Maui Vacation | Day 2

Well…we finally made it! The first day here was a little crazy, but day 2 was so good.

It started with us going to the pool. Maya used to LOVE swimming. She wanted to go all the time on vacation, and always wanted to go to the pool at the gym. Then…I put her in swim lessons. She did SO well the first day. Even went under water and kiiiind of swam to the wall. The instructor was so cool! Then…they switched instructors on us, and Maya wouldn’t even get in the water. I managed to get her to go with me on non lesson days for a few weeks and then…not at all. She wouldn’t even get in with me. I kept asking here and there, and her response “I’m NOT GOING SWIMMING!” I was more than a little nervous that she would refuse to get in the water on this vacation, which would make it a loooooong 11 days…

Our first day here, we decided to just go walk by the pool. Maya immediately said she wanted to go swimming. REALLY?? YES! So, the next morning we went, and I couldn’t get her out!!

SO HAPPY!!

I posted a little video on my personal Instagram page.

The even better part? She passed out and took a 2.5 hour nap-whoo hoo!!

Later…I took this of her playing with her My Little Ponies…

Then we met my brother and his family down on the beach. She is always the happiest the minute her feet hit the sand…or don’t hit the sand 🙂 Here’s a few iPhone Shots that my mom took. And then my dad got these with my camera. Of course it took all of about 5 minutes for her to be completely soaked. 🙂 This was after the sun had completely gone down. And, another iphone shot during our picnic in the dark. The sun sets around 7 here.

The Maxi Dress I will be LIVING in…and a letter to Maya.

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I’m sure you can tell just by looking at it. This dress is so unbelievably comfortable! Not only is it like wearing a nightgown, but a super soft stretchy one-WIN!!I attempted to twirl to show you how cool and flowy it is…I failed haha, but trust me. 😉 I’ll leave the twirling to Maya 🙂 Her hair…that natural sun kissed, never been cut, ombre that people pay a a buttload to get. LOVE! Living next to my parents and being able to take our eveing walks with them…priceless.On me…

Dress- Splendid

Shoes- Converse (thrifted, but similar here)

On Maya…

Dress- YoBaby (found via Zulily)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

SO….we were supposed to catch a flight to Maui for my parents 45th wedding anniversary. We drove out with my parents (the Huz and boys are meeting us later this week and my brother and his family flew in from Portland). There was a huge traffic delay, even bigger delay at security, a missed train to the gate, and me and Maya missed our flight by minutes. THANKFULLY my parents made it!! But…through it all Maya was a total champ!!! Never once whined, complained, or anything except make me smile. She ran when I told her we needed to run. Sat in the umbrella stroller quickly and quietly when I told her she needed to, and pulled me off the ledge when I almost had a breakdown at the gate. She was my rock and my savior. I fell in love with her HARD even more after that experience, and for that…I guess I’m thankful. I wrote this as a post on social media…

“I didn’t think I could be more proud to be your Mama or love you any more than I already do. But today…at the airport, when I nearly lost my sh*t looking at our airplane sitting in front of us… The gate slowly pulling away from the door… The plane that held our luggage, your car seat, and Meme and BOPO… YOU were the epitome of positive attitude and sweetness. Saying one thing after another that lifted my spirit and reminded me that everything will be ok. “Just take a deep breath, Mama. It will all be ok!” Not once did you cry, even though I was on the verge. Not once did you complain, yet I did… I’m embarrassed that I got so worked up, when in reality… as long as I have you, I’m better off than most. Love you so much Peanut!!! Tomorrow-Maui here we come. No, really…I mean it this time :)”

She is amazing.

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

One of our favorite beaches…at low tide (LOVE!)

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This is one of our favorite beaches to go to, but we’ve never managed to time it during low tide! Maya loves looking for crab carcasses 🙂 The best part of the beach is the walkway down to it. It’s an ever evolving art exhibit. People add things here and there. It’s soooo cool!! Um…how cool is this!?!? I ginormous tire that at low tide is a tide pool 🙂 On me…

Top- Enza Costa (sold out, similar here)

Jeans- Vince (thrifted, similar here)

Sandals- Forever 21 (sold out, similar here)

On Maya…

Jacket- GapKids (thrifted, but similar here)

Top- Mini Boden (thrifted)

Jeans- Joe’s Jeans (thrifted, but similar here)

Shoes- Converse (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

I had all these ideas about taking shots up above on the side walk. Yeah….that didn’t happen 😉

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Strawberry Margarita

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Like a classic margarita? Here you take the best of the Classic Margarita, add some Strawberry Granita, and there you go – a wonderful summer drink! Perfect combo when strawberries are ripe and in season.

Ingredients

2 oz. Tequila (Patron Silver. It’s worth it!)
1 oz. Triple Sec
1 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
1 oz. Strawberry Granita
Lime wedges for garnish
Ice

Directions

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice
Shake up and strain into a glass filled with ice
Garnish with lime wedge

Boho Tops + DIY Cutoffs + Espadrilles…summer staples!

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I live in cut offs in the summer. Most of which are made from thrifted denim that I hack with my scissors. It’s quite addicting! And super cheap! I know I’ve talked about it before, but you can usually find designer denim for less than $10 at thrift stores. l think boot cut styles work the best, because they are looser in the leg. I’ve had this particular pair for probably 10 years? They had these funky buttons up the leg, so…off with the leg! 🙂 She kept flinging her legs out when I threw her!! Made for some pretty funny outtakes at the bottom 😉 THIS…this is so her right now. She will run up and down this sidewalk 30 times. So funny…OR…this one 🙂And…it gets hot running up and down hills, so of course the sprinkler at the top felt good 🙂Oh, and then we went to go look at this…On me…

Top- Free People (sold out, loving this long sleeve one here)

Jeans- Citizens of Humanity (DIY cut off, similar here)

Shoes- StyleMint “Christie” (sold out, similar here)

On Maya…

Dress- Mignone (thrifted, but love this one here)

Shoes- Saltwater Sandals (thrifted for $1.50!!)

Keeping it Real…

Ummm…. Thank GOODNESS there was nobody in front of me since her legs kicked my shirt almost up over my head hahaha. And then she kept coming down and wrapping her legs around my neck! I think we watched too many Dancing with the Stars episodes when she was younger 😉

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella and Watermelon Skewers

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We’re having another “heat wave” (Seattle doesn’t really know what to do when it’s 80+ degrees (except celebrate perhaps). Get to 90+ though and we start melting). With no air conditioning, we try not to cook and bake much, instead we head to the lake for picnic dinners or grill on our deck. These skewers require no grilling or cooking however and are totally summer, totally simple, and totally delicious.

We had these at a wedding few weeks ago in California. It was the perfect appetizer.

You skewer cherry tomatoes, cubed mozzarella, cubed watermelon and fresh basil leaves. Then drizzle with your favorite balsamic vinaigrette and serve! So easy!

Ingredients

Cherry tomatoes
Watermelon, slice into 1″ cubes
Mozzarella, cubed
Fresh basil leaves
Balsamic vinaigrette
Skewers (look for bamboo knot cocktail / Hors’ D’oeuvre picks)

Directions

Skewer tomatoes, watermelon and cheese with basil layered in
Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve
Enjoy!

Half top knots…I’m sold!

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The Coast To Coast Challenge last week was trying a new hair style-

The half top knot. Obviously, I’m a BIG fan of the top knot as a whole, because let’s be honest. It’s the lazy mom’s out. Hahaha. Talking to her big brother on the phone… 🙂 I LOVE the light behind this door!!!! On me…

Top- Josephine (thrifted, but similar here)

Shorts- Blank NYC

Shoes- Madden Girl (thrifted, similar here)

On Maya…

Dress- Mignone (thrifted, but similar here)

Shoes- Circo (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

Sometimes I make funny faces…. ;}

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

The beach is our happy place…

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It’s been SO hot here in Seattle lately, that neither of us really have wanted to go to the beach. It’s all about finding some shade to play in, and luckily we have a few wading pool near us that are mixed in shade and sun. But…we both have missed the beach. We had ONE cloudy day last week, and we made the most of it! I also got confirmation yesterday that a spot I found on my back is skin cancer- basal cell carcinoma (aka, the “good” skin cancer, if there really is such a thing). The Dr. seemed pretty confident that we caught it early, and it will all be good. Trying to just be thankful that I noticed it early, but cursing all my bad skin care for the first 30+ years of my life. Not exactly the birthday present I wanted as I head into my birthday weekend… But things could definitely be worse. Using this as a wake up call to appreciate everything that I have.

Which is this… “Look Mommy, it’s an x!” And…she did! On me…

Top- Rachel Pally (old, LOVE this one here)

Jeans- DL1961 “Amanda Skinny” in Seville (eBay, similar here and not distressed here)

Vans- Vans (thrifted)

On Maya…

Dress- Tea Collection (thrifted, but similar here)

Shoes- KK (thrifted, but similar here)

Keeping it Real…

Ok, so a woman walked behind us right as I took this, but I didn’t know until I got home. I loved it though, so I Photoshopped her out haha. 🙂

(all pictures taken with a self timer and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

Orange Cake

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This is a totally delicious cake! Eat it for breakfast or dress it up for high tea or dessert! You can enjoy this as is for paleo goodness, or add an optional sweet and citrusy glaze to make it even more amazing!

Though I haven’t tried it, Elana (from Elanaspantry.com) says there’s a Starbucks version out there that tastes just like this one.

The one tricky part of this recipe is that you have to boil oranges for 90 minutes. So plan ahead. The oranges are low maintenance while cooking, but keep an eye so you don’t run out of water. As an extra bonus, your house will be filled with a refreshing and natural citrusy aroma! 🙂

Ingredients

2 oranges
4 large eggs
1/2 cup agave nectar or honey (original recipe says 3/4 cup)
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
1 tsp baking soda

Glaze (optional)

1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 orange, thinly sliced for decoration

Instructions

Wash the oranges and boil them whole (peel and all) for 1 ½ hours, or until soft
Place whole oranges (peel and all) in a food processor and blend until smooth
Process in eggs, agave, almond flour, salt and baking soda until well blended
Pour batter into a greased 9 inch cake pan
Bake at 375° for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean
Cool in the pan for 2 hours
Make glaze by working orange juice into powdered sugar. You can add more/less liquid to get desired consistency. Pour onto cake and even out with spatula. Decorate with optional orange slices.
Enjoy or refrigerate for a few days (if you can keep from eating it up)! 🙂

Thanks for the inspiration Elanaspantry.com!

Evening walks were made for spinning and singing…obviously :)

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I honestly didn’t mean to be in these pictures. I just wanted to try and get some more pics of Maya in the golden hour in her cute outfit haha 🙂

But…my parents met us out on our walk, so I asked my dad to snap a few pics of us! Thanks Dad 🙂

Maya kept flinging her legs wide at the top of each lift. SO funny, yet not quite ladylike or suitable for posting. 😉Finally, she kept her knees together 🙂 Maya was on FIRE this night. She started singing a made up song, which went on for a good 5 minutes! At the end, a small crowd had gathered, and she bowed hahaha. LOVE HER!