it's my girls' world

Hello friends! Oh how I've missed you guys and this space of mine. Time to recap part 1 of our vacation in Greece!

Let me preface this by saying, when we decided on Greece, D (who had been to Greece before) thought we should totally skip Athens and focus us on the other islands instead. I really wanted to see the Acropolis and experience the Grecian capital. So off we went and we were both so thrilled that we did. Athens has changed since the 2004 Olympics and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience, so rich in history and heritage! Busy and fun with so much to see and do. 

At JFK before boarding. 

The side roads and houses we stumbled across were some of my favourite moments.

Bougainvillea is abundant in Greece

The Propylaea

 

Good Morning from Greece, lovelies! Here's a little bit of some currently for ya' while I eat my weight in grilled calamari ;-). If you're missing me, you can follow along on Instagram 

Celebrating: the little blessings of being able to go on this once in a lifetime trip with my once in a lifetime boy and having my kids spend time with my parents. I have such fond memories of spending time with my grandparents growing up!

Visiting: you guessed it-- Greece! By the time this post goes live, we will be en route from Athens to Naxos!

Baking: I have not been baking a whole lot but these paleo/keto brownies are definitely a favourite

via

Wearing: Some lovely summer dresses.... 'tis the season friends!

Loving: these apple how to photography tutorials

Happy 4th of July, my American friends! Have a festive celebration!

Linking up with Anne In Residence

I had so much fun doing this link up this month, it just put me in the vacay mood....

1- Well, funny you should mention that.... as we speak, we are en route to beautiful Greece....then a little NYC when we come back!

2- Does it have to be one or the other... I like to see the sights and sounds but save a little bit for relaxation as well... also with my kids around, we try to go the relaxing route.

3- Before kids, it was May but now with school, I usually like to vacation in August right in the middle around our anniversary.

4- I used to be a no but then we tried Disney Cruises and we were hooked.

5- We love our family dinners together on vacation!

6- With kids, it would have to be Beaches Turks and Caicos, without, Italy for sure.

7- Have we met?! Pack it all! No re-wearing lots of stuff for me!

8- Hotel but a suite if we are really getting fancy! Otherwise, it will be all that cooking and cleaning, just not at home. As the kids get older, it will transition to a condo or a house more. 

9- I loved grilledseafood and local fare!

10- Warm 100%-- I detest the cold! 

Linking up with the lovelies at the blended blog--- Happy summer, friends!!

Yay for Friday and for school ending!!! My little one has one more day but guess who finished the third grade yesterday!? She's grown soo much in a year, huh?

Today, we say goodbye to our montessori also. I cried at the last parent teacher interview at the school. I'll be a total hot mess this afternoon. 

Since we are going on a little long road trip with our kiddos, I thought we'd talk road trip tips and tricks. I share mine and then you give me your best ones in return!

A's first road trip-- she was 10 months!

1- Last year, on the advice of a friend, we left really early for a road trip with the kids... I mean I'm talking 4:30 sort of early. I went to bed before everyone and we always pack our car the night before.  We scooped the kids out of bed with their pjs on and packed them into the car. They were able to sleep a couple hours and we were able to get a good head start and the entire day wasn't wasted driving. I usually change them when we stop for gas.

2- We usually pack breakfast and have it in the car. Just that much more healthy and then I get to use some of my stuff from the fridge :-)... oh and cheaper. Another friend also told me this tip of packing a picnic lunch too and stopping off somewhere... that way the kids can stretch their legs for a bit instead of just stopping at a rest stop. Last year, we were able to stop in the little town of saratoga and enjoy a walk and some time in a park.

3- Have enough snacks and drinks but let them not drink too much! Also, I try to give them treats but watch the sugar. No one needs to see my five year old sugar crash. 

4- Screen time is your friend but my kids have to take some breaks. I download a couple movies on Netflix. We also have this portable DVD player which comes in handy.

5- Then they can play games and do some reading. Road trip bingo is a fun one. This year, I also plan to do times tables with them. I'm the world's most fun mom, I know!

6- This is obvious but I keep a garbage bag in the car so we can toss all the trash. I empty it in rest stops when I can so that clean up after isn't too bad. 

7- For the adults, I borrow a few audio books from the library and download some podcasts. That keeps us entertained!

8- We use this time to chat with our kids as well. We talk about the trip and try to create excitement but also set expectations! 

I used to dread road trips when the kids were younger. Now that they are growing up, they've become fun family adventures that I will cherish for the rest of our lives.

What are your favourite tips/tricks for road trips?

Linking up with