I cannot believe the holiday season is here! I am feeling more festive this year than I have in a while, and that is a welcoming feeling! I came up with a Christmas holiday bucket list to make sure we get out and enjoy some fun holiday cheer.
The nice thing about this list is that you can decide how festive you want to be! There are some years I’ve had to give myself grace and allow myself to do the bare minimum. You don’t have to go crazy; every effort, no matter how small, can still make a difference.
So here we go! Scroll to the bottom for the printable list! I also have a blank option for those who would like to create their own. As you will see, my list is not completely filled out. I like leaving space to write in some extra things we think of later, and it’s also a reminder that it’s okay to make space and not do it all.
~ Attend a Local Holiday Event
This can be a going to a holiday market or craft fair, attending Christmas play or The Nutcracker ballet, or whatever is going on around your town. If you have Facebook, the event page is a great place to look to see what is going on locally or visit your city’s web page visitors guide. Our local library puts on quite a few events as well. We have a couple ideas in mind for our family, so stay tuned to see what we decide!
~ Decorate for Christmas
Here’s an easy item to check off your list! We had to get rid of A LOT of Christmas decorations when we moved years ago, so every year since we try to buy one Christmas decoration to restock our home. Every year our home feels a little extra cozy.
~ Listen to a Daily Advent Podcast
This is turning into my one of my favorite traditions. The kids gather their blankets by the tree and we turn off all the lights except for the Christmas tree and we listen. It feels so peaceful and special. <3
Even if you haven’t started, it’s not too late to catch up! Here are some great options:
“We Wonder” podcast. I would say this is a great podcast for anyone around age 8 and over. I listened to this last year with my son and we both enjoyed it. This advent series is an older one so you will need to scroll to find the dates.
“Countdown to Christmas with Zach” podcast is the one we chose this year. Londyn is still pretty little so it’s been a great option. I love that he shares facts about the meaning of certain Christmas decorations. It gets them thinking about the real meaning of Christmas and they can even get involved by calling to leave a voicemail with their answers to the questions he asks!
This is a simple item that you can check off your list without much effort! I personally love the movie “The Holiday” and my kids favorite is a tie between “The Star” and “The Grinch” (2018 cartoon version).
~ Make an Ornament
A simple Google search pulls up lots of ideas! Decorating a gingerbread house has also crossed my mind!
~ Bake Christmas Cookies
This can be as simple as letting Pillsbury do all the work and buy pre-made cookie dough or baking cookies from scratch and elaborately decorating them. I usually land somewhere in the middle, but I’ve had my share of years that I chose the easy route…and no one cried.
~ Drive Around to look at Christmas Lights
Last year we had the kids get in their Christmas jammies, got them hot chocolate, and drove around to the different neighborhoods with the best Christmas light displays. Our daughter was only 2 and a half, but she still remembers it so well and can’t wait to do it again!
~ Attend a Christmas Eve Service
The Candlelight Christmas Eve service is my absolute favorite! I would invite each you you reading this to come with me if I could! We have traditionally ordered a pizza and watched a Christmas movie after. I’m looking forward to doing this again!
So there you have it! I would love to know what’s on your Christmas bucket list!
We went on our first vacation as a little family of four! We usually go with friends (which we love!), but we wanted a chance to experience a little vacation with just the 4 of us. It was such a special time and I love the memories we made!
If you’ve been following along for a while, you might remember that we went to Seaside a few years ago and posted about it here: Beach Vacation 2020. Seaside is so kid friendly that we wanted to go back, and this time with our little Londyn!
Day 1: Hotel Check-In, The Beach, & Pool
We stayed at the Salt Line Hotel in Seaside, OR and loved it!!
We made it in to Seaside around 4:30 in the afternoon. The hotel was so great and texted updates letting us know our room was ready even before check-in! I had booked a couple months in advance and it was so nice not to have to worry that they lost our reservation.
Check-in was quick and easy and they had refreshing lemon water in the lobby.
Our room was so cute!
After check-in we went straight for the beach! It felt so good to be back!
After taking a walk on the beach it was about time for dinner so we walked through town and stopped at Fultano’s Pizza! We used to live in Cannon Beach and Fultano’s was our favorite pizza place, so this was a must. It did not disappoint!
After dinner we decided to head back to the hotel to let the kids enjoy the pool! Swimming in the hotel pool was always one of my favorite things when I was little. It was fun making these memories with my own kids now. :)
Of course I had to jump in the hot tub for a bit!
After the pool, we got all cleaned up and watched a little bit of Bluey before turning out the lights.
The first day of vacation is almost always my favorite!
Day 2: Aquarium, Beach, Arcade & S’mores!
We packed a lot into this day! We only had one full day there so we made it count! We started the day off with breakfast at the hotel and then off for some fun souvenirs shopping.
After some shopping it was time for us to head to the aquarium!
Sharks & Starfish!
Sleepy Octopus!
When we were finished at the aquarium it was lunch time and we decided on Mo’s Seafood & Chowder.
We loved the view and enjoyed the fresh ocean breeze!
They have the cutest plates!
I got clam chowder in their Cannon Bowl. So good!
Londyn was definitely needing a nap by the time we were finished with lunch, so we headed back to the hotel with our treasures and took a little rest.
While Londyn was still napping Gryffin and I slipped out to get some one-on-one beach time!
We had a lot of fun playing together with our beach ball (note to self, bring a football or frisby next time. The wind really liked to take off with it!) Mikey and Londyn eventually met us and chased the waves with us for a little bit too. :)
Next we headed back into town and hit up the arcade!
We finished our evening in town stopping at Pig N’Pacacke for dinner.
After dinner we headed back to the hotel and picked up a S’mores kit! It was such a cute little cozy time together. We loved it!
After we roasted our marshmallows and finished s’mores we were just in time to watch the sunset. We walked the short distance and climbed a sand dune to watch the sun sink into the ocean.
Watching the sunset was the best way to end our evening!
Day 3: Beach & Home
Going to the beach was all we wanted to do on our last day. We chased the waves again and Londyn loved playing in the sand. We wished we could have stayed just one more day!
After soaking in what time we had left it was time to say goodbye.
I had hoped to get this up last month but we had so much going on that it was impossible! I honestly wasn’t sure if this vacation was actually going to happen but I am happy to report that we were able to get away and spend a whole week in Oregon! Unfortunately, as you may (or may not) have seen on the news, there were terrible, heartbreaking fires and the smoke was pretty bad, but we still managed to get out and enjoy what we could!
Here’s the recap!
Where: Seaside, Oregon
When: Tuesday, September 8th – 12th
(we spent a couple days in Canby, Oregon first to visit some friends. We were so busy hanging out and having fun that I didn’t end up documenting that part of the trip – although I’m sad because we took Gryffin to the Oregon zoo for the first time but somehow didn’t mange to get a single picture.)
After being in Canby for 3 days, we made our way to the beach!
Day 1: Playground, The Ocean, and The Beach House!
We made it in to Seaside around 3:30 in the afternoon. Check-in wasn’t until 4:00, so we headed to the park that was directly across the street from the house. We went with some friends who also have small boys and they had a blast playing together and getting their energy out.
After they were done with the park we walked down to the beach. It was smoky but there was relief by the water! The weather was in the 80’s and perfect!
After running around in the waves and watching Gryffin make “snow angles” in the sand, we headed back to the beach house to check in.
I loved the little chair in the corner. It was the perfect reading space!
The house was small for 6 adults and 3 little boys and a baby but not overcrowded. It was just a couple blocks from the beach access and the perfect distance away from downtown – close enough to walk, but far enough not to have crowds.
I’m honestly not sure which I miss more, the beach or this jetted tub!
The layout was a little weird, but I definitely would stay here again!
Day 2: Downtown Seaside and More Beach
After making breakfast (cinnamon rolls, sausage, and orange juice) and getting ready for the day we walked to downtown for some fun and shopping.
First stop was the Carousel Mall. All the boys got to ride and it was pretty fun hearing Gryffin yell “ye-hawww!”, haha.
We went back for naps and then a little more beach time.
Day 3: Cannon Beach
I honestly can’t believe it’s been 8 years, going on 9 since we left (For those who don’t know, Mikey and I lived in Cannon Beach for 7 years. It’s where we met, dated, and lived during our early married years)! It was crazy to see how much had changed and how much the little town had grown.
Soooo smoky and foggy :(
We walked around a bit and I got to see one of my favorite people I used to work with. It was so nice to catch up! After visiting for a while, we did a little bit of shopping before stopping at Fultano’s Pizza for lunch and then headed back to our beach house where we got in the hot tub since it was freezing outside (I realized I also forgot to get a picture of the hot tub outside)! It was wonderful!
Day 4: Aquarium, Beach, and Buried Treasure
We spent the last day much like the second, except it was so cold that we drove to downtown Seaside instead of walked. We walked around a bit and then ended up at the aquarium where Gryffin got to feed the seals! Yet another memory missed with my camera, but we had been soaking in the moment!
Octopus!
After the aquarium we walked to the beach where the boys dug for buried treasure. This was an amazing idea our friends came up with! We had spent the previous few days finding and purchasing little trinkets to put in the boxes. Our friend, David, left to bury the treasure and then the boys came over to dig it up. They had a blast and were so excited! We will definitely be carrying on that tradition for every beach trip we take.
Once they dug up their treasure we headed back to the beach house and rested before soaking in more time on the beach again.
Day 5: Going Home
Before we knew it our time at the beach had come to an end. It was sad to go but we were ready to be home at the same time. I missed our dog and being in our own space. The drive felt long and the smoke made it really difficult! I felt so bad for everyone who had to evacuate their home and for those who lost so much! There was definitely a heaviness throughout the week as we knew of the devastation that was happening around us. Praying for all who were affected by the fires everywhere.
We recently took a stayacation vacation and it was soooo good! It was a perfect mix of relaxation, home projects, and fun.
We had previously talked about a road trip to the beach, but when you have a little boy who gets extremely car sick (he will puke on a 10-15 minute drive!) all we could imagine was a nightmare. So stay home we did. We made sure to do a little bit everything though to make the most of it.
Gryffin had come down with a stomach bug the week before, so the first weekend we did mostly normal things – cleaning and laundry and such (not so much fun). Sunday I had a coffee date with one of my best friends and then a birthday party in the afternoon for one of Gryffin’s daycare friends. Once Monday came along though things finally started feeling a little more relaxed – I consider that day 1 of our vacation.
Since we had to pay for it anyway, we did take Gryffin to daycare for part of the week, but we still kept him home a couple days to do some fun things with him too!
Day 1 – Gryffin’s Room Makeover!
Since we had moved into our house 2 years ago, poor Gryffin had a plain and super boring bedroom. We had some fun Sesame street bedding for him, but that was about it. His room has been on our list of things to do and having the week off gave us the perfect time to work on it! As you can see, we went with an outer space theme.
Gryffin’s thoughts on it? He loves it!! I wish I would have recorded his reaction. Seeing the big smile on his face was completely priceless! Every single day since he asks to go down and see his room. Before he would only go in there to sleep, now he loves to play in it too.
We’re not all the way done, so I plan on doing a more in depth post on his room decor when it’s all finished.
Day 2 – Movie and Shopping Date
This day felt super, super lazy. We pretty much lounged around the house and took our time getting ready. I had been wanting to see the movie Aladdin so we went to the 11:40 a.m. showing.
Going into it, I knew I would like it, but I didn’t know just how much. I ended up loving it! When watching the previews I wasn’t sure how I felt about the cast they chose, but after seeing the movie I honestly can’t picture anyone else! Before the movie I was skeptical of Will Smith as the Genie. There’s no replacing Robert Williams, but Will Smith did a fantastic job and truly made it his own. We plan on buying the movie when it comes out, and the sound track.
After the movie we took advantage of the time we had before getting Gryffin from daycare and went to the mall and Barnes & Noble since we were right there. We shared a pretzel and cheese and walked around. It was just nice to spend time together just the two of us.
Day 3 – Family Day!
We had made plans with friends of ours and their two little boys and went Jump and Bounce, an indoor trampoline park. I say trampoline park, but really it was a bunch of giant bounce houses and a huge blow-up slide.
Gryffin is a pretty timid child so he was pretty skeptical of everything at first. I took him on the giant bouncy with a basket ball hoop and threw some balls around for a while, then he went in the small child play area for a while, and then “drove” in a pink car.
I couldn’t get him to go down the giant slide until the very I end. I decided I would suck it up and carry him all the way to the top (I myself am afraid of heights, but I didn’t want him to miss out on something I knew he would have fun with!). I carried him up the first time and went down with him. He was still a little nervous, but willing to go up again – he finally smiled that time! Next thing I know he was happy to climb up the “stairs” all by himself with me behind him. Finally by the end he was going up and down all by himself and having the time of his life!
We went to get some McDonald’s and headed back to our house to hang out for a bit longer. Our friends had to leave mid-afternoon, so after nap time I called up my brother to see if he and the boys (boys being my nephews) wanted to go to the park with us. Yes! So, we went and got Subway on the way and ate at the park. It was a great way to end the day!
This was, by far, the funnest day of the week! It was our first time there and I only wish that we had gone sooner! We had a blast! Unfortunately we didn’t get a single picture, but that just means we were truly in the moment and soaking up our time there together.
**Just a note: since Mikey and I didn’t take a single picture, all photos are from Silverwood and their website.
After walking around a while and trying to figure out what was where (I totally regret not picking up a park map), we rented a locker to put our stuff in and headed straight for the lazy river.
Elkhorn Creek
PC: Silverwood
I mean, what better way to start off, right?! After two rounds we figured it was time to hit up something bigger/better.
Avalanche Mountain
PC: Silverwood
This was a fun one! Since you can fit 4 people in the tube we were actually able to cut in line since there was another couple ahead of us that needed two more people. The more the merrier right?! I liked this one!
Next we decided to explore a little more and went to the other side of the park for the more traditional rides. Next up…
Roaring Creek Log Flume
PC: Silverwood
Obviously with only a 40 foot drop, this was a milder ride, but it was fun! You better believe I screamed my head off going down that little drop right there. Honestly, you would have thought I was on the corkscrew ride…
Lunch – Subs & Spuds
This was the most disappointing part of the day. We were only the 4th/5th people in line and we waited about 30 minutes for a practically pre-made sandwich. The people in front of us were being difficult and changing their mind on what they wanted and, to top it off, the poor kid working the stand was clearly new – not that it was his fault at all, I actually felt bad for him, it just didn’t help.
Next we went and got back into the lazy river. Clearly this was our favorite part. It was so relaxing just floating by. *happy sigh*
Ricochet Rapids
PC: Silverwood
Next we headed to another tube ride. This was a bit more intense than I was expecting. First, it was a really long line (felt like a 45 minute wait, give or take) and I quickly regretted not getting in line earlier that morning right after Avalanche Mountain, but it was fine, lines are inevitable.
When it was my and Mikey’s turn, we climbed in and they pushed us off (just the two of us this time). Unfortunately the tube immediately turned so my back was facing down the slide, so I had absolutely no idea what was coming up. The first was a very small corner but I made sure to scream at the top of my lungs. I wish I could have taken a picture of the girls faces who were next, because their mouths dropped open and had a slight look of doom. Ha!
So down we went, we were up one side and down the other, I couldn’t see a blasted thing except for Mikey’s face. After a minute of literally ricocheting down Mikey yells “Oh no! Watch out!” Then I heard loud gushing water and just in time I close my eyes and held my breath. I couldn’t breath for a split second as my head was under the “waterfall”. I started feeling motion sick but quickly realized I had my eyes still closed. The second I opened them I immediately felt better but it was a challenge keeping them open because I was paranoid we were going to run into another waterfall as I couldn’t see what else was coming. A split second later we shot out of the tunnel and we were done. I was glad that was over.
I might do that ride again…but I also might not lol.
There were more rides we wanted to go on but we were also getting short on time, so we decided just to walk around and explore some more. We ended with a couple Slurpee’s and strolled back to the car.
Our car was a sauna! Our car registered the temperature at 104 degrees, what a great day to spend in the water! We happily drove home and changed before picking our little boy up from daycare.
We wanted to make sure to squeeze in at least one more fun day with Gryffin so we planned a day to go to the new aquarium that opened. In the grand scheme of aquarium’s it’s a pretty small one, however, considering its location in a mall, it’s a decent size.
Gryffin really liked looking at all the colorful fish, especially the clown and angle fishes. My personal favorite part was petting the stingray’s. They also had some lizards and a turtle you could pet. Not to mention a bird exhibit as well.
Gryffin especially liked the fun water tables they had.
He had missed his nap time otherwise I think his reacations to everything would have been a bit more animated, but I could tell he liked it!
Ending the Weekend
Saturday came and I was exhausted, so between doing laundry and napping we didn’t do much else. Sunday was pouring rain pretty much all day so we stayed in and just got ready for the week.
Overall we had a great time. Not quite your typical vacation, but definitely not bad! Can’t wait for our next one!
They say time goes by even faster after having kids (just one in my case), and it couldn’t be more true. I’m so happy to be back in the blog world!
So let me reintroduce myself!
About me!
My name is Cami! I’m a wife and mom from Washington state. Â
I love to travel and I often plan virtual vacations just for the heck of it. I love photography but forget to actually take pictures all the time. And, of course, I love reading and watching blogs and vlogs. Â
Moving on…Â Â Â
I am an administrative assistant and work full-time outside the home.
I spend most of my time playing with my little boy and trying to keep up with housework (ha. ha.).Â
Family
My husband and I have been married since 2008! We met at a conference center where we worked in Cannon Beach, OR.Â
After being introduced, we just kept hanging out together. Before we knew it, we were official “boyfriend and girlfriend”. 2 years later we got engaged. 7 months later we were married, and *bam!*, just like that it’s been 11 years.Â
We have since moved to Washington state and now have this little guy right here.
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Gryffin, just turned 2 years old this past March! So far he is our only baby (aside from our fur baby). He’s rather shy at first, but also has been known to wave and loudly say hi to every single person he sees in the store and parking lot. Â
This is Kahlua – the above referenced fur baby.Â
We adopted her from an animal shelter after we were married for 2 years. This girl gave us a run for our money (oh, the stories we have) but she has turned into the sweetest dog. She took a while to warm up to Gryffin, but she’s come a long way!Â
The Blog
So, what’s this blog about? Well, it’s about life and sharing it with all of you!
Work life, home life, mom life – it’s all overwhelming! I plan on sharing my routines, advice, the good days, the bad days, and everything in between.Â
I love the “What’s in my bag?” posts, and seeing what’s on your cleaning list, and what you do on the weekends. This is my place to share it all!
Welcome to my little corner of the world!
Comment, connect, and click that little “Follow Me” button!
Simply Blissful 