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vacation

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

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

Fashion Lifestyle

Sunglasses Chain Trend

by Courtney El-Ghoul August 10, 2019

Okay, so who else is into the sunglasses chain trend?

I will admit that I was a little hesitant at first, but I gotta say I am loving mine!

About a year ago our family took a trip to Miami for a beach vacation, our favorite kind. In getting ready for the trip – I was of course… Shopping. I saw this ad for a super cute gold sunglasses chain and thought… ”well that’s cute, but there is no way it makes sense for me to add another accessory that will surely get lost or broken while trying to keep two little girls entertained and safe at the beach.” So, being logical… I bought it anyway. IT WAS SO CUTE. It wasn’t super expensive and I emotionally prepared for it to not making it home from that first trip.

Boy was I wrong! This thing was a game changer. The girls were at that super fun age where they were loving running around and being chased, picked up and swung around… absolutely adorable and a perfect opportunity to lose my sunglasses that were NOT inexpensive. There were more times than I can count where I’d feel the sunglasses go flying and the *poof* saved by the sunglass chain. Absolute game-changer, I’ve never enjoyed having my first thought be wrong more in my life.

As a mom, they are sooo practical. On our most recent trip I didn’t put a chain on my sunglasses for the first day. I can’t tell you how many times the girls knocked my sunglasses off my head, or I would bend down to pick them up, and they fall on the ground! Day two I didn’t make that mistake, I put my Chloés on a chain and it was a life-saver! I will for sure be investing in a couple more. I love that there are so many different styles so you can switch up your look.

Here are a few I’ve been eyeing at different price ranges.

Sunglass Chain Options

–Icon Sunglasses Chain | Urban Outfitters

–PEARL SUNGLASS CHAIN – Lele Sadoughi

–Eyewear Chains – Tuleste

–Glasses chain | Etsy

–https://shopdonni.com/products/sunglasses-chain

August 10, 2019 0 comment