travel Archives | Page 3 of 31

Our trip to San Diego

September 17, 2019

// celebrating grammy’s 80th birthday! //

At the end of August we took an end of summer trip to San Diego. For those of you that are new around here, my parents grew up in San Diego and a lot of our family is still in Southern California. We originally planned to go to San Diego to celebrate Grammy’s 80th birthday and then decided to extend the trip and rent a house on the beach for the week. All 9 (!) of us made the trip and we had one of the best weeks ever.

The week kicked off with Grammy’s 80th birthday party at our Uncle’s house – we had a catered taco bar, my dad’s famous frozen margaritas and the best time celebrating Grammy’s 80th! The rest of the week we stayed on the beach with the exception of the guys golfing Torrey Pines, and Jean and me taking the boys to the San Diego Zoo! We unplugged, relaxed, spent all day by or in the water and stayed up way. too. late!

two women at airport with two toddlers and a baby — // first flight for Ford //

t-shirt // jeans // cardigan // jeans

// the whole family celebrating grammy //

two women having a drink with ocean view — // lunch at our favorite spot – George’s //

puff sleeve sweater // jeans // sunglasses // floral top // jeans // sunglasses

mom and toddler boys looking at beach — // beach babies //

jean jackets // cardigan // shorts

toddler boy at the beach — // he buit a sand castle for each brother and a shell driveway that leads to his garage full of porsche’s 😉 //

rash guard // hat

woman in yellow top and jeans at the beach — // summer in california //

yellow top (similar) // je a ns // sandals

// cheering on the newest surfer in our family //

womana and toddler boys at the san diego zoo — // the boys first trip to the san diego zoo //

zoo outfits // midi skirt // t-shirt // sandals

toddler boys at the san diego zoo — // they loved riding the bus at the zoo and seeing all the animals //

// zoo outfits //

// the guys played torrey pines while we were at the zoo //

two women sitting on beach wall — // our favorite spot to watch the sunset //

striped sweater // jeans // pink sweater // jeans // sandals // straw bag

mom and baby at beach — // ford’s first time at the beach //

ruffle swim suit // shorts // sunglasses // gingham hat // bubble

mom with toddler boys — // love these two //

sunglasses // cardigan // boys’ polos

striped beach coverup — // sunset cocktails //

// striped cover-up //

baby in stroller — // the littlest beach baby //

gingham hat // bubble // stroller

// the moment we got there – straight to the beach! //

t-shirt // shorts // blue shirt // plaid swim trunks // native shoes

toddler boy carrying backpack of beach toys — // ready for the beach with a backpack full of toys //

blue polo // beach toys

blue p o lo // beach toys // native shoes

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

What’s in Our Carry-On Bags

May 31, 2019

white tote bag matching white pouch clear travel pouch with skincare products iphone sunglasses water bottle

Happy Summer! Along with Summer come fun trips, so we thought it would be fun to share what’s in our carry-on bags on a typical trip. We each pack a lot of the same items, but also some different things too. And, each of us is sharing a carry-on/travel tip as well. We’d love to hear some of yours, too!

What’s in Our Carry-on Bag Details:

goyard tote bag // goyard pouch // book // sunglasses // monogrammed phone case // clear pouch // hydrating lip balm // eye mask // roller // sunscreen // hydrating mask // water bottle

Stia

My carry-on tends to be slightly different if I’m traveling with the kids or by myself. When we go on a family trip, I try to keep the boys’ things in their backpacks so I know where to reach for what I need! When I’m by myself, I tend to put a little more in my carry-on bag!

As a family, we always use carry-on luggage, too. I try to put as much as I can into my Away luggage, but sometimes it overflows into my tote bag!

Book: This usually will only happen if I’m traveling sans kids, but I love to have a book to read on flights. I’m about to start reading The Perfect Couple.
Snack: I’ll bring a Kind Bar or something easy to snack on in case of delays, etc. When the boys are with me, I fill up these stasher bags with snacks for them.
Water: I will either bring a swell water bottle from home to fill while I’m away, or grab a large water bottle after security because I drink so much water on the flight.
Skincare: If I’m traveling without the babies, I’ll travel without make-up and do a mask in-flight. My skin tends to be on the dryer side, so the intense hydrating mask is a favorite. I’ll also bring my roller and hydrating lip balm.
Denim Jacket: I’m almost always cold on the plane, so I bring my denim jacket to stay warm.
Tip: When traveling with multiple bags, I tend to stick them inside my larger tote bag and then fill it up with everything else. It helps to keep the shape of the bag and doesn’t take up space in my suitcase.

Katherine

Packing my carry on is pretty easy for me. I don’t pack a ton in it, just the essentials!

Headphones: A must have in my book are headphones for in-flight movies
iPhone charger: I love the extra long cord on this charger
Makeup bag: I carry my makeup in my carry-on for easy access during the flight
Hairbrush: I love being able to brush my hair up into a pony if i feel like it
Chapstick: My lips always dry out on the plane, so I use this stick to keep them hydrated
Hand lotion: I apply this hand lotion throughout the flight
Tip: I like to fly clean faced and apply my makeup towards the end of the flight. I feel like it’s easier to keep my skin hydrated and my makeup is fresh when we arrive at our destination.

Jean

I almost always have the same items in my carry-on, which it makes it so easy for me to pack that bag! The rest of my packing is always a last minute frenzy, so it’s nice not to worry about that one.

iPhone: I always have my phone with me, but usually don’t bring a charger, because my husband always has his along
Credit Card Case: To make them easy to find, I like carrying my ID and main credit cards in a small card case
Small makeup bag: Essentials such as lipstick, lipgloss, lip balm, nail file
Medium makeup bag: Travel size skin care items from the Colleen Rothschild Discovery Kit
Larger makeup bag: Products for my makeup routine. Even though I almost always carry on my suitcase, I like to know that I have anything I need handy.
Book and magazines: My husband is always working on our flights, so I like having a book or magazines to help pass the time.
Tip: I gather the magazines that I haven’t had a chance to read and take them on the flight. It makes my bag a little heavy at the beginning, but I leave them behind after I’ve finished and I feel like I’ve accomplished something!

Shop What’s in Our Carry-on Bag Details:

goyard tote bag // goyard pouch // book // sunglasses // monogrammed phone case // clear pouch // hydrating lip balm // eye mask // roller // sunscreen // hydrating mask // water bottle

Cheers,

Stia, Jean and Katherine

Ten Reasons to Book a Trip to Four Seasons Ocean Club

May 14, 2019

woman wearing striped two piece dress at beach — // the views from the ocean club are amazing! //

striped top // striped skirt // sandals // chanel tote bag

Our family has always made a big deal about birthdays. Birthday trips started when we each turned 30 and now that all the kids are past 30, we decided to continue the tradition for the parents! With Jean’s big 6-0 birthday in April, we started to talk about a birthday trip for her. She knew she wanted to go somehwere warm and relaxing! Then we realized that Zika is still in most of the Caribbean, so we crossed that off our list. When we saw there was a Four Seasons in the Bahamas, The Ocean Club, and that there was a direct flight from Dallas and no Zika, we were sold!

We couldn’t have been more pleased with the Four Seasons The Ocean Club. It is a little slice of heaven and we can’t wait for our next trip back! Sharing ten reasons to book a trip to Four Seasons The Ocean Club below and images and outfit links from our trip!

Thank you for the memories Four Seasons Ocean Club and Happy 60th Jean!

beach view from bluff — // the prettiest blue water //

Ten Reasons to Book a Trip to Four Seasons Ocean Club

Direct flight into Nassau from Dallas: One of the biggest drivers, besides wanting to visit the Four Seasons The Ocean Club, was the fact that we can fly direct from DFW to Nassau. It makes your travel day that much easier, especially traveling with kids! We were blown away that the flight was just under 3 hours, too. Flying out of Nassau is also convenient – you clear customs right after security, so once you land in the US there is no waiting at customs!
Quick drive from airport to Four Seasons The Ocean Club: Not only is the flight to the Bahamas easy, the property is about 40 minutes from the airport, which makes it so convenient! We had a car service set-up that had car seats installed, so besides waiting for our husbands’ golf clubs, we were on our way about 15 minutes after landing.
Breathtaking views and beautiful property: When driving up to the The Ocean Club, you know it’s going to be special. It’s a beautiful drive up to the property from the main road, and the resort is tucked away at the end. Once you arrive, you check-in at the main house. It’s a cozy spot with views out to the ocean; your concierge meets you there in the library and checks you in. It’s the same place where the famous Martini Bar is located (you may recognize it from James Bond’s Casino Royale). It’s hard to describe walking out the back of the main house and just seeing the breathtaking views of the property and the beautiful color of the ocean. The grounds throughout the property are lush and full of so many tropical flowers and plants.
Butler Service: Each room includes a personal butler during your stay. Your butler will coordinate dinners, pick up clothing items to be pressed daily and coordinate housekeeping. He also brings nightly champagne and chocolate covered strawberries for the adults and milk and cookies for the kids. Your butler will unpack your luggage when you arrive and pack you up the day you leave! Another helpful perk; our butler would pick us up from different areas of the resort when the boys were too tired to walk. We took advantage of these amenities and it made our trip that much more relaxing! On our final day, when we returned from the beach and pool, our butlers had drawn up bubble baths and had rose petals strewn around in the bath and bathroom. It was such a fun surprise!
Kid Friendly: We were pleasantly surprised at how kid friendly The Ocean Club is. There are three pools, only one of which is adults only. Our favorite pool overlooked the beach, but there is a kids pool with walk in entry that’s perfect for the very little ones. There is a playground on the grounds and a kids club for kids 4 and up. We were happy to find out that kids under 5 eat free, too! When we have the boys with us on vacation, we book a sitter for at least one evening. That way we can have adult time and the boys aren’t expected to have a long sit down dinner every night. We love staying at Four Seasons properties because they have a pre-screened baby sitting concierge. Each sitter is background checked and is CPR and first-aid certified.
Spa: The Ocean Club Spa is unlike any spa we have visited. Instead of having a relaxation room that everyone shares, the spa has individual villas where your treatment is done. The villas are Balinese inspired, beautiful and so peaceful! The courtyard of each villa has an oversized tub and lounge bed. The spa uses Elemis products, which we love! Jean had a firming facial and Stia enjoyed a prenatal massage. Both were heavenly!
Beaches are beautiful: The sand is a light pink and so clean; and the water is warm and crystal clear. Plus, you are well taken care of on the beach with full service from Ocean restaurant or Dune, beach umbrellas, lounges, towels and iced bottled water! The Ocean Club has paddle boards available which made for a fun afternoon! There are also sand toys provided fortthe kids!
Dune is a must-try restaurant: Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is chef at Dune and we were not disappointed. The menu is French-Asian inspired with an emphasis on fresh seafood. We had dinner here twice and everything was just so good. We highly recommend the crispy salmon and yellowfin tuna tartare for appetizers, the local lobster tail was amazing and the steamed shrimp salad was so good as a light entree. There is also a very creative cocktail selection and well-curated wine list. We had such a fun birthday dinner here for Jean!
Infinity edge pool that overlooks the ocean: If we weren’t at the beach, we were at this pool! It has the best views and is such a great pool for little swimmers, too. We spent every afternoon here; swimming and eating lunch! The food is amazing and you really can’t beat the views.
The Ocean Club Golf Course: Our husbands typically play golf at least once on vacation and they loved playing the Ocean Club Golf Course. They said it was a beautiful, hard course and they loved it! The Ocean Club has a house car that will take you to and from the golf course.