Parks and 4 other places of interest. I am so proud of how these girls handled this trip. They were rockstars on our (pretty difficult!) hikes, and they handled the car rides like a pro. We planned the trip so that we were never in the car for longer than 4.5 hours a day, and on those days we planned decent stops halfway through. Our legs included:
Friday: Driving from Arvada to Glenwood Springs, CO Saturday: Driving from Glenwood Springs, CO to Moab, Utah Sunday: Driving from Moab, Utah to Monument Valley, Utah Monday: Driving from Monument Valley, Utah to Williams, Arizona/the Grand Canyon (we stayed here for two nights) Tuesday: Visiting the Grand Canyon! Wednesday: Driving from Williams to Bryce Canyon, Utah Thursday: Driving from Bryce Canyon, Utah to Grand Junction, CO Friday: Driving from Grand Junction home!
It was a trek, to be sure … but I wouldn’t have done one single thing differently. Here’s what we got up to on Saturday!
Entering Utah, a new state for the girls to scratch off their maps when we get home!The Corona Arch Trail was so much fun, but definitely not for the faint of heart!
The drive from Glenwood Springs to Moab was about three hours, and we headed straight to lunch at The Trailhead Public House and Eatery when we arrived. This cutie restaurant is right in the center of town and super close to a bunch of hikes. Plus the food was really good. I would highly recommend it if you’re in the area!
From lunch we headed straight to our first hike of the trip — Corona Arch! This trail is about 2.3 miles out and back, and definitely includes some rock scrambling and pretty steep climbing. The girls did so amazing, though, and had the best time! You don’t have to hike the full trail to get a view of the arch, either, so it’s definitely worth it even if you can’t do the full trail.
These cuties came ready to hike!Emilia spent the majority of this trip on Dad’s shoulders, which was A-Ok in Mom’s book 😉The two big girls ended up climbing a very treacherous rope with Dad to make it a little bit farther up the trail. I was simultaneously terrified and incredibly proud.Corona Arch … worth the hike!Moab, you are a pure delight <3
That was our first day in a nutshell, friends! Sunday was Arches National Park in the morning and then onto Monument Valley. Until then … bis bald, friends!
Happy Friday, friends! I’m way late to this post because honestly … life. Phew.
But I’m here now to share a bit about our fabulous Fort Collins staycation from last weekend. While Chris was off snowboarding for a couple days with a friend at Copper and A-Basin, the girls and I used it as an excuse to catch up with my best friend from high school — Auntie Moe. We hadn’t seen her since Thanksgiving (!), and hadn’t been to her place in even longer, so a girls’ weekend was way overdue.
We love our Auntie Moe so much, and she planned the sweetest time for us all, including birthday and Christmas presents (no visit with Auntie Moe is ever complete without presents. She spoils us.), a trip to the very cool Twin Silo Park, dinner at Totally 80’s Pizza, ice cream sundaes and a Trolls movie viewing, then a pancake breakfast before we headed home Sunday morning.
If you must pull single-parent duty for a weekend, recruit a bestie to do it with you, I say 😉
Emilia spent pretty much the entire time at the playground right here, being pushed by Auntie Moe <3I’m not going to lie, this playground intimidated me at first. There are lots of things for kids to do that require them being out of your eyesight. The girls had THE BEST time, though, and once we were there for a while and I realized they could handle it, I came to enjoy it as much as they did <3 I mean, look at that joy!Such intrepid explorers!Lotte has been working on her monkey bars, and it’s really paying off!We love ya lots, Auntie Moe. Sure are lucky to have you in our lives.Next up was Totally 80’s Pizza, which was such a trip! There was SO MUCH 80’s memorabilia and they played 80’s music and hi, I could live here!Moe’s sister, sister’s partner and nephew all met us for dinner. It’s always so much fun to see this crew and watch the kids hang and bond.I meannnnn … does it get any cuter?!Any time ice cream is involved, we’re on-board.
We’re sure glad Chris had fun on his snowboard trip …
But we’re also super glad we got to use it as an excuse for a ladies’ weekend full o’ fun.
Bis bald, friends! Next up … our Great Grand Canyon Spring Break Road Trip, taking place the week after next! See ya soon!
Happy Monday, friends! This past Sunday was the final ski lesson of the season for all three girls. So we decided to stay up in the mountains and make a weekend out of it, like we did for their first lesson. Since we would be leaving right after their lesson on Sunday, it made sense to stay closer to A-Basin, rather than halfway between our house and the mountain like we did before.
We picked this Airbnb in Dillon. Although it’s less than 20 minutes to get to the mountain from the Airbnb in normal traffic, a big storm blew in on Saturday (we were staying for the weekend, so of course it did), and the mountain traffic was heavy. It ended up taking us about 45 minutes to get there on Sunday. Still, we were so grateful we didn’t have to drive all the way from Arvada, which would have been a nightmare. Mountain traffic. It’s a thing 😉
The Airbnb was the perfect size for us, and we had outdoor access to a little backyard that the girls played in for a bit while we finished packing up to leave on Sunday.
You sure are gorgeous, mountains!This snowman was there when we arrived. The girls had a lot of fun “fixing” him up.Look, I’m not going to lie. It’s not always fun and games when we go away with the girls. There is always a lot of bickering, a certain level of who will sleep with whom, who’s waking up in the middle of the night (Emilia) and requiring one of us to sleep with them, etc., etc. BUT, at the end of the day, we will always come out the other side with only the fondest of memories. Everything else tends to … fade away 😉
On Saturday a fairly hectic snowstorm blew in, but we knew if we didn’t get out of the house we would all go crazy. Chris had been snow tubing with visiting family at Frisco Adventure Park a few years prior, and he knew the girls would love it. The short 20-minute (less when it wasn’t storming out!) drive away was also appealing.
I’ll be honest — I had my doubts! It was freezing and windy and I didn’t know how long the girls would last. And at $32/hour/person, I didn’t want to waste that kind of money on one run.
My girls, as usual, surprised me. And although yes, there was some complaining about the wind/cold (who could blame them?!), they did great. Even Emilia! All three of them loved it. Lotte even went by herself once, because apparently I have a daredevil on my hands.
Ready to tube!Dad did a lot of heavy lifting on this particular adventure 😉 Getting to the runway to head up the tubing hill was only a short walk, but doing that short walk through inches of snow with teeny, tiny legs proved burdensome for some. Emilia was so confused, but she had the best time!Thanks for a fun time, Frisco! We’ll definitely be back … perhaps when the weather is a bit more balmy 😉
The thing that I love about the mountains is that you go hard on all these activities — skiing, snowboarding, tubing, what have you — and then you crash hard. We all ended up taking naps at the same time after we had lunch when we got home. I mean … AMAZING. That never happens.
Sunday was the girls’ last ski lesson of the season, and Chris and I hung back and had a leisurely, boozy (for me, the non-driver, at least) breakfast at the restaurant. It was so wonderful. Even if the girls learned nothing in their lessons — which they did! — having that non-kid time for four Sundays in a row would have been worth the price tag alone 😉
By Sunday the snow had stopped and the temps warmed up, making for a seriously gorgeous drive!The cutest little skiers! Em did more snow-eating than actual skiing, but that’s okay! She got used to having skis on and she’ll be even more prepared next go-round. Grace did amazing and is ready to move on up to hill riding, too!This one, though … holy moly! She’s riding lifts by herself, flinging herself expertly down blues. She really came a long way this season. Even her instructor said it seems to have all clicked <3So, so proud of her!Meanwhile, back at the lodge … 😉Thanks for an amazing time, A-basin! We’ll be back!
That was our mountain weekend in a nutshell, friends! Now that the girls are finished with their lessons, we can go up to the mountains and ride with them whenever we want, which will be so. much. fun! Hope you guys are making the most of the season, whatever weather that brings you 😉
Happy Monday, friends! I’m comin’ at ya from the arctic tundra of the Mountain West. Weather.com currently says that our temp feels like -6 degrees.
That’s cold.
All three girls started their ski school lessons this past weekend (there are four total), and when we learned that it was going to be warmer in the mountains (by a whole 20 degrees, almost), Chris and I made a last-minute decision to book a house in Georgetown for a Saturday and Sunday stay. Georgetown is about halfway between our home and Arapahoe Basin, where the girls would be skiing. A winter storm dropped about seven inches of snow in the mountains heading into Sunday (with more falling throughout the day), so the drive to and from lessons — and even more so the drive home on Monday morning — were a bit scary. But we did it! And staying over the Sunday night after lessons was clutch, since everyone was tired!
Now we just need to figure out what we’ll do for the next three Sunday ski lessons 😉
Bis bald, friends!
We did a little helmet practice in the days leading up to Em’s first lesson. Girl does not like headgear! But she approved of the helmet! The other gear was a different story.Ready to rip! Actually, Em didn’t even get her skis on for her first lesson. It was all about prep this lesson (which I could have skipped paying the astronomical fee for, if I’m being honest). Next lessons, they’ll be strapping in.On the road again! I sure do love my little adventurers. They are up for anything.We stayed in a little 2-beddy in Georgetown, which was perfect for us. It even meant that ….All three girls slept together for the first time! After some initial kerfuffles, they did great 😉Lotte did so great! She’s starting off on greens, and I can’t wait to see where she lands when ski school is over!Grace is working hard on the basics. She’s desperate to do the chairlift, so hopefully she’ll get there after her lessons this season.Thumbs up!Is there ANYTHING cuter than a 3-year-old in ski gear?! I think not. Emilia was NOT into her lessons to start, and we definitely questioned how it was going to go for three hours. Her instructor had all the patience in the world, though, and I think she’ll do great things over the next three lessons!The cheeks. The lips. The vacant “what the heck is happening” stare. It’s all too much.Exhausted but happy 😉Red face, happy heart <3 (I promise they were warm enough. Dad had them in allllll the gear!)
It was an awesome little last-minute get-away for a snow-filled, holiday ski weekend. Chris got in a few runs, too, which he said was awesome. I need exceptional conditions for snowboarding … inches and inches of falling snow isn’t my thing. But I will get on my board before their lessons out!
Bis bald, friends! Hope you’re staying warm, happy and healthy!
Not a bad way to spend the beginning of October <3
Another one bites the dust, my friends! So here we are, with 2023 in the rear view mirror, and what a year it was. Travelwise, it was simply stellar. Things in the world, of course, continue to throw me (and everyone paying attention) off kilter. With that always in my mind, I continue to be forever grateful for the opportunities I have with my family to explore and enjoy what’s beautiful about this great big earthwe all live on.
So, without further adieu, here’s what we got up to in 2023!
January
Celebrating 10 years married (!) in New Zealand!
At the beginning of the year our family was still on the other side of the world. Chris and I rang in the New Year (ahead of everyone we know!) on our anniversary trip in New Zealand, then finished up our Australia visit with a trip to Chris’ families’ favorite beach, Forster. The girls got to check out the Sydney Harbor area for the first time, too!
Views from Skyline Queenstown dinner!Love you, boo!The girls and dad at the Sydney Harbor Bridge.Forster with the fam. We love you Auntie Sare-Bear!What a cute crew!
Once we were back in the states, Emilia and I packed our bags (again) and turned around fairly quickly for a trip back east to meet my new twin baby niece and nephew!
We do love ya, NY!There is literally nothing better.
We love you, Miles & Stella!The Butterfly Pavilion always hits!We also checked out Meow Wolf, which was so trippy!Meow Wolf Denver
March
My three cuties <3
In March we celebrated “spring break” with SO MUCH SNOW at Grand Lake! We stayed in a tiny cabin, walked on a lake, rode sleds off our roof and traipsed through Rocky Mountain National Park up to our knees in fluffy powder. It was a delightful (if somewhat cold) time!
Glorious lake views!Rocky Mountain National Park!Grand Lake, CO
April
Glacier National Park!
April was a big month, what with ME TURNING 40 AND ALL! We celebrated with a tick off my bucket list: A trip to Glacier National Park in Montana. She was all that I could have hoped for and more. So stinkin’ beautiful!
You can’t go wrong with a hot tub in nature!Polebridge Mercantile was an extra-special treat, especially with the puppies we played with outside!Thanks for making my bday extra special, Montana. She was one I’ll never forget <3
June
The Museum of Natural History was such a highlight on our kick-off-the-summer trip to NYC!
Right when the girls got out of school we hit the road! We headed back to one of our favorite spots — New York! — but this time with a twist. We stayed in one of my bestie’s Brooklyn brownstone basement apartments and let our family come to us! We traipsed around the city and took in so many sites (blogged about here, here and here). It was the trip of a lifetime, and so much stinkin’ fun!
Love, love, love this stinkin’ crew!Meeting up with the fam in Cold Spring was a big perk <3We love the Museum of Natural History whale!We had tea at Alice’s Tea Cup!We saw a Mets game!We went to the Color Factory!Dumbo, BrooklynBut really … it was about being with our loves <3
Red Rocks, ColoradoLotte’s first concert at Red Rocks!Grand Colorado on Peak 8, BreckenridgeSecond baseball game for the girls! Seeing the Rockies play in Denver, this time.Rode the gondola up to the mountain resort above our hotel.C Lazy U RanchIt was a memory-filled summer, indeed.
August
Meeting up with my oldest friends from elementary school in Savannah Georgia!
To celebrate the big 4-0 for all of us, three of my besties from elementary school and I met up in Savannah, Georgia, for a weekend filled with fun and walks down memory lane! We had the best time catching up, checking out a new town, and just generally cheers-ing to life!
But how cute are we, though?We took a historic tour and a nighttime haunted stories tour, both of which I would highly recommend!Just love this crew <3
September
Back in NY!
For Labor Day weekend we headed back to New York (as I was fond of saying, New York was needy this year!). My little twinsies were baptized — and Chris & I were the godparents! — and we got to see all our fam again, which is always the best. I even went back to New York at the end of September — all my myself — for my cousin’s adorable and delightful wedding.
Always reminded of how very, incredibly blessed I am <3The three littlest <3<3<3Grandpa and some of his littles.Such a fun time watching my baby cousin get married in such a beautiful place!
October
DIsneyland!Happy 40th, babe!
Oh, October, how delightful were thee! I consider October to have been split into two EPIC events — the first was our trip to Disneyland with Grandpa! and the second was Chris’ 40th birthday adventures with ALL HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY IN TOWN FROM AUSTRALIA!
Look. The joy I felt in Disney — watching the absolute love on my kids’ faces — was very, very real.Thanks, Grandpa, for joining in on the fun/mayhem!Simply the best!
We were home from Disney for two days before Chris left for a work trip to Disney World, and then his parents arrived two days after that! Little did Chris know, though, that the rest of his siblings — all four of ’em — were also Colorado bound. It was so. much. fun!
Celebrate good times, indeed!Look at this cute crew!Happy birthday babe — thanks for giving us another reason to all be together <3
December
We started our holiday season with a quick trip back to New York (yup, again!) for Grandpa’s surprise 60th and a delightful visit with our besties in the city for some holiday shenanigans!
Happy, happy birthday to the BEST Gpa!The girls saw their first Rockette show!We had lunch with our besties!Bryant Park is a delight during the holidays, even in the rain 😉
To close out our holiday season — and the year! — we took an EPIC European holiday trip to Germany and France, Switzerland, and Iceland with Chris’ parents. We visited Christmas markets, ate delicious food, soaked in a geothermal hot tub and just generally had the time of our lives.
Black Forest, GermanyBaden-Baden, GermanyGengenbach, GermanyStrasbourg, FranceThe Rhine River in Basel, SwitzerlandBasel, Switzerland City HallGlorious Iceland.Northern Lights from the hot tub!So beautiful!Icelandic horses … also beautiful <3
Phew … what a year! And now, blink, it’s 2024. We can’t wait to see what unfolds.
Happy Thursday, loves! My third and final installation in our European Holiday Adventure is brought to you by the frigid, fantastic land called Iceland. (For the record, Chris and I had already been a number of years ago, and our obsession was already grand.)
This time we decided to do things a bit differently, though. We stayed at this Airbnb — rather than right in the city of Reykjavik — which was off-the-beaten path and totally in the Icelandic wilderness.
Can you think of anything more magical?Same view during the daylight. Look at all that awesome isolation!The back of the house led out to a lake, which I’m sure is amazing in the summer.
This log cabin was so glorious, and its geothermal hot tub was even more glorious. We frequented it quite a few times during our two-day, three-night stay.
So. Much. Fun.This was around 10 a.m. on our last full day. It just doesn’t look like it, because the sun doesn’t come up until after 11 a.m.!Final morning family hot tub adventure.Chris and I also hit the hot tub on New Years Eve night — which also happened to be our 11-year wedding, 16-year meeting anniversary — after putting the kids to bed <3We even saw the Northern Lights from it!
Okay, enough about the hot tub. (Even though it was awesome.) Here’s what else we got up to.
Rock ‘n’ Troll!
Frigid but fun, we loved the trolls!
This place has a lot to offer — a hotel, cafe, library, etc. — but the short walk up to the troll statues was why we made the visit.
Emilia ended up with some seriously cold feet, but she enjoyed the visit up until that point!Lotte found another good use for her Christmas Market scarf!
Hot Springs!
Holy gorgeous.
We stopped at the Deildartunguhver Hot Springs — which also had a lot to offer, including a restaurant, hotel, geothermal baths to bathe in, greenhouses during the summer, etc. — but showing the girls some hot springs in Iceland was our main draw.
So stinkin’ (smokin’ ?!) cool!It doesn’t really matter which ones you see, but when in Iceland, you must hot spring it up!
Waterfalls!
When in Iceland, you are often only one step away from imminent — but beautiful — death.
I joke, but seriously, this place is not for the faint of heart. The Glanni Waterfall was glorious and I’m glad that we visited, but I was also super happy to snap a few pics and get my children the hell away from the tiny gate that separated them from a rocky free fall as soon as possible.
So pretty though!
What even are we tiny humans on this vast planet?Emilia got a real kick out of it!Gorgeous girl <3Insane.There is a short walk from the parking lot to the waterfall, which is also beautiful.
A Day & Night in Reykjavik!
Downtown Reykjavik in all its adorable glory.
Nan & Poppa had a super early flight back to Germany on our final day, so they spent the night in a hotel in Reykjavik the night before. That meant that we got to spend the day and some of the evening in the city on New Years Eve. We hit up Fly Over Iceland (an interactive, AI experience that takes you “flying” over all the main attractions of Iceland), Chris and I had an anniversary dinner at the coolest restaurant — Fjallkonan — and the girls got to have dinner delivered to them in bed while they watched a (funnily enough, French) movie at Nan & Poppa’s hotel, Berjaya Reykjavik Marina Hotel.
Nan & Poppa’s hotel was right on the waterfront. So cool!Emilia was too short to ride the Fly Over Iceland attraction, so I hung back with her in the cafe and gift store. This delightful holiday coffee — and the fact that they were still playing holiday music, but in Icelandic — made me more than happy to do so 😉Grace took this photo in the hotel. I just thought it was adorable <3Fish & chips dinner at Nan & Poppa’s place.
And that was Iceland in a nutshell, friends! I do need to take a moment to thank the Icelandic horse — whom I have affectionately named Buddy — who came right up to me when I was taking photos of his group on the side of the road. He seriously made my trip.
Look at this handsome, rockstar of a horse. Love you, Buddy <3
We’ll definitely be back to Iceland again as well, perhaps in the summer to catch more of what this awesome place has to offer in different weather.
Thanks for always being awesome, Icealand!
And thank YOU for following along. Until our next trip — a road trip to the Grand Canyon over the girls’ Spring Break! — bis bald, loves!
Welcome back to my Very Merry Christmas in Europe round-up! First up was Germany and France. Today, we move on to Switzerland!
Basel, Switzerland was about an hour and a half drive from our Airbnb in Germany, and although we only planned for two nights and one full day there, we had the best time! Switzerland was a new country to me, and color me obsessed. The neighborhood of our Airbnb was quiet and residential, but super close to a bunch of fun restaurants, bars and stores, and the train made it very easy to get into the city center. Our Airbnb host even hooked us up with a BaselCard, which got us free transportation and discounts at certain places throughout the city.
On our day in the city we got coffee at a local shop, rode the train into the city center, visited the Toy Museum (which was SO MUCH FUN!), walked passed the super cool Tinguely Fountain, saw the gorgeous City Hall all decorated for the holiday, went on a wild goose chase for fondu and ended up with (still delicious!) Italian for lunch, walked over the Rhine River, bought a fancy bauble at a local jewelry store and, after the kids were home, fed and bathed, Chris and I had wine at a neighborhood wine bar.
We sure can pack it into a day.
Here’s what it looked like!
We arrived after the sun went down and our neighborhood was lit up and pretty.We went for a walk when we first arrived to pick up some essentials. We bought cheese, pastries, milk, pouches and local wool socks, and I knew this was a special place 😉Poppa having brekkie with the kiddos in our cute little kitchen.Our neighborhood in the morning.The coffee from that local shop was out of this world!Notorious for their neutrality, the Swiss people had lots of “No War” signs hanging from windows.Riding the local transport, when it was available, was such a highlight for the girls!And off we went!On our way to the Toy Museum we walked through the Christmas Markets being taken down, and we could tell how magical they would have been.The Toy Museum! And I mean … COME ON. Europe is SERIOUS about its holiday decor!This place was great! Our host had told us it wasn’t worth going, but based on some of the details he shared, I have to think they’ve remodeled recently. There are four floors with thousands of toys in intricate scenes behind glass (so no worries about touching!), and they give you an iPad to put around your neck. There are scanning codes throughout the museum and when you point the iPad at them, virtual tour guides pop up and tell stories about what you’re viewing. So much fun!We accidentally hopped off the train one stop early, but that was awesome because we just walked right over the glorious Rhine!Chris did some googling and found an awesome-looking fondu spot that was too awesome for its own good … aka PACKED TO THE GILLS. We eventually found an Italian restaurant that was right on the river and gave us everything we needed.My girl — in the scarf she bought from the Christmas Market in Baden-Baden — exploring the Rhine River. I hope these girls never stop exploring and never lose their curiosity about culture and the world.This City Hall is to-die-for!Inside was even prettier!They had a guest book you could sign, so you know the girls took advantage of that <3Walking back home we came across some street performers playing music. Emilia’ delight was palpable 😉
And that was it for Switzerland, loves! We had to leave super early the next day to get back to the airport to fly to our fourth and final destination … ICELAND! Switzerland, you were an absolute delight, and something tells me we will definitely be back.
Bis bald friends! Until tomorrow, and the last of our European adventures …
Happy New Year, friends! How it’s 2024, I’ll never know.
Okay, full disclosure before I get into this post: It was really hard for me to narrow down photos 😉 Like, harder than it usually is, which is already usually very hard. This European Christmas Trip of ours was EPIC, and it was made even more epic by the fact that we were able to do it all with Chris’ parents. Any time that we and the girls get to spend with them is special. To spend that time on vacation over Christmas in Europe?? I mean. What can I say?
To start, our place. We stayed at this sweet Airbnb in the Black Forest, and it surpassed my wildest dreams. The house itself was huge, with plenty of space for four adults and three kiddos. Plus, it was filled with so many games and toys that even if we never left the house, the kids would have stayed occupied for days. There was also a hike directly accessible from the back of the house that had breathtaking views. It was the perfect spot for us, and the best place to begin our European journey and spend Christmas.
How sweet is this cute little covered outdoor picnic area, too?! Here is poppa, hosting his ladies to a (brief but very sweet!) afternoon tea.The outdoor hut was also the perfect spot for housing some of our Christmas Day necessities 😉Our host even decorated for Christmas, leaving us a live Christmas tree and all her ornaments to adorn it with! It was the sweetest touch on her behalf.Here she is on Christmas Eve, fully decorated and ready for celebrating!Here’s one happy Grace, with a little of the view from our house behind her.Two of my little loves on Christmas Day <3Another two cuties on Christmas DayThe absolute best.Also the absolute best <3Even my mom came to hang for a bit. This was by far one of the most incredible moments of the trip, and trust me, there were many. IYKYK.There were tons of balconies, which made for amazing sunrise/sunset viewings!Cheers to this amazing spot in the world.
Although hanging out in the house would have been enough, I had specifically formulated the plan for this holiday with one goal in mind: CHRISTMAS MARKETS! Europe is known for them, and I wanted in. So … are you ready to market it up? Here’s where we went.
Thursday, December 21: Freiburg, Germany
Lotte looks fairly miserable in this photo, but that was after what was, trust me, a very fun night!
Our first Christmas Market was in Freiburg. Since this was our first one (well, Chris’ parents had already been to a couple by the time we arrived, but it was my first one!), I didn’t realize that the market is actually spread around the city. We kept stumbling on different sections of it as we walked around, which was a really nice surprise.
As a person who thoroughly enjoys holiday decor, these markets were MY JAM.We started in early on the treats, and did not stop.We went on every ride we saw!We drank ALL the Glühwein (hot wine!) we could find!I couldn’t love this holiday hopping crew any more <3
Friday, December 22: Baden-Baden, Germany
As you can see, in Baden-Baden, we weren’t messing around!
Next up was the Baden-Baden market, and the fondu igloo lunch I had booked us weeks before. This felt like the perfect excuse to don the matching Christmas sweaters that Nan had brought for us 😉 The day was chilly and rainy, but snuggled up inside our heated igloo with our fur blankets and tasty treats (you rent the igloo for three hour blocks and are welcome to walk around the market during that time and then go back to the igloo whenever you like) was the perfect way to spend this day and see this particular market.
The coziest!The cutest!Despite the weather — or perhaps because of it — this particular market felt so magical and festive. The girls loved checking out the ornate booths, and Nan loved teaching them how to shop!So much fun!The absolute best.We had the sweetest time! Nan & I have vowed to make a special trip back to Baden-Baden, which means “bath” and is actually known for its amazing spas!
Saturday, December 23: Gengenback, Germany
Such a beautiful spot!
We had a tough decision to make this day: Travel 3.5 hours each way to visit the Nuremberg (where I was born) markets, or head about 25 minutes away, to Gengenbach, to see their world-renowned life-size Advent Calendar. Ultimately we decided to stay local and head to Gengenbach, which I think was the right decision. All the more reason to make another trip back to Germany in the future to hit up my birth spot. Perhaps when we have a little more time.
This was the smallest of the markets that we visited, but it was also the sweetest town with the cutest Advent Calendar Town Hall.Each day leading up to Christmas they perform a short play with live music in front of their beautiful Town Hall building, then they lift the one (hand painted by a different artist each year!) window that corresponds to the day. We were there to see the 24th window get lifted — a fish for the Feast of Seven Fishes! — which felt extra special.Smiles all around <3
Sunday, December 24: Strasbourg, France
Glorious Strasbourg, France!
We classed it up on Christmas Eve and decided to head out to FRANCE. Strasbourg was about 45 minutes away, and it was easy to drive, park, and hop on a quick train to the Christmas markets. This event was sprawling, and so, so beautiful. We were even lucky enough to catch the tree lighting, accompanied with Christmas music, of course.
The markets were gorgeous, but even the buildings in the area were so ornately decorated.More Glühwein! You could get a small refund if you returned the cups that the wine was served in, but you best believe we kept all of them!When a picture says it all.Such a gorgeous area! They say this is the biggest Christmas tree in the world … but you know 😉More gorgeous buildings. I honestly could have spent days here wandering the streets and been quite content.This girl clung to her dad like glue the whole trip, which was super annoying for him but VERY nice for me! I didn’t have to carry her AND I always knew where she was 😉Insanely beautiful …Everywhere you looked …Thank you Strasbourg for a very special, unforgettable Christmas Eve!
Of course there are a very many more Christmas markets in Germany (and France and everywhere else in Europe, really) to visit, but these were centrally located to our house and I had read great things about them. After having now actually been to them, I can agree: There is nothing like Christmas in Europe. It stands alone. Nowhere else compares. The end.
After spending a relaxing Christmas Day and Boxing Day eating, drinking, hanging at our house, watching movies and playing games, we spent our final day in Germany checking out a bit more of the view around our town and heading to Lake Mummelsee, a beautiful lake with a quirky story.
Glorious views (and sun!) on our final day in Germany!Driving through the Black Forest to reach the lake also provided for some gorgeous views! Don’t forget the Dramamine! We’ve arrived!So pretty!Every day in Germany was fabulous, and the last day was no different.
I’ll be honest, friends … I had a lot of anxiety leading up to this trip. I worried someone would get sick or get hurt, and as our friends started dropping like flies to illness as our departure date got closer, I only got more and more nervous. Once we were on our flight to Germany, though, I realized … there’s nothing you can do about that. I could spend the trip worried, or I could relax and enjoy and know that we would handle whatever came our way.
Luckily, I can now say that other than a few coughs here and there, we were all GREAT. No illnesses to note. So see that? All that worrying was for naught. Wouldn’t a crystal ball be great so we could know all ends well ahead of time?
Anyway, that was about it for our Germany (and France!) expedition, friends! I’ll be back tomorrow with the second installment (third country!) of our adventure: SWITZERLAND!
Hello, friends … welcome to December! With the holiday and the end of the year right around the corner, things are insane! Which is why we were so lucky to get the chance to shoot back to New York one last time to see all our loves.
(Mind you we’ve visited our favorite state quite a bit this year, documented here and here and here and more!).
To start, my sister & I planned a surprise 60th birthday bash for our stepdad, and it was so much fun! He was so surprised!
This motley crew is my absolute fave 😉These little cuties were so excited to surprise grandpa!We had 40+ friends and fam waiting for him — he thought he was just having lunch with us, his immediate family. Quite the reception 😉I love how much time we’ve been able to spend with family this year. It truly means the world.These cousins will grow up with such a special bond, despite our geographic distance.The girls got to spend time with family they haven’t seen in so long!We capped off Gpa’s surprise party day with a big cousin sleepover. So. Much. Fun!We sure do love our gpa <3
After our day upstate celebrating Grandpa, we spent a quick few hours in NYC on Sunday before flying back that night. We met up with our forever besties, took in the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City, and walked the Bryant Park holiday shops in the glorious rain.
It was the girls’ first Rockettes experience, and it did not disappoint! Even Emilia stayed entertained 🙂I kept looking over at all three girls throughout the show to see their expressions. Absolutely priceless.My girls are all getting so big, so celebrating these special milestones (and seeing your first Christmas Spectacular in NYC IS a milestone!) with them means so much to me.Carla and Ryan and Fiona and Jake joined us! We got a amazing view of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree on the way out!She sure is a beaute!Pure joy, even in the rain.Faye & Miles & Stella met up with us at The Perfect Pint after the show!These two could not be cuter.Then we walked to Bryant Park in the rain. It was still wonderful.Bryant Park is one of my all-time favorite places in the city, and especially during the holidays.Gloomy & gorge.Thanks for trudging through the rain with me, guys!The skaters were literally skating through puddles. That’s what I call dedication.Max Brenner hot chocolate for all!Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
And that was our trip, friends. It’s always too short — even when we stay for weeks! — but always very sweet. Until next time, NY …
Now it’s on to our next adventure … Europe for Christmas in JUST. TWO. WEEKS! We’re meeting Chris’ parents for a winter adventure in Germany, Switzerland and, hopefully, Iceland (if a certain volcano can make up its mind). We are very excited, but also ready to relax for the two weeks until then.
Until those updates … bis bald, friends, and happy holidays!
Ever since we moved to Colorado I have wanted to drive through one of these ranch gates, which are located throughout the state. The second weekend in August was my time to make that dream a reality 😉
Welcome back to press trip summer, friends! I already talked about Breckenridge and Beaver Creek, and today’s post is about our third and final trip out to C Lazy U Ranch.
Believe it or not, a trip out here is not about being lazy. (As I learned on our ranger ride tour, a “lazy” U is a U that’s turned on its side). Being at C Lazy U Ranch actually means doing all the things. The girls attended camps in the mornings and afternoons where they made friends, played on the playground, did crafts and rode ponies (G) and horses (Lotte). We had Emilia with us, of course, but for parents with kids over three (the age when they can join the camps), being here means attending summer camps with your kids. Sending them off for large chunks of the day (plus dinner!) to have the time of their lives while you do the same, and reconvening for an evening activity (plus breakfast and lunch). It’s really the best of both worlds.
Here’s a bit of what we got up to in our Thursday to Saturday visit.
For the girls, dressing the part was half the fun!Anywhere that Lotte can practice the monkey bars is amazing in her book.On our very first night there the girls had dinner with complete strangers (who they became great friends with) and performed “Let It Go”, again in front of complete strangers, to much amusement and obsession. It’s safe to say that we have never had a more fun first night on a trip.Friday was our first full day, and we started off wit a short tractor ride up the mountain where we were met with fresh homemade donuts, coffee and a full breakfast with the most amazing view.Enjoying her view with a side of hot chocolate.Too stinkin.We had the most glorious morning for it, too.The best.After breakfast Chris had to work, but the girls and I got a ranger ride — which is basically a ride in a humongous and very powerful four-wheeler — all around the ranch. Grace even found this horseshoe! (Lotte was not thrilled to have not found one, hah.)There were just gorgeous views everywhere we looked!A little bird watching.Emilia was too young for the camps — they start at three — but we had the best time anyway!The driver let Grace and Lotte sit in the front on the last 10 minutes of the ride, so we obliged Emilia with a quick tour of the front seat, as well <3The girls really fell in love with horses on this trip (and have since asked to get one), and to be honest, so did I.I EVEN went on my first ride! Look at me up there, all calm, cool and collected!That night Chris escorted the girls to a Barn Dance, where they listened to live music, ate ice cream, rode a mechanical bull and just generally had a blast.Emilia had a grand time at the morning Cowboy coffee <3On Saturday morning the girls set off for their morning camp session …And it was Chris’ turn to ride!Grace rode a pony that she and her campmates decorated to look like a unicorn!Can you even? She had the best time! Emilia and I were on the playground nearby so I happened to catch her ride, and she kept calling out, “Hi Emilia! See me riding a pony, Emilia!”And Lotte rode a horse ALL BY HERSELF! I was so proud of her!In the afternoon, the “Showdeo” allowed the kids to show off the skills they learned all week. For Grace’s group, that was how to hone their cuteness.Lotte was in a horse/cherry eating race, and she came in 2nd and had a blast!Maximum cuteness.
And that was that, my friends. I would HIGLY recommend this place to anyone who has kids over the age of three (and a lot of money. It was … quite pricey!)
Anyway, I’m so incredibly grateful for having had all these adventures with my family this summer, and for my editor who continues to have faith in my travel testing abilities 😉 Keep ’em coming, Karen … I think we can handle them 😉
Beaver Creek is the sweetest little mountain town you ever will see.
Happy Thursday, friends! As I already mentioned, we were so lucky this summer because we got to go on THREE press trips that took us to awesome places in the mountains.
There’s plenty to love about Beaver Creek — its quaint, safe feel, gorgeous views and friendly people, to name a few — but the Hyatt offered its own set of amenities to treasure.
Views from every window!The cutest kiddie toys in the suites!The best location! The middle of the town is right outside the door, with tons of restaurants and shops, an ice skating rink in the winter and this huge play area in the summer.And holy moly the food. So. Much. Good. Food.So many tasty drinks!That includes 24-hour-a-day room service.Nutella pancakes for the win 😉You can also grab a s’mores kit from the front desk and make your own at their outdoor fire pits, surrounded by the glorious mountains.
You can catch the gondola or ski lift right outside the door and take it to the top of the mountain. There you’ll find a lodge with lots of fun games, tons of hiking trails, or plenty of spaces to just sit and sip and relax, if that’s your preferred mountain activity.
We love a gondola ride!Views from the top.Look at these cuties <3Our hike was cut short when Grace fell and skinned her knee, but until then it was glorious!Rides back down!
The town itself has tons of restaurants and shops, like I mentioned, plus a cute creek and, if you walk a short distance, a playground.
This cutie loved the creek!Hiking around town.
And obviously no trip of ours is complete without trying out the pool & hot tub situation. Both options at this hotel scored a 10/10 on our scale.
Pool ready!What better way to wake up the guests than with squeals of delight from the pool down below?!
And that was it in a nutshell, my friends. We love you Beaver Creek! My only wish is that this place is slightly closer (it’s two hours in good traffic). If it were, we’d be there much more often, I can promise you that 😉
Bis bald, friends! I’ll be back tomorrow with our third and final press trip of the summer — C Lazy U Ranch!
