It was windy that day enjoying snow tubing by herself stating she is already a big girl. Adi wearing Columbia snow boots similar here and Columbia snow pants similar here and Columbia snow gloves similar here look how happy this little one is… Aidan’s Jacket herepulling 2 tubes for me and Aidan, This look was shown on this blog post herealso wearing Columbia snow pants similar hereandmy sunnies c/o 2seelife similar here
What are you all doing this week? I suggest you take a trip to the mountain and do some snow tubing with your family and friends. Why did I say that? It is winter and there is snow. So take advantage of some of the good things you can do during the winter times. If you have been following me on instagram. You already know we went to White Tail Ski Resort in Pennsylvania last week before the New Year. It was so much fun I tell you in case you also missed all my instastories about it. That is why I included some of the videos we took here with our GoPro Hero 4 silver.
The last time we went to this ski resort was in 2009. I don’t know why but recently I was craving for snow. So when we had a get together with our friends during Christmas time. One of them started inviting us to go for snow tubing. And I was like, yes we would love to. So 4 of our family friends went and then we stayed in a hotel nearby and had a blast. The kids really enjoyed the tubing, the swimming in the indoor pool of the hotel. It is about the fun experience and the bonding. I would love to do skiing but I always feel that it is to dangerous specially with little ones. So go ahead and plan your next winter getaway.
All the pictures posted here are taken by our Samsung S6 and GoPro Hero 4.
Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the snow if you live in the same area I live. Thank you all for stopping by.
Are you in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area about now this Holiday season. I have come up with some of the places for you to visit. Those are the places my family and friends love to go at least mostly of them.
The reason I posted this look is that this is an outfit that is easy to wear when visiting places I will mention for you to visit this Holidays. As those are the ones mostly I have been to and some of it I would want to visit and see for myself and heard so many good reviews from my friends. It is just a comfy and cozy look and those shoes are just my favorite this season.
These are the places to visit….
Ice at the Gaylord Hotel it has been I think 4 or 5 years that we have been going there as a family. It never fails to amaze us and also we always enjoy the ice slides and looking at all the pretty sculptures. Be prepared though and wear boots, scarf, gloves, hat and heavy coat. it really is super cold inside even though they will give you another long coat.
Winter Festival of Lights at Watkins Park in Upper Marlboro. We were just there Monday and it has been our second year because we really enjoyed last year. You will just drive around the park and watch all the beautiful Christmas lights with different designs. It is $5 admission for a car.
Holiday at Six FlagsI always get their invites as a season pass holder and I heard it is really good. It is only until January 2, 2017
Christmas tree outside the White House while strolling around and touring DC.
King Street In Alexandria, Va which we always go as they have those pretty small shops and nice restaurants to eat plus all the Christmas decor the whole street and all the Christmas lights. You will really feel very festive!
Walking in Winter Wonderland to see the gorgeous Christmas lights which your family and friends and make sure to bundle up and enjoy what you will see.
So far, these are the fun places that I myself have been to and would love to go. There are I am sure a lot more fun places and if you know one. Let me know in your comments if you also live here in the DMV.
Happy Holidays, I can’t believe we are just few days away before Christmas. Have a nice weekend everyone!
Finally able to complete this travel Diary of Old Montreal, Parc Safari and Old Quebec, Canada trip 2 weeks ago.
Old Montreal
We planned this trip to celebrate Aidan’s third birthday. If you have been following me on the blog or my instagram you will notice our family loves to travel. Most of the time we do it when we are celebrating birthdays. I have been wanting to go back to Europe but It is still feasible at this time as I have to save up for that since we just went to the Philippines early this year for 3 weeks. It so happened I googled Canada and Quebec came up. By looking at the pictures it really looks like Europe and the language they speak there is french which is good. They also speak english as that is Canada’s national language.
We stayed at Residence Inn by Marriott near the airport even though we drove here from the US. It took us 12 hours drive from Maryland. The Hotel was 20 min away from Old Montreal which wasn’t bad. We enjoyed our stay there because they have free breakfast (love their food!), indoor pool, gym and office. The room has its own kitchen and it looks like a studio unit condomonium.
We went to Old Montreal Saturday morning and it was a lovely day as you can see on the pictures. There were a lot of constructions going on all around the city. But we still able to see the beauty of this old city. People are very nice and friendly. The architecture is superb, they have cobblestones where you walk just like in Europe.
Nice restaurants around old town. It was not hard to find parking and it was also not expensive.restaurants, shops and street performers are everywhere. A lot of tourist too as you may notice.
The food in this area is a bit pricey but of course, you are in a nice location and you will love the ambiance. You can do the horse ride too touring the whole city. we didn’t do it we just walk because most of the land marks are just close to each other.
Then we took the kids to the Parc Safari so they can also enjoy this trip. Strolling around the city is basically for us adults.
Parc Safari…
It was a great experience as it is kind of a zoo, theme park and a water park all in one and they have free parking. We got there late like 4pm already but they were open until 7 pm. In those 3 hours we stayed there, we started doing the safari adventure where you feed the animal you see roaming around while you are in the comfort of your own vehicle. We really enjoyed this experience so much. water buffalo’s moving around here at safari adventure feeding the animals close encounter with this cutiepetting this friendly animals
It was such a wonderful and unique experience for us. The whole family enjoyed this ride so much and Adi got scared when the camel looking animal took her box of food and ate the box. It was so cute and hilarious when she said “this is so ugly” pertaining to the situation that happened.
with the parc mascot restaurants, I must say… Canada has the best ice creams!! Everywhere we go here we try their ice cream and they are all sooo good! Adi Practicing her gymanstics such a fun family ride that we all had to do it over again
the kids got their face painted
Old Quebec
This is the best place to visit as we really enjoyed everything here. It was so relaxing, entertaining here and the view is so amazing! It was worth the travel because this is 3 hours drove from Montreal. The scenery, food, street performers and architecture is just perfect. Felt like we were in Europe again plus the people speaking french. The best place for photo op too 🙂
street performers lovely wall murals
Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac (most photographed Hotel in the world)
took a pit stop at the end of the boardwalk for the kids to play
Virginia Beach Mini Vacation: A Family-Friendly Getaway
As summer comes to an end, our beach trips are a must. We took two days off to enjoy a mini vacation at Virginia Beach with the whole family. When we travel, we always prioritize family-friendly destinations with plenty of activities for the kids. Our recent trip to Virginia Beach was no exception, much like our memorable trip to Mexico in 2014.
Virginia Beach has seen significant improvements. The boardwalk is cleaner and more inviting, making it a popular spot for families, joggers, skateboarders, and rollerbladers. There’s also a spacious bike lane for cyclists. On the other side of the street, you’ll find musicians playing live music at nearly every block, adding to the vibrant atmosphere. The variety of restaurants ensures you’ll find something delicious to eat.
We stayed at the beachfront Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, where the sound of the ocean and the sight of people enjoying themselves added to the charm. The view was lovely to wake up to and a perfect way to end the day. Despite our stay being just overnight, it was an amazing trip for the whole family. The kids loved playing in the sand, bodyboarding, swimming at both the beach and the hotel’s indoor pool, surrey biking, and enjoying the playground.
If you’re near Virginia Beach, it’s a must-visit during the summer. We had a fantastic time, and we’re looking forward to more adventures. This weekend, we’re heading to Canada for our son’s birthday, so stay tuned for updates.
Thank you all for stopping by and for your comments. Have a wonderful day!
I finally get the chance to finish this travel post from our trip last month in Orlando, Florida. Here are the highlights of our recent trip and some tips for you on where to go, to eat and to shop.
Disney World: Magic Kingdom We went there 4th of July and it was a great experience as their usual fireworks display was extra special. The fireworks was all over the Magic Kingdom (360 degrees). It was so cool!! The ticket price for 1 day pass was $134 but includes 3 fast pass, you just have to download their app and sign in there to get the fast pass. The whole experience was great it was indeed the happiest place on earth. Our relatives was with us too. This is so cool! It shows different Disney movies here at the castle like this “Up.”
Never Ending Pool days at the clubhouse
This is the round up of all my look from our trip in Orlando, Florida.
This is such a nice place because the kids really enjoyed the water even my husband and I. In here they have this cool water slide where you will see underneath the dolphins swimming beside you but you will be inside the tube slide. They also have wave pool and other cool water slides, lazy river… We also purchased the meal all day so we just have to pay one time. It is buffet style and the food is okay.
4. Disney Springs formerly known as Downtown Disney
This we just strolled as they have a lot of restaurants, shops, entertainment for all ages.
5. Universal Studio City Walk
This is kinda similar to Disney Springs as they have a lot of restaurants, shops and entertainment but this one is way smaller than Disney Springs.
6. Crayola Factory
Family friendly place and a lot of arts and crafts for all of you. The entrance fee is $22 but got there an hour before closing so it was half the price. I suggest go there early so you can go to all their stations for arts and crafts.
We really enjoyed our stay here in Orlando. Some places we did not get to take a lot of pictures as we were really enjoying it. We also went to Artegon Marketplace, they have unique stores from artisans and they have cute wall arts. We thought of visiting the beach to get to see some white sands but did not get a chance. Our 7 days stay was not enough, it should be at least 2 weeks 🙂 We stayed at our aunts rest house, but there are a lot of hotels within the area.
Until the next adventure: Upcoming trios for us this month are Virginia Beach and Quebec, Canada. Follow along our family travel.
I hope you find this post helpful when travelling to Orlando, Florida.
Thank you all for your comments and for visiting my blog. Have a wonderful weekend!]
Good morning and Happy Friday lovelies! Today, I will be sharing with you this Boho Vibes at Great Falls Park adventure we had on Father’s day. It was so nice to have seen this place as this reminded me of the beauty of Niagara Falls. Good to find out about this park as we live here in Maryland for 8 years now. We did not know that we have this amazing view of this place which is literally only 30 miles away from where we live.
THINGS TO DO AT THE PARK:
Picnic
Biking
Kayaking
Camping
Sight Seeing
If you happen to visit DC, MD, VA area and you are a lover of nature, please do visit Great Falls Park.
As for the outfits we have here. I started shopping for our upcoming trip from Old Navy and Tjmaxx. When I was putting the outfits together I noticed that I can create a boho look putting the items together. It was so sunny and hot that day so we all opted to wear t-shirts and shorts. Take note, I had to change my shoes when we went going down the cliff to get to the river trail as it was the appropriate shoes for that. We all wanna look cute, but if you plan to hike make sure you are wearing the right shoes.
I hope I was able to give you all some inspiration for a boho look and another place for you to visit when you get a chance.
Thank you all for stopping by and for all your comments. Have a wonderful weekend!
Happy Saturday lovelies! Today I’m Sharing some tips on how to get around the City of Chicago (our Chicago Diary – City Guide) if you only have a day or two.
Oh the city of Chicago, so beautiful but so little time. As you all know, we went to Chicago 2 weeks ago for my husband’s mini birthday getaway. We love to travel so much so we decided that every year we should go to a place we have never been to before. Chicago came up on our list to see. We have been fascinated by “the bean” or Cloud Gate” at that Millenium park and their beautiful skyscrapers like what we see in the movies.
We were not disappointed with what we saw, but with so little time that we have to explore the whole city. We arrived at our hotel at Elmhurst, Illinois about 19 miles away from the city at 4pm. We still got time to explore the city that night. We just stretched and set our stuff in and we headed right away to the City.
Chicago Diary – City Guide
WHERE TO GO:
The Tilt Experience360 Chicago Observation Tower
360 CHICAGO (formerly known as JOHN HANCOCK CENTER)
If you are not afraid of heights you should try the tilt, you will step next to the glass wall/window and it will tilt at a certain angle.
They also have bar/lounge at the same floor (95th) where you can just chill and enjoy the gorgeous view of the city at night while sipping some margarita.
Skydeck Willis Tower
WILLIS TOWER (formerly called SEARS TOWER)
They have this sky deck on 105th floor where you get to view the while city of Chicago and Lake Michigan. The sky deck has transparent floors where you can take your photos while seeing what is underneath you. This is listed as one of the tallest buildings in the world.
wearing my favorite booties againour own reflection from the bean
MILLENIUM PARK
This felt like a mini Central Park to me. The park is so clean and has pretty cool architecture surrounding it. Just like the famous Cloud Gate or most commonly referred to as “the bean” by the locals and the Crown Fountain.
NAVY PIER
They have shows, River cruise, Ferris Wheel and you can stroll here just to view the beautiful Lake Michigan and take pictures.
cute restroom
LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTER
If you have kids with you like us, they will definitely enjoy this as it is like a mini theme park and at the same time like an activity center for the whole family center.
UNITED CENTER
If you’re a fan of Micahel Jordan, then go visit and take a picture with his statue outside the center just like my husband did.
the 2 latter places where in the outskirts of the city of Chicago, see them last once you’ve seen the rest of the city.
SHEDD AQUARIUM, CHICAGO INSTITUTE OF ART, ADLER PLANETARIUM.
WHERE TO STAY:
MARRIOTT HOTELS (we stayed at the Springhill Suites by Marriott)
view of the City from our Hotel room.
There are a lot of hotels within the city. Just make sure it is in the center of all the attractions so you can just do a hop on hop off bus tour or take a cab or use uber. Parking is very expensive, just like in most cities. You can also try the bike and you don’t have kids with you.
We stayed outside the city because we drove and we have the car with us. We just parked it close to the places we wanted to see. To save from paying too much with parking, we just rode a cab to the next destination.
WHERE TO EAT: I only recommend these places where we have eaten.
Got lucky, its not even St
GINO’S EAST DEEP DISH PIZZA
They are always full because their pizza is really good, so call them ahead of time to make reservations specially on the weekend. We were already in like and was told to wait 30 mins but this angel (this man coming out of the restaurant said his party did not come and gave us this priority seating ticket) got lucky! We didn’t have to wait at all.
GARRETT’S POPCORN – if you are looking for some snacks try this one it is very good.
BIG BOWL – this is an Asian restaurant and has very tasty food.
I hope my travel guide to a quick Chicago City tour will help you get around. We are hoping to be back soon to get to see all of the other places we missed. Just in case you have plenty of time. they offer Chicago city passes to see most of the attractions with discount. check out citypass.com or smartdestinations.com
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend and start of the spring break. Enjoy and have fun! Make memories!
Thank you all for stopping by and for all your comments.
Happy Saturday Lovelies! I know it is the weekend, not my usual day to post on the blog. I will resume regular posting schedule next week. Today, I will be sharing all the long driving essentials you need to take with you on your trip.
If you have been following me on Instagram. You know that we went on a quick trip to Chicago. We actually drove from Maryland to Chicago it was a total of 748 miles supposed to be 12 hours drive but it took us 13 hours including all the stops at the rest areas. Here are the list of the things you will need to survive the long drive. Thank you ANKIT for providing me some of the essentials I needed during our long drive like the HEADPHONES, MASON JAR BANK, CAR CHARGER.
1.) WATER It is a no brainer, we all need to be hydrated.
2.) GOOD PLAYLIST with GOOD HEADPHONES (this is just extra) I need because some of the songs I listened to are not kids friendly. Having good music will keep you sane especially when the road becomes just a straight line. It will make you feel sleepy, having it will keep you awake.
3.) SNACK this will also keep you awake and will save you until you come across next rest area to get some real food to eat.
4.) MAP/GPS – nowadays most cars and smart phones have this. But if you do not have these technologies, map is still the best option of them all. Make sure to look at it before hitting the road so you can plan your route.
5.) EMERGENCY KIT like first aid kit just in case and car kit like jumpers and other car tools in case you encounter car trouble. (Have your insurance Roadside assistance number handy).
6.) CASH Even though credit/debit cards are widely accepted in the US we still have some areas that will require you to pay cash. Just in case bring some with you.
7.) TOILETRIES to keep you fresh and clean when you stop at a rest area.
8.) CAR CHARGERS to keep you technology working for you like your kids ipad, your ipod, cellphones etc.
9.) PODCAST AND BOOK if you are not driving and just a passenger this will give you company too, and if you are the one driving podcast is really helpful keeping you company.
All of this we take every time we do go for a long drive. Another one, if you know you will be going to pay tolls. If you buy their RFID kit (like EZ PASS) ahead that will save you time lining up and will also give you discounts.
I hope you find this post helpful and do share it to those people you think will benefit from it.
Thank you so much for stopping by and enjoy your weekend!
Where to go in Dc, MD, VA or the DMV, as what we call it around here?
National harbor (Maryland)
A very nice place to visit when in the DMV as they have a lot to offer. Everything in just one place! They have best hotels, restaurant, shopping places and other fun activities for everybody. You don’t need to drive far! I am just so lucky to be living just a few miles away from this place. If you are a fitness junkie and you do brisk walking, biking or running, this is connected to Old Town Alexandria via the Bridge! Gorgeous view of DC and the Potomac river along the way.
My Recommendations: (I only recommended the places I have tried that I like)
For Happy Hour:
McCormick and Schmick $$
Red Stone American bar and Grille $$
Dine in:
Rosa Mexicana
Nando’s Peri-Peri
Places to stay:
Gaylord hotel ($$$)
Marriott ($$)
Hampton Inn ($$)
The White House at NightLincoln MemorialJefferson MemorialUS CongressWashington Monument
Washington, DC
It is just so gorgeous to visit this City as it has all the important places here in the United States. Of course it is the US capital that is why it is so special. We always get to visit this specially when we have visitors, we tour them here. Great tourist destination, specially this coming Spring for the CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL.
Visit all the monuments (District of Columbia)
Lincoln Memorial
White House
House of Congress
Jefferson Memorial
Washington Monument
I suggest use the hop on hop off bus to get to all these stations if you don’t wanna walk. They are all strategically placed and very easy to navigate. Another way to get around the city is use the train system, but not during the rush hour or use Uber to get around.
Places to eat:
Food trucks!! Need I say more? Inexpensive, fast and mostly good food on every corner of those tourist Spots plus the souvenir stores.
Restaurants:
Coco Sala – The Best! $$
Capital Grille $$
Oya $$
Zaytinia $$
Tosca $$$
Masa 14 $$
George Washington Masonic National Memorialstrolling in the winter.. #throwback
Old Town Alexandria (Virginia)
Another lovely place to visit and stroll around is this place specially at King street as they have a lot of boutiques, shops, restaurants and …. It feels like You’re in Europe when you walk around that area. They also have a tram where you can ride and really feel like a tourist. It is very easy to get around this area, everything is wlaking distance.
Restaurants:
Zento Sushi ( Japanese) and Pines of Florence (Italian) is our go to restaurant, the best!!
I hope this was a very helpful post to all of you if you will visit this winter. These area are close to the river so letting you know it will be cold so dress appropriately and wear comfy shoes.
Here is an outfit idea for you when you visit in the winter.
This is my personal preference for an outfit to wear strolling DMV, and this winter is you have been following this blog I have worn a lot of black and red. It has been my favorite Winter color combo. It just looks so elegant and for me wering black in the winter makes me feel warm. I chose to wear scarf and Wool coat as weather and temperature are unpredictable, it is better to be overdressed than under dressed. Do you agree?
Do visit our area as there are a lot of nice area and things to do for everybody.
If you find this post helpful, I will appreciate it so much if you will share it to give ideas to other people who might be interested in this topic.
Thank you so much for stopping by and for all your comments.
Simply,
Christianne
Photos: Novel (my better half)
If you plan on visiting DC, check out Eventbrite for cool events to do while you’re there!
It was a super cold Valentine weekend.Adi having fun with the soft beds.The cold outside didn’t stop us from swimming.Playing dominoes..Adi in her Vday PJ’s and Aidan still in his Christmas PJ’sAs you all noticed, I was the camera woman here. Hubby had a day off.
Happy Thursday! I hope all is doing well today. I just want to share how we celebrated our valentines day as a family. We did “staycation” and OMG! it was fun and relaxing. Specially with the brutal cold weather we had here over that Valentine weekend. It was really a good idea to just stay inside. But we wanted to breath a different air so we stayed in a hotel near were we live.
Benefits:
1.) It’s Relaxing! It says it all 🙂 as you can get away from household chores,
2.) Less travel time, less stress
3.) Cheaper than a vacation
4.) you get to explore the things to do in your area like (bike trails, museums etc.)
TIPS to really enjoy your stay:
1. book a hotel that has free breakfast – it saves time and money.
2. If you’re a fitness junkie – book the one that has a fitness center
3. Hotel that has a swimming pool is a good idea, it is like an outing (really a getaway) in our area since it is always cold during the winter. We always book a place with indoor pool so the kids and the whole family can enjoy taking a dip.
4. Take some board games with you. What took the dominoes with us and Adi really enjoyed it.
5. You can get coupon book from the rest areas for hotels around your area and get good discounts.
6. If you are staying at home, try activities within your area.
I hope those tips and ideas help you in your upcoming staycation. It is very easy to plan. And in case if you are wondering where I got my Winter coat, It is no longer available as it is old but I linked here similar styles.
I wish you all a wonderful day and Thank you for stopping by and for all your comments!
It was windy that day
enjoying snow tubing by herself stating she is already a big girl. Adi wearing Columbia snow boots similar here and Columbia snow pants similar here and Columbia snow gloves similar here
look how happy this little one is… Aidan’s Jacket here
pulling 2 tubes for me and Aidan, This look was shown on this blog post here also wearing Columbia snow pants similar here and my sunnies c/o 2seelife similar here
