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The Adventures of a Twin Mom

Motherhood and Travel Blog

June 9, 2019

Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island

IMG_5181We just got back from my birthday trip to Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island!  It was a vacation we won’t ever forget!  We chose this resort because of how beautiful it looked and how much the resort had to offer (pools, spa, several restaurants, stunning grounds, right on the beach, activities, etc).

We checked in after lunch on a Monday, the kids thought the decorations in the lobby were amazing!IMG_4912

The reception desk told us the “Feed the Turtles” activity was getting ready to start. I knew our kids would love that so we went straight there.  Camden and Ella thought this was the coolest thing!

Then it was time to check out our room!!  The room was perfect for us, it was large, beautifully decorated, and very clean!  It had a mini fridge, safe, and lots of storage space! Random but the bathroom had the best smelling shower gel ever! I meant to take a picture to see if we could order some when we got home!AJ7_9260.jpg

Look at the view from our room! #paradiseIMG_4931

As soon as we got unpacked, it was time to go check out the pool! If you’ve been following me for a while, you know swimming is our thing!  Isn’t their main pool just gorgeous?Pool -- Zero Entry Pool -- Sonesta Resort Hilton Head IslandSweet Cane Bar and Brille (by pool, closer view) - Sonesta Resort Hilton...

They also have this other gorgeous that would be really relaxing to hang out at!Shade Pool --- Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island

Camden and Ella were SO happy to be here! Can you tell?IMG_4951IMG_E4949IMG_4941IMG_4946

I love zero entry pools like this.  As a mom of young kids, it makes me feel more secure!  It also had fountains that the kids loved to play in.

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Our outgoing child, Camden made a new friend! I forget this ladies name but she decided Camden was the cutest thing ever and played with him for about a hour.  I kept checking to make sure she was ok and she said, “He just made my vacation!” This is a picture of them laying together, how adorable is this?!IMG_5001

We swam and swam until our stomachs were growling!  Then it was time to clean up for dinner.  I came back to our room to find the sweetest surprise from the hotel for my birthday! How nice is this?  Thanks so much, Sonesta!!

IMG_5103

We ate at the premier restaurant at the hotel, Heyward’s Restaurant. IT WAS DELICIOUS!! IMG_E5016IMG_5018

Judd and I both had the filet mignon which just melted in our mouths. IMG_5020IMG_5019

For dessert, I had key lime pie and Judd had peanut cola cake. Both were AMAZING! I know I’m probably sounding repetitive, but the food was that good!!!

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We finished the evening by walking around the resort and taking a stroll on the beach.Sonesta pondsIMG_5050IMG_5098IMG_5081IMG_5033IMG_5045

Look at how breathtaking this place is?sonesta at night

The next morning, we ate breakfast at the hotel!  The kids had the buffet, Judd got the Nutella pancakes, and I had the berry and yogurt parfait which was scrumptious!IMG_5113IMG_5114

Then it was time for my SPA APPOINTMENT! Ahh, I was so excited for this because I haven’t been to a spa since before we started trying to get pregnant with Camden and Ella, it’s been probably 4+ years!  I got the Relax Massage which is a full body massage.  It was 50 minutes of pure bliss!!

package_gallery-massage.jpg

After, they took me to a relaxing room and put hot water on my feet, a hot pad on my neck and shoulders, and gave me a glass of fruit infused champagne!  Much needed mommy pampering!IMG_5123

I met Judd and the kiddos at the pool afterwards! IMG_5124

We were starving so we ordered lunch poolside, my kind of lunch…easy, relaxing, and delicious!!img_5170.jpgIMG_5130IMG_5136IMG_5172

We hung out by the pool for the next couple of hours. IMG_5425IMG_5204IMG_5216IMG_5217

At one point, Camden looked at me and said, “Mom! Nap on chair.”  He snuggled right up on me and fell instantly asleep! Ella on the other hand, wanted to go to the room to nap so Judd took her and they both took a little snooze.IMG_5232

An hour later, they were reunited! 😉

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I can’t even handle their twin bond sometimes, it just melts me!IMG_5415IMG_5319

We swam until about dinner time and then we decided to clean up and head to Harbour Town. We had planned to go to this awesome seafood place, my bestie told me about but sadly as soon as we got there, there was a downpour for 1+ hours so we ate DQ in the car. L   If I had it to do all over again, we would have eaten dinner at the resort and then headed out once the storm passed over.

The storm stopped for about an hour, so we were able to walk around Harbour Town and watch the sunset! IMG_5466IMG_5450IMG_5445

The next day, we had planned to swim after breakfast but it looked like it was going to storm. IMG_5474

We ended up taking a final walk around the beautiful resort and then headed home.

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A HUGE thanks to the Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island for hosting us! I don’t even have enough words to share how appreciative we are and how many wonderful things we have to say about this resort!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

We don’t usually go to the same place twice, but we will definitely be back. The Sonesta Resort Hilton Head felt like paradise! I also plan to check out the other Sonesta resorts as soon as possible. So…if you are looking for a vacation in paradise, check out the Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island.

41 Comments

November 20, 2018

Cruising with Toddlers- Symphony of the Seas

 

20181113-165637-2This is Part 2 of our cruise on Symphony of the Seas by Royal Caribbean.  You can find Part 1- all about Symphony of the Seas here.  This post is about cruising with toddlers!

A lot of you messaged me and said I was brave for taking our kids with us.  You’re right, I probably was but I’m so glad we took our kiddos.  Honestly, it wasn’t as relaxing of a trip as it would be with just my husband and myself but we still did get to relax and we had a great time PLUS my kids had a great time! 20181113-170747

SLEEPING

Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines are used to children and babies so they have staterooms that accommodate this whether that be a pull-out bed or bunk beds or cribs.  Camden and Ella are still sleeping in cribs so we requested two cribs in our room.  They placed two very clean with fresh linens in our room. It was just what we needed.IMG_3930.jpeg

They also have staterooms such as the Ultimate Family Suite that is perfect for families!low_1522147599_Unknown

DINING AND FOOD

Royal Caribbean has a TON of options for kids. From fruit and veggies to mac and cheese to yogurt, they have everything you can possibly imagine or need.  We had no problem finding plenty of delicious and healthy foods for Camden and Ella.  They even have a candy and ice-cream store which is so fun to go to!IMG_4195

  • My Family Time Dining – this program aims for children to complete dinner within 45 minutes, freeing parents to enjoy coffee and dessert at their leisure. Once seated, kids will enjoy expedited service and be immediately served. After eating, the kids will be met by an Adventure Ocean counselor to be escorted back to the Adventure Ocean spaces for ongoing evening activities, while parents can continue to enjoy their dinner.
  • Adventure Ocean Dining – allows young guests to eat dinner on several nights in the most popular dining areas with their favorite youth staff and new friends
  • Fountain Soda Package – allows children to enjoy as many soft drinks as they like for a fixed price for the duration of the cruise.
  • IMG_3981

WHAT TO BRING FOR TODDLERS

Here are a few things I recommend bringing to make the trip easier:

  • A Stroller that is easy to fold (we kept ours right by the door in the room).
  • Hand wipes to clean the kids before and after meals
  • Sticker placemats for when you eat at a place that doesn’t have linen tablecloths. My kids throw plates right now so placemats are a must.
  • Tablets,whenever Judd and I wanted to do a fun activity, we could put the kids in the stroller and give them their tablets and they’d be entertained while we did something for a short time. This was also nice at dinner while we were waiting for food.IMG_3803.jpg

WHAT YOU DON’T NEED TO BRING

  • Diapers and wipes– Royal Caribbean has a new program calledBabies 2 Go which is a partnership with Huggies and will provide whatever you need. You just order this prior to the cruise online and everything will be your stateroom.
  • Baby food– You can also order organic baby food in the Babies 2 Go program prior to departure.
  • Milk– they have Whole Milk in all the restaurants and dining areas on the ship.
  • Highchairs– they have highchairs in every dining area.
  • Toys– Royal Caribbean has a Toy Lending Program, comprising a collection of developmental toys specifically created for infants and toddlers, ages 6 – 36 months. Parents can borrow and exchange toys for a new activity every day to help growing minds learn through play.

CHILDCARE PROGRAM- ADVENTURE OCEAN 

I’m probably going to share too much information about this program but it’s such an important one because you can use this for entertainment for your child or children and it’s also great if you need some adult time. We had a great experience with Adventure Ocean on Symphony of the Seas. Note: I have never left my children at anything like this before, I’ve only left them with a few family members. I am a helicopter mom and I felt 100% comfortable leaving my children there. They asked a lot of questions about the kids and they even provided a phone in case they needed to reach us or we wanted to check in (I did this twice).

This complimentary (for 3 and up), year-round Adventure Ocean program is recognized as one of the industry’s leading youth programs.  For children under 3 years of age there is an hourly nursery rate of $6 per hour per child from 9 am – 6 pm and $8 per hour per child from 6 pm – midnight.

All children’s activities are supervised by male or female youth staff that must have a four-year University degree or international equivalent in Education, Recreation or a related field. All staff also has at least three to five years qualified experience in working with children ages six months to 17 years.

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Programs are offered by age group (I also included some sample activities they offer):

  • Royal Babies & Tots 6 months – 36 months: It offers parents a childcare drop-off options in the daytime and evening with a carefully maintained and optimum staff to child ratio (one staff to three children). Free-time play also will be offered daily, creating an interactive environment where parents and children can bond while playing with a variety of developmental toys in specially-designed programs. The Royal Tot Art program features unique developmentally-appropriate art activities designed for parents and children to enjoy precious creative moments together.
  • Aquanauts 3-5 years: Finger Painting * Camp Aquanaut * Building Blocks * Music Activities * Space 
Night * Games – animal, color and shape BINGIMG_4060
  • Explorers 6-8 years: Pirate Night * Nutty Nicknames * Pajama Night * Carnival games * Talent Show 
IMG_1583
  • Voyagers 9-11 years: Karaoke * Sports Tournaments * GaGa Ball * List-o-Rama * Boys vs Girls * Scavenger Hunts * Crazy Tag
  • Teens 12-14 years: Sports Tournaments * Pool Parties * Scavenger Hunts *Karaoke * Themed Dance 
Parties * Video Games * Nintendo© Wii *
  • Teens 15-17 years: Pool Parties * DJ Training * Battle of the Sexes * Karaoke * Casino Night * Themed Dance Parties * Nintendo© Wii-Guitar Hero * Movies

Here is also a great video that gives you a little glimpse at Adventure Ocean.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES OFFERED:

  • Adventure Science- makes learning fun through a blend of hands-on science experiments and wacky entertainmentIMG_1577
  • Adventure Art- offers children the opportunity to exercise their creativity with crafts such as cultural masks and pottery, while learning about the art, history and culture of the regions they visit on vacation.
  • Adventure Theater- blends educational activities with on-your-feet fun. Adventure Theater participants get a first taste of the actor’s craft, in which entire worlds are created with just their bodies, voices and imaginations.
  • Sail into Story Time- sparks imaginations and entertains young vacationers with a story hour followed by creative, hands-on activities and projects.
  • Group Sitting and In-Stateroom Baby-Sitting Services
  • Late Night Party Zone – Group sitting is available for ages 3 – 11 from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am in the Adventure Ocean center. The cost for this service is $7/hour per child. Children attending must be at least 3 years old and fully toilet trained – no diapers or pull-ups allowed.
  • Sitters at Sea program is available through the Guest Relations Desk and must be booked at least 24 hours in advance and is based on availability of sitters. A Royal Caribbean staff-member will arrive equipped with age appropriate toys and games, to engage and entertain the young cruisers until their parents return. Children must be at least one year old.  Upon their return, parents will be presented a log of the child’s activities with the babysitter, including books read, games enjoyed, food consumed, and when the child was put to bed. 
The charge is $19 per hour for up to four children within the same family.
  • Movies for children – shown on stateroom televisions
  • Adventure Family Library – available in the ships library, this area offers classic and popular family friendly books.
  • Royal Bedtime Stories –Children are encouraged to dress in their pajamas, while an Adventure 
Ocean counselor reads from one among a variety of popular storybooks
  • Shows- I talked about in my last post about all the shows we attended, all the ones we attended were kid friendly and very entertainingIMG_4109
  • Activities- Check the daily schedule because there are always fun family events going on.
  • Additional recreation– mini golf, slides, arcades, zip-line20181113-17102820181113-171234-220181113-171251IMG_4090IMG_3963IMG_3935IMG_3842
  • Swimming-There are several pools for children and splash areas to check out.Symphony of the Seas had two specific children splash areas called Splashaway Bay.waterIMG_4069

Honestly, between Adventures Ocean and all the other entertainment on board, children and adults will never get bored.20181113-164325-4IMG_4220

COST FOR TODDLERS

Like most of the cruise industry, Royal Caribbean charges all of its guests the same regardless of age.

However,they have a program called Royal Caribbean’s Kids Sail Free.  They offer this a couple of times a year so keep an eye out. Third guests and higher who are 12 years old or younger on select 4 nights or longer sailings are eligible for free cruise fare.

IMG_397120181113-163630-2

 

22 Comments

July 2, 2018

30th Birthday in Cocoa Beach

For my 30th birthday my husband, my kids, my parents and I went to Cocoa Beach for a week! It was Camden and Ella’s first time flying and it went great! We rented an incredible house, it had everything you could possibly imagine! If you’re looking for a vacation rental, I highly recommend this one! We all kept saying it was paradise, you can find it here.

Judd and I spent one day at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter which I wrote about here. We spent the remainder of the week by the pool, the beach, and checking out local restaurants. We had a great time! Here are pictures from our trip…

IMG_6827IMG_6829IMG_6830IMG_6832IMG_6835IMG_6887IMG_6839IMG_6845IMG_6843IMG_6847IMG_6865IMG_6866IMG_6880IMG_6886IMG_6888IMG_6915IMG_6910IMG_6905IMG_6920IMG_6927IMG_6942IMG_6964IMG_6986IMG_6990IMG_6992IMG_7016IMG_7033IMG_7034IMG_7035IMG_7076IMG_7089IMG_7099IMG_7123IMG_7124IMG_7131IMG_7145IMG_7153IMG_7253IMG_7256IMG_7275IMG_7297IMG_7301IMG_7322IMG_7336IMG_7338IMG_7347IMG_6877

I’m already planning our next family vacation! 🙂

2 Comments

Hi! I'm Brianna! I'm a wife, mom of twin toddlers, a blogger, and a world traveler. Welcome to a small piece of our perfect chaos!

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AD: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Did AD: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Did you know that 1 in 4 kids in our community don’t know where their next meal is coming from? Summer is especially challenging without the help of school lunches. That’s why Food Lion is partnering with 7 brands: @aquafina @lays @kelloggsus @saraleebread @campbells @chexmix @breyers this summer for their Summers Without Hunger program to donate meals to local food banks – you can help by donating $5 at checkout at Food Lion and they will MATCH it! Doubling the donations! I am trying to raise up kids that care about others, and when I heard about this amazing @foodlion program, I knew I wanted them to be involved. They loved taking their proceeds to our local Food Lion and donating by themselves! Purchase a $5 donation at checkout in store or with your next Food Lion to Go order today to help child hunger! https://lnk2.io/wj2k6VL #FoodLionFeeds #SummersWithoutHunger #PutHopeOnTheTable
Our anniversary trip to Hilton Head Island was a d Our anniversary trip to Hilton Head Island was a dream! Sharing all the details about our trip…our stay @sonestahhi and everything we did on my blog today.  #hiltonhead
#AD These three could sit here all day playing gam #AD These three could sit here all day playing games!  Does your family love to play games? When we first moved in we had bugs in here. Thanks to @raid they are all gone and we no longer have to think about a bug crawling across our game boards!  We always have Raid® Ant & Roach Killer with Essential Oils and Raid® Ant Baits on hand. 
 We love that Raid® Ant & Roach Killer with Essential Oils is safe for use around kids and pets when used as directed. We buy these from our local @publix . #RaidProtects
9 years! 💗 Happy Anniversary, Judd! I’m so th 9 years! 💗 Happy Anniversary, Judd! I’m so thankful for you and this life we’ve built together.
AD: My kiddos, you are ONE IN A MELON! This past AD: My kiddos, you are ONE IN A MELON! 

This past year with all the craziness in the world, I've realized how important it is to buy and support local companies. I love that my favorite grocery store @foodlion lets me do this while shopping in their store...they have tons of products labeled Local Goodness which are products sourced from inside state lines. . From produce to seafood to baked goods to health & beauty, they've got an amazing selection! This juicy watermelon was from Coosaw Farm https://lnk2.io/w5BsFSN #LocalGoodness #FoodLion
If someone asks me for a good place to take a summ If someone asks me for a good place to take a summer vacation with kids… Myrtle Beach is always in my top three spots! We had the best time there last month for a little family getaway of our own at @hiclubvacations South Beach Resort. #HostedByHCV

 

Today on their Checking In blog, I’m sharing the Top 12 Things to Do in Myrtle Beach for families this summer! Head over to my link in bio or swipe in my stories to check it out. 🙂 #MyrtleBeach #SouthCarolina #travelingwithkids
#ad It’s that time of the year…Spring Cleaning #ad It’s that time of the year…Spring Cleaning!! Do we think Camden and Ella will actually help? #doubtful First up, cleaning the carpet with the @BISSELLCLEAN PowerForce™ PowerBrush Pet upright carpet cleaner. It doesn’t matter how much we vacuum-- between 2 kids and the tough messes from our rescue pet, our carpets do need to be powerfully cleaned often! This lightweight but powerful cleaner always does a great job removing dirt and stains and is extremely affordable. We bought it at @Walmart #PowerForcePowerBrush #WeArePetParents
Can someone bring me something frozen with a littl Can someone bring me something frozen with a little umbrella in it please? #thebaropensin15minutes😉 Judd and I are having such a wonderful vacation @sonestahhi! ☀️🌴🍹

#sonestahiltonhead #hiltonhead
Kid free in paradise! This is our first trip just Kid free in paradise! This is our first trip just us👫 in 3+ years.  We feel so refreshed already and ecstatic to be here at @sonestahhi, our home away from home for the next few days! 🌴☀️🍹#hiltonhead #hiltonheadisland #sonestahiltonhead

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AD: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Did AD: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Did you know that 1 in 4 kids in our community don’t know where their next meal is coming from? Summer is especially challenging without the help of school lunches. That’s why Food Lion is partnering with 7 brands: @aquafina @lays @kelloggsus @saraleebread @campbells @chexmix @breyers this summer for their Summers Without Hunger program to donate meals to local food banks – you can help by donating $5 at checkout at Food Lion and they will MATCH it! Doubling the donations! I am trying to raise up kids that care about others, and when I heard about this amazing @foodlion program, I knew I wanted them to be involved. They loved taking their proceeds to our local Food Lion and donating by themselves! Purchase a $5 donation at checkout in store or with your next Food Lion to Go order today to help child hunger! https://lnk2.io/wj2k6VL #FoodLionFeeds #SummersWithoutHunger #PutHopeOnTheTable
Our anniversary trip to Hilton Head Island was a d Our anniversary trip to Hilton Head Island was a dream! Sharing all the details about our trip…our stay @sonestahhi and everything we did on my blog today.  #hiltonhead
#AD These three could sit here all day playing gam #AD These three could sit here all day playing games!  Does your family love to play games? When we first moved in we had bugs in here. Thanks to @raid they are all gone and we no longer have to think about a bug crawling across our game boards!  We always have Raid® Ant & Roach Killer with Essential Oils and Raid® Ant Baits on hand. 
 We love that Raid® Ant & Roach Killer with Essential Oils is safe for use around kids and pets when used as directed. We buy these from our local @publix . #RaidProtects
9 years! 💗 Happy Anniversary, Judd! I’m so th 9 years! 💗 Happy Anniversary, Judd! I’m so thankful for you and this life we’ve built together.
AD: My kiddos, you are ONE IN A MELON! This past AD: My kiddos, you are ONE IN A MELON! 

This past year with all the craziness in the world, I've realized how important it is to buy and support local companies. I love that my favorite grocery store @foodlion lets me do this while shopping in their store...they have tons of products labeled Local Goodness which are products sourced from inside state lines. . From produce to seafood to baked goods to health & beauty, they've got an amazing selection! This juicy watermelon was from Coosaw Farm https://lnk2.io/w5BsFSN #LocalGoodness #FoodLion
If someone asks me for a good place to take a summ If someone asks me for a good place to take a summer vacation with kids… Myrtle Beach is always in my top three spots! We had the best time there last month for a little family getaway of our own at @hiclubvacations South Beach Resort. #HostedByHCV

 

Today on their Checking In blog, I’m sharing the Top 12 Things to Do in Myrtle Beach for families this summer! Head over to my link in bio or swipe in my stories to check it out. 🙂 #MyrtleBeach #SouthCarolina #travelingwithkids
#ad It’s that time of the year…Spring Cleaning #ad It’s that time of the year…Spring Cleaning!! Do we think Camden and Ella will actually help? #doubtful First up, cleaning the carpet with the @BISSELLCLEAN PowerForce™ PowerBrush Pet upright carpet cleaner. It doesn’t matter how much we vacuum-- between 2 kids and the tough messes from our rescue pet, our carpets do need to be powerfully cleaned often! This lightweight but powerful cleaner always does a great job removing dirt and stains and is extremely affordable. We bought it at @Walmart #PowerForcePowerBrush #WeArePetParents
Can someone bring me something frozen with a littl Can someone bring me something frozen with a little umbrella in it please? #thebaropensin15minutes😉 Judd and I are having such a wonderful vacation @sonestahhi! ☀️🌴🍹

#sonestahiltonhead #hiltonhead

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