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Travel

Sailing The BVI’s: 10 Year Anniversary Trip

by Courtney El-Ghoul March 8, 2020

It’s been a little over a week since I got back from paradise and I am ready to dish!!! To be totally honest I feel like it took me a full week just to get back into the swing of things. But, as promised, I am going to give you all the deets, and share our full itinerary 🙂

Here goes…

Day 1- We flew direct into St. Thomas. We arranged in advance to have a taxi waiting to take us to the boat. After a quick ride, we arrived at Yacht Haven where we met our crew Michael (captain) & Casey (chef). We used wlms charters to book the trip, and Mandy (who was so awesome to work with) was even there to greet us at the boat 🙂 Michael & Casey were so warm and welcoming so instantly I knew we were off to a great start. Once we got to the boat Casey had champagne & snacks waiting for us! She gave us the tour and we quickly got unpacked( only 1 carry on!) We were so ready to chill. We had some drinks and then took a nap while we sailed to Maho Bay, St. John where we docked for the night. Casey made us a delicious dinner and we went over our itinerary for the charter. It was such a great way to set us up for the week. I will admit I was a little nervous about how I would sleep on the boat, but… I slept like a baby!

Day 2 – I am going to give you the real deal! Haha… I had a bit of a hangover when I woke up on day 2. You know, all the excitement led to a little too much champagne!!! I knew we were sailing early, but I thought I could just sleep below deck. NOPE!!! Thankfully though, this was the only time during the whole trip that I felt sick. Casey quickly informed me that I wouldn’t want to be below deck while we were sailing. So, I made my way to the main deck and just slept it off on our sail to Jost Van Dyke. We sailed to White Bay for some morning lounging, had breakfast, and then swam over to the infamous Soggy Dollar for some cocktails. I would say this island is much more of a party scene than I expected, lots of great people watching for sure! Foxy’s is the hot spot as far as the late-night scene goes. So, of course, we had to check it out! Everyone, including us, was living it up! It was a great party and we enjoyed every minute of it!

Day 3- The next morning we had a beautiful sail to the Indians. Khalil was learning so much about sailing and actually got to assist Michael with driving the boat, he was in heaven! Oh. sidenote: They had an amazing speaker, a Sound Box, I am totally buying this for outdoor parties! It was INCREDIBLE! I mean we were just blasting Biebs new album while enjoying a few refreshing Truly haha. Just living life to the fullest! We also did some snorkeling and had lunch on the boat. Some of my friends have been like … “Didn’t you get bored?” But honestly, I never did! Even on the long sails I would just nap, read my book, and hang out with Khalil. Casey would whip up the most delicious afternoon snacks with espresso! I mean, seriously, it was ahhhhhmazing!!! Okay I am on a tangent… back to the breakdown 🙂 After lunch, we took the dinghy over to Pirates Bight for sunset cocktails. We chilled on the beach and then had dinner on the boat. We weren’t going to go, cause we felt like such tourists, but we decided to head to another infamous hot spot… Willy Ts. I can’t lie it was pretty cool to see the legendary floating bar. The original ship was destroyed during Hurricane Irma, but they have rebuilt it since. The people-watching was so fun, and I am glad we went! Speaking of Irma we also had the most amazing massages in this floating spa! The spa was built from lumber salvaged from the hurricane. There are glass windows on the bottom so that you can see fish swimming below you during your treatment. Oh my gosh, it was so cool! What a genius idea!! Not to mention the massage itself was BOMB, like I was so relaxed afterward.

Day 4- Okay it’s so hard to choose because all the islands were unique in their own way, but this day was one of my favorites! We sailed to Little Harbor on Peter Island, and guys… it was so beautiful! The water was that crystal clear where you can see right down to the bottom. We paddle boarded, snorkeled, and saw the cutest sea turtles! There was a mom and her baby, the cutest!!! Ahhhhh I was in love! After, we headed to Cooper Island which was so our scene! They have the cutest beach club where we did some shopping and had sunset cocktails. We had dinner at the restaurant there and visited the famous rum bar for cocktails. Such a fun day!

Day 5– Another favorite!!! It is so hard to choose…. We sailed as long as we could with the awesome winds up to Anegada! This is the only flat island in the BVI’s. So, we rented a Jeep for the day and explored all the beautiful beaches. Each beach was so different & gorgeous! Anegada Beach club was super chill, had a really cool gift shop. The beach was so secluded we got in some great relaxation time. Loblolly Bay & Cow Wreck Beach were also really cool. We had a beautiful dinner at Sid’s on Pomato Pt. No joke… it was the best lobster I have ever had!!! I usually don’t even care for lobster, this was so good. After dinner, we danced the night away to some old school hip hop at Potters by the Sea.

Day 6- Okay I am starting to get sad as I am writing this. Coming to the end here but still, so amazing! We sailed from Anegada to Savannah Bay where we had our last snorkeling adventure, and I felt like I was in a movie walking on this beach. I am not even kidding. We were like the only people on the beach. It was so magical that I felt like I was in a dream. After an amazing morning we headed down to the Baths ( Virgin Gorda) where we explored the sea boulders. This was so cool! It is for sure a tourist spot, but Michael knew to go there in the afternoon before they closed the beach. It was so nice being able to explore the area like it was just Khalil and I.

That evening was our actual anniversary so we anchored off Coco Maya where we had a romantic dinner at Coco Maya restaurant. It was super romantic and a gorgeous restaurant. The best kind of beach chic, for sure! Oh, and Casey made us a cookie cake ( Khalil’s fave) with some bubbly before we headed out that evening. She was seriously amazing. As I am writing this I am remembering all these small extra details that she and Michael did for us that were so nice:) Honestly, guys, it was the perfect trip! Like a dream come true, I swear.

Of course, we had to go out with a bang! So on our way back to St. Thomas to catch our flight we saw a freaking humpback whale north of St. John!! It was sooo cool!!!

I swear, I could go on forever… and probably will. It was the most amazing trip, Khalil and I fell in love all over again, it was just what we needed. Casey & Micahel were so awesome, and we hope to do it again with the girls for sure, to show them this beautiful place.

Now for some tips!

Catamaran on a budget- You could skip the middleman to save cost (IE a charter company) and book directly with the boat owner. However, I do feel like Mandy (wlms charters) was amazing, and who is to say if we would have found 3 sisters without her?? You on the other hand… can just book with them -because we found them for you 🙂

You could make it a group trip and go with other couples to split the cost. You also don’t have to have a chef, but I totally recommend it. Some people just go out to eat, or they bring their own food onboard.

Tips in general

When you are doing your research look for a crew that will fit your personality, really do your homework. I could see where the experience would not be good if you didn’t match up with the crew personality wise. Boats are small and you’ll be together a lot.
Look for newer boats. 3 sisters is a 2018, and we studied all the pictures online. We knew what we were getting into as far as sleeping, showering, for the most part. Older boats will have more problems, and may not be as comfortable.

Check out Casey & Michael at

http://www.visailing.com/catamaran/3sisters

https://www.instagram.com/sail3sisters/?igshid=lzumfsp4vbkt

What about you guys? Has anyone done any catamaran charters?

Courtney

March 8, 2020 0 comment

Travel Twins

How to Get the Most Out of Spring Break: Maximizing Family Time

by Courtney El-Ghoul March 2, 2020

Can anyone believe that April is right around the corner? How is it that it is already time to think about what we will do for the girls’ spring break? I know I talk about time flying by pretty often, but for real, it is so crazy. My brain is switching from party planning and getting organized right into spring break trip planning. I am not going to sugar coat it – planning these trips gives me anxiety. It’s so much to think about and then once I start going down the rabbit hole I begin analyzing why we should or shouldn’t go. This is where I need Khalil to push me to just do it! He always reminds me by saying… “We only have 18 summers with our kids before they are way too cool for us, and really, that 18 is a stretch” … He is the best at making sure we are maximizing our opportunities for quality time with them.

Off-topic here for a second: Those teenage years are going to be a real doozy with two girls going through puberty at the same time…we are screwed! ha

Planning a Family Trip

When you think about it that way, it’s a no brainer – we really should plan a trip. We get so much quality time on our family adventures. We are all about quality over quantity. When I think back on the memories from Miami, Baha Mar, Mexico, New York, and Dewey Beach… I just melt. Just typing them out I am flooded with memories of all of the special moments we have had. Those trips for sure had their ups and downs but overall they were memories that will last forever. I told you guys in Ava’s bio how she still talks about Mexico, and it is adorable. So it’s pretty clear that the girls cherish these times as well.

There is something to be said about getting out of the everyday routine. Of course, we see our kids every day and try to spend as much time with them as possible. But, the routine of school, activities, work, and just life in general… it is not the same as that undiluted and uninterrupted time you get when you are away from home. When everyone is in vacation mode; completely relaxed and just living in the moment.

Okay so it looks like I am for sure going to make it happen, just writing this post is making me think this is a 100% yes. There is no reason we can’t squeeze a mini vacay in. I am thinking about Fort Lauderdale or maybe the Florida Keys??? I will be sure to include a follow-up post once we decide.

What about you guys? Are you into vacays to maximize family time? If so, where are your favorite places that hold special memories?

Courtney

March 2, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle Travel

Vacation Packing: What I am Taking Just a Carry-on

by Courtney El-Ghoul January 10, 2020

I cannot believe our 10th-anniversary trip is less than a month away! Aghhhhh! You know when you feel like a trip is so far away, and then suddenly you’re like … ‘Oh snap it’s almost here!’ Having the holidays in-between booking and departure has for sure made the time go by much faster. Before Christmas, it seemed like I had all the time in the world to prepare all the final details. Now, I am like Ummm yea I need to get on filling out that preference sheet, and mapping out where we want to go (If you don’t know what I am talking about head >>here<< to catch up on the epic plan) !!!! Anyway, this brings me to the topic for today… What am I packing!?

What Am I Packing For Our Trip!?

I told you guys the captain recommends only bringing one carry on, I can do that, BUT I have to be very creative with what I am going to bring to make it work! I don’t want to feel like my outfit choices are not up to par for such a big trip!! I mean, that would just not be cool! Especially since beach/vaca fashion is kinda my thing.

With that being said I have a few tricks up my sleeve for making this limited packing situation work in my favor. Here goes!

Limited Space: Tips for Packing Your Carry On!

Swimwear/ Coverups day to night– Okay this is a game-changer. If I can double up my bathing suits into an outfit for the evening I will have way more room in my carryon. My strategy is to include pieces like this >> suit top << from Onia as I can wear the top with shorts or a skirt to make it into a proper outfit for the evening. Another staple will be a full one-piece like this >> one << from ShopWeWoreWhat that can be worn as a bodysuit. Also from them, this >> cover-up << that I found on ShopBop is super cute to take from day to dinner on an island. I am honestly going to go with this concept for shoes and hats as well. Whatever is versatile enough to look good on the boat, but that I can also switch up for the days/nights we are exploring on land.
Easy Makeup – Let’s be real, I am going to be spending most of my time in the water, on the beach, or the deck of the boat. I think it’s pretty safe to assume that I will need/want to keep the glam low-key! This is when eyelash extensions would be on point, but, you know… I’m allergic. Ugh. For all my non-allergic gals – it’s worth the money – DO IT. Other than a good waterproof mascara, I am going to keep it simple. Coola is my go-to for all things SPF. I love this >> BB Cream with sunscreen << to keep my skin tone smooth and protected from wrinkle-causing damage. You know how much I love my KKW >> body glitter << … it OBVIOUSLY makes the packing cut. I am not making any cuts when it comes to >> lip glosses<< I’m taking all of my favorites and if you’ve been on my IG, at all, you know they are all Kylie Cosmetics.
Cool Sunnies – This, I think, is the time to get creative with my sunglasses collection. They don’t take up much room and they are the perfect final touch to take your look to the next level. I’ve also got a great post on >> sunglass chains << that you should totally check out if you are thinking of how to jazz-it up and not lose your sunnies. I am. Of course, bringing my favorite Celine pairs- but I will also probably bring a bunch of fun and way less expensive ones. Maybe some Celine dupes. I am obsessed with the variety of affordable glasses like >> these << at Urban Outfitters – they keep the styles well-stocked all year, which is awesome.
Chilly nights- Hopefully, there won’t be many of these. In Monday’s post I was telling you that I love Inamorata Woman from Emily Ratajkowski for all things swim – but she also just came out with some suiting that includes these AMAZING oversized >>blazers<< which are perfect to pack in case it gets cold in the evenings. With this oversized style, I can still look stylish while staying warm. I might even throw in a light jean jacket that doesn’t take up too much space, but we will see.

I will start laying out all of these outfits/swimsuits this week! I will take photos of them all, and then start ranking my top picks so that I can have everything planned out in advance and nothing unnecessary gets packed. If you take me up on this advice, I can promise you that it will change your packing game forever. I know it may seem like a lot to do, but trust me, it’s so much better to be prepared and not left with a bad outfit choice! That is the worst feeling, ever…

I hope this was helpful for anyone planning a trip where you have to pack extremely light!

What about you guys, any tips/tricks when trying to pack light?

Courtney

January 10, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle Travel Twins

Why We Didn’t Travel for Christmas and Why We Will 100% Be on a Beach Next Year

by Courtney El-Ghoul January 3, 2020

Happy New Year!!! I hope everyone had the most amazing NYE and that you’ve all had an amazing first few days of 2020!

I am so excited to be writing my first blog post of the New Year… Spoiler alert: I am totally going to use this post as an opportunity to publicly set some intentions for 2020… Ready for it?

So, I actually started writing this post about TWO days BEFORE Christmas… Like, 12-ish days ago – I kid you not. I was soooo close to just canceling all of the plans and booking a family trip to Miami! I mean, really, I was ready to pull the trigger, but unfortunately waiting until the very last minute to book a holiday trip doesn’t always work out in your favor. You know, I’ve written tons about it, I am all about spontaneity! But, if you recall our most recent last-minute trip to NYC, a Post- Thanksgiving/Pre- Christmas adventure… You’ll understand why I decided to pull back on the reigns this time. I now see, begrudgingly, that you need a little more time to plan/prepare – especially during the holidays.

So, as I said… this post started 12 days ago and was going to be a “How we organized a last-minute trip to Miami, two days before Christmas”…kinda post. We didn’t do it, so I couldn’t post it. BUT, we are 100 percent celebrating Christmas on the beach next year! There, I said it.

Let’s dive in…

Next Year Holidays on The Beach – The Plan

A little backstory about where this idea came from, why I was waiting so long to try and book the trip, and why I am ALL IN for next year. I have mentioned to you guys before that we are a multicultural family so for us the holiday season is way more than just Christmas. It is amazing but exhausting. Christmas is the tail end of our season like it is for many other families. On Christmas day we always make the 2.5 hour drive to my parents’ house, and every year I tell my mom this is the last year we are doing it! If she would come to our house, it would make things easier, however, she is stuck in her ways and clings to the idea of tradition. Growing up she always told me that “when you grow up and have babies they will always have Christmas at grandma’s house” it’s just the way it is. I mean, I get it, she wants to spend the holidays with her family. I am not faulting her for it, I just want her to understand, that we may want to start our own family traditions. ( Don’t I sound so strong and assertive when I say it, in writing, ha)

So, every year we talk about traveling for Christmas, and every year I am too afraid to tell my mother that we won’t be at her house! Well, wouldn’t you know… this year I happened to make a passing comment to her about it, and suddenly, she was totally cool with it!? Have I been living in fear and totally freezing my butt off, for nothing?! When I could’ve been in a bikini singing Rudolph on the beach with the girls?! Maybe I have just worn her down over the years? It was incredible though, she was just like… “Yea, do what you want, the girls’ presents will be here waiting for whenever you get back.” WHAT?! Anyway, as you might imagine I was so excited that I immediately started scrambling checking flight prices, ect.. AHHHH! Really, we were so close to making it happen. The official breaking point that made the plan unravel was the room situation. We waited too long and there were just no good rooms left at the hotel we wanted. If we were spending Christmas away from home, we would have to get everything as close to perfect as we could. So we agreed we were going to plan it, the right way, for next year!

Christmas 2020 Promise

So, here I am saying it “out loud” – to the whole internet. The El-Ghoul family will be celebrating Christmas 2020 on a beach, in South Beach. It really will be the perfect way for us to celebrate and decompress from the other 1000 holidays we celebrate from mid-October to Christmas. Plus, I want to do it while the girls are young. I have a feeling that as they get older they might want to be close to home and their friends over winter break. Maybe they won’t, only time will tell. From where we live Miami is only one non-stop 2.5-hour flight, away. We can have the beach, pools, all the trendy restaurants in no time. I mean really, it sounds like a dream to me.

The plan, as of right now, is that we will just pack a couple of gifts from us that they can open Christmas morning and we tell them all their gifts from Santa are waiting for them at home when we get back! DONE!!! December 25th will be a breeze. Open some presents in the parlor of our hotel room, have a delicious holiday brunch (that we don’t have to cook or clean up), and then we can hit the pool or beach after. We get to escape the cold weather for a couple of days and recoup some much-needed vitamin D. I am not super sentimental over the whole “White Christmas” thing, possibly because it is so rare we actually wake up to snow here on Christmas morning… but I really think this is a life-hack we will adopt as tradition for as long as the girls are up for it.

So, keep an eye out, because next year you will get a complete How-To on planning a destination beach holiday with your kids for Christmas!

What about you guys? Up for starting your own family traditions?

Courtney

January 3, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle Travel Twins

NYC Last Minute Trip! Pros & Cons With Kids

by Courtney El-Ghoul December 15, 2019

Who says you can’t be spontaneous and book a last-minute trip when you’ve got kiddos?? Haha. Well, as you may have seen on Instagram – that is exactly what we did with our NYC trip last week. It’s such a good thing I am married to Khalil because I likely wouldn’t have agreed to the idea if it wasn’t for his persuasion. Master negotiator; that he is. 🙂 Don’t get me wrong… I am all about spontaneity IF it’s just the two of us. When it comes to doing things with the kids, I get more anxious and worried about what could go wrong… rather than just going with the flow. So, hesitantly, I agreed to book this trip, and I am so glad I did! We for sure had some bumps along the way, but the good outweighed the bad… tenfold. Since it’s fresh in my mind, I thought I would share some pros/cons for executing a last-minute adventure as a family.

Planning Our Last Minute NYC Trip

It was Thanksgiving weekend, so the first thing we did was get all the tickets for things we wanted to do, in advance. This part is KEY. Especially on a holiday weekend, you don’t want to stand in MORE lines than you need to and/or get the kids excited to do something only to find it sold out. This way you know you have them, and you can be in the moment for even more spontaneous adventure.

*NOTE: This could be a con, if you have to cancel.. they are likely to be non-refundable.

Using this method we got tickets to see the Rockettes, which we all loved! We did a beautiful carriage ride through Central Park, I think this was the girls’ favorite thing.

Things Happen – The Memories are What Counts!

Our main bump in the road was Nahla getting sick! Ugh, poor thing, she was a trooper and the only thing we missed out on, was the ice skating.

We have been very fortunate that the girls haven’t gotten sick on past trips. But, Go figure, not this time. If I am being totally honest – I freaked out. Nahla’s fever spiked pretty high, and it was on the train ride there… So, I called the hotel, and they said they had an urgent care doctor that they could send to our room when we arrived. It was, obviously, more expensive than we would have liked… but her fever was too high to not see a doctor. Finding urgent care and getting in to see someone would’ve taken the whole day and honestly would’ve still been pretty pricey. In the end, she just ended up having a virus, but I felt so much better knowing it wasn’t anything serious and that she didn’t require antibiotics. With some rest and fever reducer, she was able to enjoy at least one NYC adventure day of our trip. Truthfully, I was really worried – but if you think about it, most kids just LOVE hotel life. It’s adventure enough for them for a day. So, it wasn’t so bad for her, relaxing in the hotel room and getting room service and cuddling up in bed with me. The main take-away is, even with a major con, we still made so many wonderful memories… and the adults got to feel spontaneous 🙂

I have mentioned to you guys before that NYC is a special place for Khalil and I, so I was nervous about how the experience would be with the twins in tow. Truth is, yes it was different, but also so much fun and we got exceptional family time in. Khalil and I were still able to enjoy a cocktail at the bar, we lucked out with dinner reservations at IE, the Tommy Bahama restaurant was a gem with the kiddos, and we even hit a couple of stores for some shopping. The smiles on the girls’ faces, all over FAO Scwarz and candy stores were priceless! (WARNING- it will be the most expensive stuffed animal you have ever seen HAHA ) Just seeing NYC through their eyes was so cool. Even with the sickness, and the long train ride, they still asked us when we got home if New York could be a tradition we do every year. I mean, how cute is that!?!

What about you guys? How do you feel about last-minute trips now that you’ve got little ones?

Courtney

December 15, 2019 0 comment

Lifestyle Travel

10 Year Anniversary Trip

by Courtney El-Ghoul December 9, 2019

Okay, so I have been dropping hints about our 10th anniversary trip in my last few blog posts and Instagram posts, and now that we are in the final planning stages… I can finally share with you guys what we are doing 🙂

Our official wedding anniversary is February 20th, so we knew that we wanted to escape the dead of winter here in DC. Initially, we were all over the place with what to do – because there are so many cool European destinations… but it would still be cold. We even considered postponing our celebration until the spring so that we could have warmer options. Honestly, though, I just felt like – I want to celebrate my anniversary when it is happening! It wouldn’t have felt the same for me to wait until spring.

Deciding Where To Go!

One of our friends had told Khalil about a catamaran trip he had been on and said it was AMAZING. First off, you, like me… are probably like… catamaran, huh??? haha. I had never heard of such a thing before. But then I started my research 🙂 It’s more or less a small yacht, and you can book a private charter for vacations. Our friend that recommended it had gone with two other couples and had a blast. We have done the whole traveling with friends thing, and don’t get me wrong, I love our friends, but this is something we both wanted just for us. It’s our 10th anniversary and we still love spending time just the two of us, so we thought we should keep it simple on that front. No kids, no family/friends, just the two of us! I mean putting up with each other for 10 years is a big deal right??:) We deserve it!

Researching The Trip

Anyway, so the research began… I have to give Khalil tons of props on this front. He is super obsessive about this type of thing – Like in a really good way. He won’t stop until he feels like he has found the perfect one and he always does. It’s part of why we make such a good team 🙂 I don’t have the patience or energy to spend countless hours searching all types of catamaran charters, just not my cup of tea. After what felt like days of him scouring the internet, comparing prices, boats, islands visited, emails back and forth with boat owners. I mean, the amount of info that goes into it is so intense – which makes sense since it’s such a big commitment. You can reserve a boat, but of course, a hefty deposit is required, so we wanted to make sure we were picking the right one. On top of the boat/trip organization, we also had to figure out getting the girls squared away with a sitter for the week. That’s right, six nights, no kiddos!!!! Woohooo – I am sure you can imagine my excitement. I love my girls, but every parent could use some alone time. Luckily my mom has been kind enough to make it work, so the girls will be in good hands with their grandma for the week.

Details About Our Catamaran Trip

Okay, so let’s get to it! The boat we decided to go with we found through wlmscharters.com. They were great to work with and gave us several options of different catamarans that were available. We went with a 40-foot boat that can sleep up to 4 people. It is perfect for what we wanted. Just Khalil and I, the captain, and the chef:) This is the actual boat to give you a reference http://www.cyabrochure.com/eb/2282/ppopX/5781/1 . We will fly to St. Thomas where we will get on the boat, and then really get the party started:) We are going to be sailing through the British Virgin Islands. The charter company sent us some sample itinerary options, but ultimately we can do whatever we want. More research! We have three books from Amazon right now with maps of the Islands and my google search is insane. So we haven’t narrowed down exactly what islands we want to stop at yet, but the plan is a lot of snorkeling, swimming, dinners with views, Oh and they asked us to send them a preference sheet about 6 weeks prior to our departure date with these types of details, special requests, food, etc..

If you couldn’t tell already I am beyond excited! I have to up my bathing suit game since that’s pretty much all I will be living in for the week. (if you were wondering why I have been bathing suit shopping-obsessed lately) So – until we head off for departure – I will be watching Bravo’s Below Deck on repeat, haha. I will, of course, share the full review with you guys when we get back.

Has anyone else done anything like this?

Courtney

December 9, 2019 0 comment

Lifestyle Travel

Carry on Packing Tips- From a Pro!

by Courtney El-Ghoul November 29, 2019

If you couldn’t tell already I am pretty excited about our 10th-anniversary trip. Once everything is officially sorted I will share with you guys our trip details … it should be pretty soon 🙂 hint-hint … think Bravo’s Below Deck, on a much smaller scale, of course! I have been working through the details and planning for this on the daily, I am equal parts excited and exhausted, ha. The number of bathing suits I have purchased to try on is OUTRAGEOUS – (See Monday’s blog post for more info on shopping for swimwear in the winter.) Now that most of the big stuff is ironed out I am starting to think about what I am going to pack since I am limited to ONE carry on! Although this upcoming trip is requiring me to pack light, I have gotten pretty used to doing it with just a carry on since having the girls, anyway. Before having kids if Khalil and I were going on a trip I would pack enough clothes, toiletries, and random junk for like a month! I am not kidding, looking back I am like um… what the heck was I thinking??? Now, when we have the luxury of taking a trip solo for a couple of days optimizing the time is everything to me! I want to make the most of every minute, and that includes not waiting around in the airport for my checked bag to arrive. Not to mention it’s just so much easier on the actual trip to not have to deal with lugging around packing/unpacking a bunch of clothes and crap I probably won’t even use. Oh, and if I pack light enough, I can always use this to excuse away a little extra shopping while we are there. After all, I do have all this free space 😉 Haha – shopping addict over here!

Ok, here it goes – my best tips for just packing a carry on for a trip.

Tips for Packing a Carry-On Only For a Trip

Okay, there are some common ones you may have heard or already do… such as… rolling your clothes, packing cubes, and putting things inside of larger items. These are all great and super helpful but I have a few more tips that can help you pack lighter in general.

Planning outfits in advance– It may seem like a pain, but trust me, it makes things so much easier. I start laying out and trying on pieces way in advance. It makes it fun and it doesn’t feel forced or stressful. If I don’t like something – I have time to change it, or maybe I just need to pair it with something else. When it’s time to go, I am not second-guessing what I am bringing or overpacking.
Less is more– No really! You don’t need five pairs of jeans or ten hats. Sometimes I can go with one pair for a long weekend trip. I make sure it’s that perfect fit, a pair you can dress up or down. I can just change my looks for the weekend. Be realistic. You will be in a bikini half the time anyway. 🙂
Getting a fresh blowout before you leave will work wonders for saving you time and space on your trip. This is one of my best secrets. If I do this I only need my curling iron, a travel-size serum, dry shampoo, and hair spray. Done. If you must wash your hair during the trip, pretty much all hotels will have a blow dryer, and you can go with the travel size for your shampoos/conditioners. (Blow out bars are always great in a pinch as well)
I also share this less-is-more motto with my makeup and skincare products. I just make sure they are all the correct sizing approved to carry on the plane and keep my makeup to a minimum. I am not bringing ten blushes and five eye palettes. This travel case is from amazon, and is awesome! I use it for every trip, You can even add your jewelry, it fits perfectly in my carry-on.
I have been down the road of bringing way too many pairs of shoes, and nine times out of ten I wear the same two pairs. Do yourself a favor and choose one day pair and one evening pair. It’s easier to choose these first – so you can work around them as you are pre-planning your outfits. You can always slide a pair of flats or flip flops if you MUST add an extra pair.
I have this same logic with my purses. If it’s a beach trip I will make sure I have a tote for the beach/pool and I will pack a small designer bag for the evenings. I always bring my NF Louis bag because I can fit so much in it, it’s like a real-life Mary Poppins bag. When I am getting on the plane, I can count it as my purse, and it will fit right under the seat.
Lastly, yes, weather can always change, this does not mean you need to pack for all four seasons. Just make sure you have one good layering piece in case it gets chilly in the evening.

I am sure I can think of more, but this is a good starting point. Give it a try – see if you can get down to a carry-on with room for shopping!

What about you guys? Do you like traveling light or do you find it super challenging?

Courtney

November 29, 2019 0 comment

Lifestyle Travel Twins

Bahamas Travel & Baha Mar Review

by Courtney El-Ghoul August 12, 2019

Let’s talk about the BAHAMAS! Okay, so Baha Mar is all the rage now, am I right? Ever since that Beverly Hills Housewives episode! I won’t lie, I am always a little nervous traveling with the twins. The Bahamas was a compromise because the flight wasn’t that long and we were in the same time zone.

Spoiler Alert: I did all that stressing out for nothing! They were so good on the flight (even with a stop) – So, now I know!

Baha Mar- Where to Stay

The 3 main hotels are all connected The Grand Hyatt, SLS, & Rosewood. They are all HUGE. We went back and forth forever trying to pick which one we wanted, we ultimately decided on the Grand Hyatt as we thought it was the most kid-friendly. If we visited again we would stay at the SLS for sure.

The Hyatt is the largest, and it’s so massive, I got turned around/lost throughout a lot of the trip. They have the “Kids Club” which we thought our girls would really love. But, at 4 years old my kids just hit the beach & the pool and were totally satisfied… so we didn’t really need this feature. If you have older children the kids club is a great option as they have a lot to offer. The atrium and the beach sanctuary are pretty cool. They have stingrays, nurse sharks, and sea turtles. I am pretty sure they have times when the kids can feed them. We just looked at them, the girls were into it for a bit- but honestly just wanted to be in the pool.

SLS & Rosewood If you are traveling without kids – hands down the SLS or Rosewood, they have a much more chill vibe. For us, if we were going to go back before the girls are much older I think we would stay at the SLS. It is much smaller and easier to navigate.

*If you have kids younger than our girls, I think you could go either way.

Baha Mar – Where to Eat

Okay, prepare yourself now, the food/drink is pricey. It’s all very good, but the prices were a little unexpected, so I wanted to give you all a little heads-up on that. The first day I got a bottle of Evian, and I am not kidding, it was eight bucks! My advice is to hit the grocery store as soon as you get checked in and settled. If you ask, they will bring a mini-fridge and a microwave for your room. We did this, and it was a game-changer for breakfast/lunch. We would eat a light breakfast in the room, pack sandwiches and some snacks for the twins, and then hit the beach/pool early so we could snag some good chairs! TRUST ME, the early risers are on the beach or by the pool at the crack of dawn so you’ve gotta get there early.

Breakfast & Lunch- The Buffets are fine quality-wise, but they are just ridiculously expensive. We did them both… but we didn’t feel like we needed to do it every day after the first one. We aren’t a big-breakfast /lunch type of family so we didn’t need all the pancakes and waffles and super heavy stuff that might be worth the cost to others. They do have a Starbucks – but, because it’s the only reasonably priced option the line is INSANE in the mornings. We prefer to do a light breakfast, a few snacks, and light healthy lunches – so buffets don’t often make sense for us. They do have multiple food trucks by the beach/pool that are good lunch spots as well. Save yourself the morning headache and go to the grocery store. It is like a 5-10 minute cab ride from the hotel and it saved us hours of waiting in lines and we always got good pool/beach seats – SO WORTH IT! (If you plan on enjoying cocktails I would also advise hitting up the Liquor store when you do that grocery run. The drinks are around $15 each)

Dinner – You need reservations! I would recommend calling about a week before and make your reservations. Particularly for the popular ones like Katsuya and Cleo (this was my favorite!) The Swimming Pig was a favorite for the twins. We truly enjoyed all of the dinners we had. The food was delicious and every restaurant created a super nice environment to have a special night.

Baha Mar -Pools & Beaches!

I am not exaggerating when I say we wasted at least a day on picking the wrong pool! They have so many – 6 total and we didn’t know which one would be best. We learned the hard way, but at least I can share with you guys where to go first.

Dean’s Blue Hole – This is the one I would say is more for the kiddos. They have a super cool grotto with a window for viewing sharks and sea turtles. They also have waterfalls! If you dare, there are rock walls to jump from (not my thing!) The only problem with this pool is that it gets super crowded and it’s hard to get and keep a good set up. (This is where packing your breakfast/lunch comes in handy)

The Drift Pool – Was our favorite! It was so chill, cabanas that feature rain showers, yummy restaurant/bar that is right by the pool, just a super nice vibe. I would recommend having your set up here, and then you can always jump around in the other pools to see the attractions.

They have some cool free options on the beach like Kayaking & Paddle Boarding. The twins had so much fun doing this! They would sit on the board while Khalil or I paddled 😉 They even have snorkeling equipment & water hammocks. If you ask they will set up chairs for you with umbrellas (make sure you get there early.) Pro-tip, if you leave where you are set up pool/beach and only a towel they have a 45-minute rule – after that someone else can take your spot. It may seem annoying, but it ended up being great because so many people just mark a sweet spot with a towel and leave for like 3 hours! We spent most of our time on the beach if you couldn’t tell! The drink & food service on the beach is pretty much non-existent, so as I said before, pack some snacks/ drinks, and the food trucks are pretty close for lunch. They take FOREVER to take your order on the beach, and if you get lucky and get someone’s attention it’s likely to be like an hour before you get your drink/food. So be prepared with a solid beach set-up complete with snacks/drinks and it will be AWESOME! It’s just so beautiful, the waters are calm and crystal clear, We had the most fun at the beach.

OH! If you have a mini bose dock – PACK IT! We just hung out all day playing chill music and it created such a nice vibe!

Before you leave your house:

Okay, so after a couple of trips with the twins at their current age, I think I have finally learned not to overpack clothing. They honestly lived in swimsuits most of the trip. I would change their clothes once for dinner in the evening- and that was it. My master plans to do multiple outfit changes for cute pictures is not a reality! A couple of major wins for our trip were bringing their life vests, a couple of easily packable pool toys, sand bucket, & Ipad with headphones (this not only helps with the flight but also for dinners out…) Also, a wetsuit! The sun is no joke, you can not physically apply enough sunscreen throughout the day to protect them from getting burned. I got these adorable ones from Tiny Tribe, and they wore them the whole time. Game-Changer.

Overview – I highly recommend visiting Baha Mar! It was such a fun trip, and we will for sure return. I hope this was helpful, feel free to comment if you have any other questions or something I missed that you’re curious about 🙂

August 12, 2019 0 comment

Travel Twins

Advice For Preparing For a Trip & Traveling With Twins

by Courtney El-Ghoul June 7, 2019

Planning advice:

Book your flight ASAP Really, being able to choose your seats so that you can have 2 aisle seats in the same row is crucial with twins.
Try to find a flight during their nap time, it may be more expensive… but it will be worth it to not disrupt their routine. We used https://www.kayak.com/
If your staying in a hotel, call ahead and request 2 cribs or pack and plays. They run out quickly so it’s best with twins to prepare in advance. If you are staying in an air bnb, check to see if they have them before booking.
Arrange your car service to the hotel or wherever you are staying in advance. You want to request they bring car seats. We learned the hard way that they typically won’t have them unless requested. With twins checking two car seats is a pain in the butt, so if you don’t have to take them it’s a huge plus.
If it’s affordable and your staying in a hotel, a suite with either two bedrooms or one room with a living area/ pull out couch is really nice. This way when it’s bedtime or nap time you can have your own space. Putting the crib in a walk in closet or bathroom is ideal as well. They will sleep better when it’s super dark. We also would book something that included some type of small kitchenette. It’s nice for washing bottles, and to be able to feed them in the room. Going out for all your meals with twins is not always the move. We would pack these portable strap in high chairs, and when they were older we packed the clip on high chairs. This made it so much easier to feed them, doesn’t take up much space in your luggage either.

What to pack:

Have them in comfy pajamas with a favorite toy or blanket so they can fall asleep easier. These pajamas are super soft and really cute.
Maclaren Twin Triumph Stroller is the best for traveling. Hands down the one we always grab when taking a trip. It’s super light weight, easy to collapse and pull back out. Has just enough storage, reclining seats, fits through most doorways easily (this is huge with double stroller)
Plenty of snacks – we bring snacks in these Reusable Sandwich Bags puff cereal, cheerios, something easy. I always pack their favorite treat to bribe them with if the flight is getting rough toward the end.

*Note: Airlines and TSA have different rules for liquids if they are for children. Check your airline’s website for more info.

Earplugs to offer your neighbor passengers… the gesture goes a long way even if they don’t use them.
Extra set of clothes in your carry on for any accidents… you only need one. The kids will be fine. Ju-Ju-Be, Be Right Back, Backpack Diaper Bag is perfect for organizing your inflight necessities. I always have onesies, binkies, diaper cream, wipes, socks, bottles, books, a few diapers, an extra sweater in case they get cold during the flight, and a few small toys.
Fitted sheet for the crib or pack and play, the ones they give you at the hotel are so big.
Some extras for packing- Tylenol, Ibuprofen, thermometer, teething tablets, hand sanitizer, nail clippers, infant toothbrush, toothpaste, dish soap for washing bottles, bath soap, baby lotion, applesauce pouches or other baby food pouches, sippy cup with straw, sun hats, long sleeve bathing suits (the sun is brutal in the caribbean)
Don’t forget a sound machine! Trust me it will make your vacation so much better. We use the sleep machine application on either an iphone or ipad. If you want it to be really loud you can connect to the mini bose dock.
If they are still wearing diapers, you don’t need to waste space in your luggage as you can always buy them when you get to your destination.

In-flight:

Have a cocktail. Ha. It is all going to be fine! Some ear plugs for your neighbor as a friendly gesture:)

With that said, it wasn’t that bad, we survived, and now that we have had more trips at different stages of their baby/toddlerhood I have lots of tips to share. So stay tuned and comment below if you’ve got something specific you want me to cover!

June 7, 2019 0 comment