Whale and Dolphin Watching at Dana Wharf

We just got back from another great family vacation. One of the things we've wanted to do for a while now is take our kids whale and dolphin watching sometime when were in Southern California. For the longest time we felt like our kiddos were a bit to young so that's why we haven't in years past. This year our kids are a little bit older, and Ava has the biggest passion for animals. We knew she'd love an experience like this. 

We partnered with Dana Wharf and were able to go out on one of their two hour whale watching trips. Located in beautiful Dana Point, California they have been taking people on excursions for sport fishing and whale watching since 1971. 

The day we choose to go was a beautiful overcast day in sunny Southern California. I was excited that it wasn't to hot, and thankful for an over cast day for picture taking. You never know what you're going to get, how many whales or dolphins we'd see. Ava was mostly excited to see dolphins because she loves them so much. 

It was quite a ways out to ride on the boat, luckily there was a deck below where we could sit and enjoy the ride and stay away from some of the cold wind that day. We shared some snacks with the kids and played games. During the excursions their knowledgeable staff let's you know what is going on. He announced over the speaker that we were coming up upon a pod of dolphins and we knew that was our chance to see these amazing creatures. 

One of the coolest things I've had the chance to see was this massive pod of them swimming in the ocean. Dolphins travel in pods together, mostly females and their babies. It was incredible to see them jumping out of the water and swimming all around the boat. 

We were able to see one whale that day, the Minke whale. Known as the "stinky Minke" because well..... they stink. Seriously so stinky, but so fun to see a whale swimming around. I love the ocean so much, there's just something about seeing all that God's created and being right out there in the middle of it. It's the coolest. 

Some tips for whale watching with kids:

1. Bring a back pack filled with snacks, water and an activity for them to do. It's a bit of a ride out to where the whales and dolphins are. Bring something along so they don't get bored while riding out there. And snacks are always a good option. 
2. Bring a light coat or sweater. If you happen to go on an over cast day like we did you may have kiddos that get cold. Or you may get cold yourself, we tend to forget how cold sitting near the ocean can be, especially combined with wind from the boat ride.
3. There aren't life jackets provided, so if this is something concerning to you make sure to bring your own. 

We had the best time as a family. If you're looking for something to do on your next family vacation I highly encourage you to take a whale watching excursion with Dana Wharf. Their staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. Plus your kids will be talking about it all Summer long and have great stories to tell when they go back to school about what they did on their Summer vacation! 

If you're looking to connect with Dana Wharf visit their site here.

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This post was sponsored by Dana Wharf. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands and business that help make this blog possible. 

DEL MAR BEACH

We spent President's Day weekend soaking up the sun + beach in California. Any day we get to spend at the beach is a good day. We have sweet friends from college that live in SoCal and it was a fun weekend to visit them.  

The water was freezing, I only dipped my toes in for a little bit. The kids and Orion went in farther but they had so much fun! 

Collecting shells with my girl on the beach. It's her favorite and I love seeing how excited to gets over finding each one. We take them home and store them in mason jars from each beach visit. 

We had the best time with friends at the beach, can't wait to go back again when it's a bit warmer. 

What about you, are you a beach person? My ideal vacation is anywhere there's sun, sand and the ocean. 

My Travel Packing Tips & Tricks!

It's no secret that I love travel around here. I've pretty much narrowed down my packing to a science of what works and doesn't for me when packing for a trip. I pretty much pack the same way for all my traveling. In today's video I share my tips and tricks and also how I'm packing my things. 

Here's a few tips:

1. P L A N

I always plan well in advance my outfits and what I'm bringing. I feel that this helps weed out the clutter and over packing that we all tend to do. Plan out my outfits and only bring what I need for that trip.

2. GET A BAG WITH LOTS OF POCKETS 

I love traveling with a carry suitcase with lots of pockets as you will see in the video. I also choose my carry on/purse with the same idea in mind. This helps keep everything organized, neat and together. 

3. PACK AHEAD OF TIME TO ALLOW YOURSELF TIME TO WEED OUT WHAT YOU DON'T NEED.

This is key to my not over packing. I'll start my packing and planning the week before usually. I'll pull everything out and then start weeding through it and seeing what I can pare down and what don't I actually need. Usually I week out an extra pair of shoes or two. 

4. PICK PEICES THAT CAN MIX & MATCH AND GO WITH EACH OTHER.

When planning my outfits I try using this rule. Shoes that can go with more than one outfit, a jacket or sweater than can do the same, etc. This helps again, so that I don't over pack. 

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Any other tips you'd add to the list? I'd love to hear your favorite tips or tricks in the comments below!

Exploring Downtown Indianapolis

The Influence Conference ended late Saturday evening, there was no way I was jumping on a early flight. Especially since my flight choices home were 6 am or 9 pm. I choose to take the later flight. Lucky for my I had some friends do the same, so we made a day of exploring downtown Indy.

My day started with sleeping in. Hallelujah! All the praise hands for this because normally my wake up time at home is 5:30 am! 

Jessie so sweetly ran downstairs to the Starbucks that was in the hotel and brought me oatmeal & coffee. 

We took our time in the morning and got ready as we pleased. Thank goodness for late check outs. Then we headed down town to start walking and decided on a lunch spot. 

It's a good thing Jessie was with me, I'm horrible at directions and probably would have gotten so lost on my own. It was a really nice day outside, and I learned that Indy is the second largest city with the most monuments next to D.C.

And it showed there was all sorts of historical monuments to check out along our walk.

We sat along these steps for a long time after lunch people watching and talking. 

Lunch at Bru Burger on Mass Ave. Great food, and in a cute little area with lots of shopping and cute little shops.

Thankful these ladies spent the day with me and I wasn't alone in my travel day. We all shared an Uber to the airport before saying our good byes and heading home. 

1 to Minnesota.

2 to Arizona.

Thankful for these friendships.

Have you ever been to Indianapolis? If so, what are your favorite places there? Tell me in the comments below. 

5 Things to Buy or Bring Before Your Disneyland Trip!

We learned very quickly last year that Disneyland will allow you to bring a lot of items into the park, which is such a great help for families! Besides the obvious water + snacks because those are no brainers; I wanted to offer my suggestions on five other items that are worth buying or bringing into the park with you! 

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1. Glow Sticks

They are everywhere! And will cost you a fortune if you don't buy them before hand! Stock up on cheap glow sticks at your local dollar store and your kiddos will be so excited come parade or firework time! 

2. Bubbles

See above reasons! You children will thank you, and they easily entertain little ones during long lines and wait times.

3. Princess or Dress Up costumes

If you have a child who loves dress up, I encourage you to bring 1 or 2 costumes into the park for them to wear. Costumes at Disneyland can run you anywhere from $50 and up, you don't want to be having situation where you're buying a costume you already have because you didn't bring one before hand. We let Ava bring 2 costumes, and she could wear one each day we were at the park. She ended up only wearing one the second day we were there but it was still nice to have the option for her.

4. An extra change of clothing & shoes.

I encourage a second pair of shoes and clothing in case of accidents, water spills and just general comfort. Ava started out wearing a skirt on the first day and quickly changed into shorts halfway through the day for comfort. I also brought extra pairs of shoes for them in case they got wet during some of the water stuff, or their feet hurt because they were wearing sandals and needed a tennis shoe. 

5. Disney themed t-shirts.

This is one of my best money saving tips! Stock up on Disney themed shirts before you hit the park. T-shirts are expensive and I'd rather spend my money on more unique items to bring home. We bought our shirts at Wal-mart, but Kohls also sells some great Disney themed shirts and Target too. 

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If you've been to the parks before what would you add to the list? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!