New York

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Every year, when January comes to a close, two realities set in.  The first is that baseball season has begun which means that for 5 months, we will be moving at 1,000 miles an hour, spending the majority of our time on a baseball field.  The second is that summer is only a few months away and it is time to start chatting about where we would like to go on vacation.

Vacation to some means just taking a break from life.  Hawaii and Mexico are standard destinations for many and are both amazing places to rest and regroup.  To me though, vacation is not just about taking a break from life but also about seeing the world and sharing it with my kids.

I absolutely love traveling with my kids.  To see their faces experience something they have never seen before is amazing.  Just like their parents, they have developed a love for big cities and we have a blast exploring new places together.  So far, their favorite vacations have been Chicago and Washington D.C., both ranked higher than Hawaii, which too many might seem crazy.  For them, not shocking.  And so, when asked where they would like to go this summer for vacation, the answer did not surprise us at all.

New York.

And so, New York we will go.

I can't wait!

Here is the request list I have gathered from the kids (and perhaps myself) so far...
Yankee game
9-11 Memorial
a Broadway show
Natural History Museum
The Met

The amount of things to do in New York is endless so here is my question for all of you.  Have you been to and/or lived in New York with kids?  If so, what are we missing on the list?  Is there anything we must do while we are there with them?  Please share as all suggestions would be greatly appreciated! 

Have you thought about going anywhere this summer?  I would love to hear!  

Princeville

For my first visit to Kauai and Princeville, I had no idea what to expect.  I had heard the island was beautiful and everything you imagine a tropical island to be, but I was still blown away.  It was beyond.   I no longer felt like I was in the United States but on an exotic tropical paradise in the middle of nowhere.  After eight days there, getting back to reality has been a tad bit hard.    This definitely tops the list as my favorite family vacation we have taken so far.

Life As We Know It: D.C Edition

Yesterday we got back from Washington, D.C and I am having a total vacation hangover.

It has been a while since I was on the East Coast (with the exception of NY) and I had forgotten how beautiful it is.
From running around Ashburn, VA to visiting the West Wing in the White House, each day brought so many fun memories for the family.  Our friends truly created an amazing trip for us.

Since I am just too tired to download all of our photos right now, here is what was captured on our iPhones.

Thank you SO MUCH to the B family for hosting us!  We miss you already!

The End

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who voted and helped me make the list of the "Top 25 So Cal Mom Blogs" for the second year in a row. It means a ton that I have such supportive readers. Thank you!

Today is our last day of vacation before we return home tomorrow. It is always sad to see vacations come to an end isn't it? It has been an amazing week though and the family time was just what we needed. Chaos returns on Sunday so I plan on soaking every last bit out of the next 24 hours.

We need to all go get ready for our last rides on the water slide so I am off but I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Impossible

This is it.  My last post on our trip to Chicago.  I have SO many photos left to go through from our visit to the Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier (a definite if you are in town!), Adult Night Out (Tavernita was delish, I loved the ambiance at The Drumbar, and you cannot argue with the view at the Terrace at Trump Chicago) and just spending time at our friend's home.  There are literally hundreds of photos and I do not want to filter through the rest right now.  You wouldn't want to either if you have been dealing with three children who are adjusting back to your time zone.  I am wiped out.

So, to cap off our amazing trip, I will share with you just how hard it is to get 2 adults and 3 children to take a great photo.

 Literally, impossible.

Thank you so much to C, J and B for the incredible trip and allowing us to invade your home!
It was so great to see you guys and I cannot wait until we get together again!
XO

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Wrigley

If there is one place you have to go while in Chicago, it is Wrigley Field and a Cubs game.  This was a MUST for the boys and we made sure we did it right.  Friday was spent touring the stadium.  Not only do you get to see things you would never see at a game but I love hearing old stories about the park and perhaps some inappropriate ones (I am not even going to tell you how the men go to the bathroom when working the manual scoreboard).  On Sunday, we watched the Cubs defeat the Diamondbacks, got to sing "Go Cubs Go", received a certificate for their first visit AND, the highlight of the day, the boys got to run the bases.  I am pretty sure the hubby and our friend C were jealous of this.  All in all, it was exactly how you would want to experience one of the oldest parks in the US.  Here are a few photos from the two days.

Just finished running the bases.  Oldest was extremely excited.  Middle Man wanted to get the hell out of there.  And the woman in the back wanted to say hello.

The Magnificent Mile

On our first full day in Chicago, our friends had to work so the hubby and I decided to show the kids The Magnificent Mile, one of my favorite spots in Chicago.  Not only do I love the pace and the shopping but I love that there are so many sights to see either on or just off of the street.  We took the Brown line to The Loop (their first time on a train!) and got off at  Millennium Park.  We were able to see the fountains and "The Bean", which the boys were fascinated with.  Following the park we headed to the river where we jumped on the The Chicago Architecture Foundation Boat Cruise (which is awesome but perhaps 20 minutes too long for little ones).  Our final destination was the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock building where we enjoyed some Sprite and cocktails while taking in the view.

And in perfect family vacation fashion, Middle Man hated being in the heat outside on the boat and threw a fit, Baby Girl was bribed with sweets all day long to avoid tantrums due to no nap, Oldest was the only one who would continue to take pictures with a smile and an entire beer was spilled on me and in my handbag (I am talking pool at the bottom of the bag and shorts that were so wet I was embarrassed to get up).  Oh yes!  And I almost forgot.  Oldest threw up that night due to dehydration.  Yep, crazy right?  But how boring would a family vacation be without some excitement?

Life As We Know It: Chicago Edition

Six days and five nights.  It is amazing what you can fit in during that time.  I really feel like we did EVERYTHING.  Thanks to my constant juggling between my iPhone, my large Canon camera and my small Canon camera, I have an abundance of photos to share.  Why have one when you can have three, right?  I will share all the details of our trip this week but let me start with a little of what Instagram captured.  Oh how I love this program and how much better it makes my photos look!  If you are not following me yet, find me at @jugglinginheels! 

CHICAGO!

Yesterday we landed in "The Windy City" and I am spending these 6 days here taking in time with my family, my best friend, her family and all that Chicago has to offer.  For that reason, I am signing out until next week.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and I will be back on Monday!

Also, please note that this photo is from our trip to Chicago a couple years ago so if you try to join past and present Cubs players at the Universal Orlando resort, they are probably not going to be there.

Bathing Suits, Bathing Suits, Bathing Suits

Since I am living in bathing suits this week, I thought I would share my favorites, both for me and the kids (because obviously their bathing suit fashion matters just as much as mine).

ViX Swimwear

I love ViX swimwear and recently purchased the above suit to update my swimwear wardrobe.  Extremely flattering fit without being too revealing (I go with full bottom) and a ton of options to choose from.  Great news too!  From now until the 4th, take advantage of the following discounts!
Additional 30% off sale using code 4THSALE
20% off web exclusives using code 4THWEB

Milly Swimwear

I love Milly clothes so it is only natural that I would also adore the swimwear line.  Each season there are  a number of adorable prints and I still wear ones that I have had for a couple years.  It has yet to go out of style.  This above one is on sale too!

Janie and Jack Swimwear

For my daughter I am obsessed with the swimwear at Janie and Jack.  They always have extremely feminine styles, such as the above one that I recently picked up for our vacation.  It is too cute on and again, on sale!

Gap Swimwear

My boys put these rash guards and board shorts through the ringer and they continue to hold up against EVERYTHING.  

My Hubby's Fantastic Fish Tacos

The one thing I love about vacation is that it actually gives my hubby some time to take over in the kitchen.  Truth be told, he is a much better cook than I am, but rarely has the time to throw one of his amazing dishes together.  So, on this vacation, I asked for one of my favorites: Fish Tacos.  They are ridiculous.  Here is the recipe.

4 fillets of Talapia or Halibut
1 Packet of Seasoned Fish Fry (he likes "Cajun's Choice)
1/2 c. milk
Canola oil
1 package pre-cut cabbage
8 flour tortillas
Thousand Island dressing

1. Cut each fillet into 4" strips
2. Fill frying pan 1/2" high with oil, heat on high
3. Pour milk over the fish in a large freezer ziplock bag and ensure all strips are coated
4. Add the entire bag of seasoning to the freezer bag and coat all strips
5. Test the heat of the oil by placing one strip into the oil and ensuring it instantly begins frying.  If the strip does not cause a reaction when placed in the oil, the oil is not hot enough yet.
6. Once the oil is ready, continue to place strips of fish into the pan and cook just a couple minutes on each side until it is light brown.

7. Place finished strips on a paper towel lined plate.

8. Once complete, place 3-4 strips on a tortilla, top with cabbage and Thousand Island dressing

What did I do during the cooking process?  This.

They are a fantastic summer dish, served with a salad and a glass of white wine.  Enjoy!