Florida 2018

Oh yes, another trip recap that includes a lot of pictures and not a whole lotta talk...SORRY you guys! But do you know how nice it is to be able to look back at these memories every year and have a "place" for all these fun pictures I took? 

Because it means kind of everything to me. It's crazy to think I've been documenting our memories/trips since 2009!!!!

I never ever ever want to forget this sweet sweet season we're in right now. The boys are the best of friends and want to do everything together and don't complain about holding hands so I am soaking it all up. They ask where the other one is if gone for 5 minutes and they are just so much fun.

This trip was definitely our best yet since Grayson is now only taking one nap (and Camden is still napping too) and Camden gets excited about doing all the things and is much more independent now, so we were able to be pretty productive about our days: beach in the morning (I'm talking before 9am early ha), lunch and nap for the boys, then it was off to the pool.

I know I'll never forget what their faces looked like when they got to the beach on our first day...

And what the rest of our days looked like...

(their shirts are from old navy!)

We were there over my birthday and Billy rented a boat for it so that we could go to Keewaydin Island, which was so special and just the perfect way to celebrate turning 33! There was hardly anyone there and had the most gorgeous water and beach. We are already talking about heading back next time we go because it was just breathtaking.

I get a lot of questions about traveling with 2 toddlers and if you have 3 or 4 you're probably thinking, "oh that's a breeze!" so just keep scrolling, if that's you. :) But I honestly have no real secrets. When we fly, we try as best we can to NOT fly during naps or close to bedtime because that just asks for meltdowns or fussiness, and we ALWAYS pack at least one car seat to check at the gate and ask if the plane is full (because if it's not they will let you bring it on which is so helpful! We put Grayson in his own seat in his carseat and that was a huge help since he was contained.) 

Snacks, a few *new* small toys, stickers, more snacks, and the iPad are my go-to's to keeping them occupied during the flight. I have no shame using the iPad if it means other people (and us) will have a little more peace and happiness on the flight. :)

As for our days, we do try to stick to normal nap times and bed times as much as we can, but keep them up a little bit later at night. Overtired kiddos = overtired parents!

Another question I'm frequently asked is about where to stay in the area and since we stay at my parents place, I don't have any experience with the hotels so I'm not much help. But, if you're looking for kid friendly restaurants or ideas of things to do in the area - I have a bunch of previous posts with recommendations if you search for Florida or Naples!

Here are a few of our go-to's, some have mentioned before: The Bowl (acai bowls), Tommy Bahamas, The Dock at Crayton Cove, The Turtle Club (for a fancy dinner), Bistro 821 (we had the best food here on this visit!), Jane's Cafe (brunch), Campiello, M Waterfront Grille, Bricktops. If you ever need an inside activity to do with your kids for a rainy day, definitely visit Golisano Childrens Museum of Naples! 

Naples 2016

Another glorious, fun, refreshing, not-ever-wanting-to-leave trip to Naples in the books. We wanted to take one last trip before Camden turn 2 so that we could take advantage of him still being free to fly with, so it was like a birthday/family trip combined. It was also really special because we had Grayson + my brother-in-law and sister-in-law with us! The boys were so happy to have them there to play with, and I can't tell you how nice it was to have the extra hands + help for our first trip with 2 kiddos.

 

This was Grayson's first time flying, going swimming, and to the beach! This boy continues to impress me SO MUCH with his go-with-the-flow 'tude and laid back demeanor. He slept for the majority of the flights (to and from) so no issues there, and adjusted just fine to his new sleeping conditions/nap schedule while on vacation. I've asked myself how we got so lucky about 1 million times...he's just a dream. 

 

(matching swimsuits for the boys are from Carters!)

He loved swimming and was super inquisitive about the water - always making funny faces, but enjoyed it. And when we were at the beach, Billy dug a hole in the sand and put a towel in it so he just sat there content as can be for the majority of the time. It's so cute how much he loves watching Camden play and how much he laughs at him.

 And as expected, from the second we arrived Camden was having a blast (I think he prefers warm weather like his mama!) He's been to the beach 3 or 4 times now, but he was much more into it this time I noticed. He stayed entertained there for longer period of time and loved throwing shells into the ocean! When we were swimming at the pool there were even a few times he jumped off the side of the pool into the water on his own (we were in there to catch him of course), which made me realize just how big he is getting!

And just a few (see also: many) more pictures...

I know I've gone over it before but since I get asked a lot - when we go to Naples we stay at my parents place. Since it has a kitchen and multiple bedrooms it's much easier than staying in a hotel room when traveling with kids. For this trip we mainly did breakfast and lunches at our place (or we would pick up some coffee/something quick for breakfast) then ventured out for dinner almost every night. The key (for us) when going out to dinner is just to make sure we go at an early enough time before the kids gets sleepy/overly hungry and we always order their food first so that they are fed by the time we get our food. It just works so much better this way and avoids meltdowns! 

Camden also surprised me again with flying. Since we flew during his nap time (a great decision on my end), he napped the entire way home on my lap. We were so impressed, but I think most kids generally do better than we think they will do! 

We are already talking about planning a trip back (and trying to get Katie and Kevin to join us again..duh) because well, you can never really have enough palm trees and sunshine in your life. 

I did want to share some things I learned with traveling with 2 kids that are just little tid-bits I picked up along the way...

+if you can swing it, get the nonstop flights (so, so worth it)

+put the toddler in the window seat (I've heard the opposite-that the aisle seat is best-but for us that is NOT true. By putting Camden by the window he's not tempted to want to get up/walk around because he's "blocked" in, so to say. He also loves looking out the window, which helps distract)

+use the resources the airport already has for you - like curbside check-in, the carts you can rent for luggage, etc.) 

+wear the baby (you can walk right through security wearing them)

+as for schedules, we still stick to normal nap times/bed times when on vacations for the most part (Cam's bedtime was a little later if we went out to dinner or something), but some days Grayson did skip a nap but I didn't stress about it. He did just fine and slept a little longer at the next nap. 

+Buy diapers/wipes at the store when you get there so you can save space when packing

Overall, you obviously need A LOT of stuff when traveling with 2 kids, but it's definitely do-able and actually gave me a boost of confidence to want to do it again. Oh, and since we had so many people we decided to rent a mini van (my first time driving one) and it was the best decision. So much room for activities! ;)

I know that I'm missing some things I wanted to mention, so I'll probably come back and update this post when I remember them. Mom brain is going STRONG lately.