Staycations

A few weeks ago we decided to take a mini trip locally. For years I have lived bicoastal between New York and California. As I spend more time on the west coast, I am rediscovering some fun areas. We decided to have a mini vacation by the beach. That is what California is known for, it’s beautiful blue beaches and a lot of sun. Maybe too much lately….ha!

We stayed at Kimpton Shorebreak at Huntington Beach. I learned about it while searching online for kid friendly hotels. Let me tell you this exceeded our expectations. This hotel is not only family friendly, it is also dog friendly! It is a resort style hotel just an hour away from L.A. Upon our arrival, we are greeted with valet parking (although I chose to park myself) and smiling guest service employees. We were given a free bottle of white wine and shown around the premises. We were allowed to checked in a few hours earlier at no extra charge!

Our room was clean, well air conditioned, and we had a partial view of the ocean on the balcony. It was truly incredible! Their bed is comfortable and spacious for a couple or a family of three. Our favorite part is that each room has a record player! How awesome is that! We had a Beetles record that we loved! If wanted more choices we can go down to the lobby and browse the plethora of record choices in their collection.

They have a lot to offer visitors. If you want to spend the day at the beach, they offer scooters, bikes, surf boards, and beach toys for the kids. When lounging at the hotel, they offer refreshments, ping-pong and a life sized chess game. At night, get ready for fire pits and s’mores activities. It’s really a place for all young and old. There is enough quiet areas, if you want to curl up and read a book by the fire or join in the activities. They also offer a gym and a rock climbing wall. Their restaurant has a wonderful open breeze feeling and you can order some delicious choices such as their signature burgers.

Upon waking up in the morning, grab your yoga mat and enjoy some yoga at 9am in the outside garden area! They offer coffee and tea as well.

We had an amazing time and did not want our trip to end. If you are interested in staying close to the beach, you should check them out.

https://www.guestreservations.com/kimpton-shorebreak/booking?gclid=CjwKCAjwgaeYBhBAEiwAvMgp2msTfZhXBDZZ8pJnTeUSDGWa7bhSUlPRW1nYWCzNbqHwYK9DGCHHBRoC7J4QAvD_BwE

XOXOXO

Leticia

Advertisement

Back to School Goodies!!

Happy Summer Families! It’s been a while. We are well into our summer camps and family activities. As summer is coming to an end, we are getting ready for our back to school over haul. We need supplies, clothes, backpacks and lunch bags. Here are my top choices.

Backpack- I chose Hershel this year. My family and I love the cushy straps and durable feel of the backpacks. They are easy to zip and they have various kid sizes. The problem I have with major stores is a one size fits all backpack. A Kindergarten students needs a smaller size than a 2nd grader and 5th grader needs a larger size than a 2nd grade. Hershel offers various sizes. I love the choices. Some of their backpacks are on sale with free shipping so take advantage.

https://herschel.com/shop/backpacks/heritage-backpack-kids?v=10313-02462-OS

Lunchbox

Planet Box is an eco-friendly lunch box supplier. They have a 30% discount sale so take advantage. I love the compartments for each sized lunch box. They also have different choices for kids of various ages. So choose what is best for your child. Some boxes also come with containers and you can purchase a lunch bag with it. It has a lot of pockets including for an icepack and water bottle pocket!

https://www.planetbox.com/

Clothes!!

Raise your hand if you child is growing so fast you can barely keep up!! I like to shop at various places for kid’s clothes. Target’s Cat and Jack brand is great for basics!! They have tag less clothes which kids love! Keep your receipts because if your child grows out of them within a year you can return them for a full cash return.

Read more: Back to School Goodies!!

https://www.target.com/b/cat-jack/-/N-qqqgm?lnk=snav_rd_cat_and_jack

For some long term staples such as jeans, sweaters, special event school outfits consider Janie and Jack. I just bought some long term staples for my son. They have a major sale going on, up to 60% off.

https://www.janieandjack.com/home?lang=en_US

School Supplies!

All the stores are competing so check prices at Target, Walmart, and Amazon. I personally love Amazon because I can order in bulk and it can be delivered to my son’s school. 🙂 Whatever makes it easy for this career mom!

I hope this helps!

XOXOXO

Leticia

L.A. Museums with Kids: Highlighting The California Science Center

We recently visited the California Science Museum in Los Angeles. I have to admit that I haven’t visited this place in years, so it was like going for the first time. I was very impressed with the space and exhibits. We didn’t do the special exhibits because we wanted to learn our way around the museum.

It turned out to be a fun experience as my son and husband went on a virtual ride and followed a photo time line of the Space Shuttle Endeavour making its way through Los Angeles. We also visited several of the permanent exhibits such as the Ecosystem exhibit and the Air and Space exhibit. We sat and listened to a presentation given by a scuba diver in one of the fish/shark tanks. My son was able to ask questions and interact with the presenter.

Our favorite part is definitely seeing the Space Shuttle Endeavour up close. It’s fascinating how much work went into making this shuttle and viewing different parts of the shuttle up close.

If you haven’t visited The California Science Center, I highly recommend you take your children. It provides a great learning experience as many of the exhibits have hands on learning activities. Please be aware there are strict COVID protocols in place. Adults have to show vaccination cards at the entrance and wear masks at all times unless we are eating.

Happy New Year!!

XOXO

Leticia

Covid Chronicles. . .Yes Day!

I’m always trying to change it up and do fun things as family. We were watching TV and learned about the movie “Yes Day.” If you haven’t watched it, it’s a must see! It’s silly and over the top. The most important message is let your kids have a voice, don’t forget to be silly and have fun with them.

As we are watching the movie, my son and I look at one another and start laughing. He excitedly asks me if he can do it. I wonder oh gosh what crazy things are my husband and I going to have to do? He creates a list of activities: card games, running around the backyard, visiting the playground, and having play dough fun. We laughed so much together. It turned out to be a wonderful day that included running around and laughing. We ended our day with pizza at the beach.

This year of COVID has taken a toll on my son. He’s had frequent nightmares, cries a lot and asks for a lot of hugs. My husband and I give him as much of a normal life as we can, filled with outdoor fun and special family time. Having Yes Day isn’t just about letting a child have his/her way, it’s about providing new experiences and making memories. I hope that he will one day look back and remember all the fun things we did as a family.

Keeping Kids Motivated While Remote Learning

It’s summer and camps are closed! What next . . . ? Read my blog post on Multilingualkidblogs! I give great tips on how to survive the summer with your little ones. Click the link below

https://multiculturalkidblogs.com

Traveling with a baby or toddler.

Traveling with our children can feel daunting at times. There is so much to remember, especially when they are infants. I’ve learned a lot from traveling with our son. We take him everywhere with us. I’ve had people tell me, oh you need to take time for yourselves or just leave him with family. That is easier said than done and it’s just not something I feel comfortable doing. Don’t get me wrong, we have plenty of family and friends we know he will be in good hands. I think there is a time for everything and we just haven’t hit that time yet. Ha!

I used to try to travel “light” with our son. I don’t know what I was thinking. I would try to carry all of our stuff on a carry on and pack my bags to the max. I’ve learned that I should pack what I feel is important for my family and who cares if it’s too much stuff. So I makes lists of everything I need. I start with clothes and shoes, then move into toiletries, medicine, etc. When our son was an infant, I packed the breast pump a few diapers for the ride, bottles, etc. I learned about some things I don’t have to pack if I am visiting family such as a pack and play for sleeping, a stroller, and even a car seat because it just makes everything easier. I order a box of diapers and formula to arrive before us. I decided that we all need our own suitcase.So we each have a suitcase and packing cubes. Packing cubes changed my life. My son loves using them now. They are so easy to use and very helpful for organizing. My son has a set of toys he keeps while visiting family as well. I allow him to pack about 5 toys and a stuffed animal and his favorite blankie. If we are on vacation, he still takes the same amount of toys because we are so busy, he barely plays with them. I make sure that the hotel we stay in has a bed and child friendly activities for him that do not include watching television. I also specify that I need a car seat in the car picking us up. If they can’t supply it, then I bring my own car seat. I take everything I think will make my son feel comfortable for the flight and stay. If he is unhappy. then we are all miserable.

Once on the flight, he plays and reads books and he is allowed to watch a movie now that he is older. He knows he has to sleep at one point. It’s just a given and he doesn’t fight it. When he was an infant, I would walk him up and down the aisle and let him do whatever he wanted. I think I remember one bad flight where he just wasn’t happy, but overall he is a good traveler. As long as he doesn’t bother other people or make noise. I’ve seen parents try to keep their crawling infants or barely walking toddlers still and not let them out of their seat. I know it’s hard, but just let them roam, they need the movement and sensory input. I remember one time my son refused to sit or lay down on the seat. He wanted to lay on the floor. I know I am cringing! I set all his blankets on the floor and he fell asleep on top of them. It wasn’t something I would allow him to do, but it was a battle I didn’t want to fight.

As for food, I pack snacks and a meal for him. Some snacks I love are Babel cheese, crackers, organic fig bars, fruit and a veggies. I try to pick easy meals like pasta with veggies or a turkey and cheese sandwich.

Traveling with kids is a learning experience for the parents too. I say all rules are off, be flexible, and let them walk up and down the aisle. It will make things easier for you in the long run.

Here are some of my favorite things to travel with:

packing cubes

neck pillow

travel blanket

Snack Pouches

Happy Travels