Yesterday was my 2nd Mother’s Day (well, actually my 3rd since I had a few treats on the Mother’s Day 2 years ago when I was pregnant with Trent). Brett totally outdid himself last year, so I told him he didn’t have to go so crazy this year. Remember this from last year? <3
The plan was just to relax at home. Brett went to Dunkin Donuts and brought back some donuts and iced vanilla coffee. I, as usual, ate too many and was ready for a nap almost immediately after waking up. Trent wasn’t ready yet, so we played for a bit and eventually took a too-short nap. Looks like I wasn’t going to get an extra long nap as a gift for Mother’s Day
Before dinner, they gave me a gift of the cutest card, a Turvis cup and some chocolate.
The card is really neat…it comes with a little thing that you rub on the child’s hand and/or foot and press it onto the card, which is made of special paper that makes the hand/footprint show up and stay on there. So cute.
Trent brought the card and Turvis filled with chocolate in to me and didn’t even want to give me a kiss…he wanted a piece of chocolate, to which he shouted “Mmmm GOOD!”
Later on in the evening, Brett cooked a delicious meal…steak with mushrooms and onions (all things he hates so he makes it special for me), broccoli, salad and a baked potato.
All so delicious…and completely consumed.
Dessert was a super easy and tasty frozen pie he whipped up and we enjoyed while watching the Amazing Race.
It was a nice day, and I still feel so stuffed from such a good dinner I almost didn’t eat breakfast today. Thank you to my amazing men
In the year that British writer Sophie Hannah writes the first Hercule Poirot story after 39 years, The Monogram Murders, also come the stories of little known detective Jules Poiret, who inspired Agatha Christie to write her little Belgian detective.
I’ve talked about Mother’s Day a couple of times so far, but now that we are actually in May and the countdown is on, I wanted to post a little gift guide with some more ideas if you still need them.
1. Aurorae Scented Soy Wax Candle
Candles are always a good gift, but I like these from Aurorae because they come in a cute little tin and the scents are based on aromatherapy to go above and beyond the average candle. Plus, Aurorae is a yoga and spa retailer, so I think they know a thing or two about creating a relaxing environment. Their Lavender scented candle is their most popular, but I have personally tried the Tropical scent and it is amazing…perfect for mom to turn her home into a tropical oasis for spring/summer!
Bonus! During the month of May on Amazon, you can score 20% off Aurorae candles with code AYBLOG03 and all Aurorae yoga products are on sale with code AYBLOG14. Shop all Aurorae products on Amazon here!
Double bonus!! Enter the giveaway for an Aurorae Scented soy Wax Candle at the bottom of this post!
2. Nail Polish set
These colors are so pretty for spring and summer and will keep mom ready for sandals and flip-flops all season long.
3. Photo Canvas
So many sites are running Mother’s Day deals right now, pick one and order a large canvas print of her favorite family photo. Or be sneaky and have a photo taken of the kids and/or grandkids without her knowing and surprise her with the canvas print. She will love it! Our favorite place to order Canvas Prints is from Canvas on Demand…excellent quality and amazing customer service.
4. Pretty stationary (like this set from Rifle Paper Co.)
Help mom tackle her to-do list in style with pretty stationary. We can get lost in technology and sometimes it’s nice to get back to basics with handwritten notes, letters and lists. I found these pretty designs at Ginger P Designs, which also offers a subscription service…it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Even better…send her a handwritten card instead of an ecard.
5. Flowers (like these from TheBouqs.com)
I’m sorry, I know I’ve said it before, but it doesn’t get much easier than ordering a bouquet online and having it shipped directly to her door. This is such a great option for those that have moms that don’t live nearby (in which case, you’ll want to spring for the deluxe bouquet to make up for her not seeing you :P)
Because cooking is more fun with bowls like this. Well, so I’ve heard…
While you’re thinking of gifts for mom, why not treat yourself to something too? Thanks to the wonderful folks at Aurorae, one lucky reader will win an Aurorae Scented Soy Wax Candle in the scent of their choosing! See below for details and to enter!
**Giveaway**
WIN: One lucky reader will win an Aurorae Scented Soy Wax Candle
Eligibility: US Only
Ends: May 11, 2026 at 11:59pm EST (Mother’s Day!)
How to enter: Use the Rafflecopter form below.
I will contact the winner by email the day after the giveaway ends. The winner will have 48 hours to respond with their information.
Today was the day we were looking forward to the most, our day at Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay…and it did not disappoint! This was such a fun day and I can’t wait to tell you about it…and there’s a video too!
We started the day like every other…with breakfast in Cabanas. Each day, I enjoyed pancakes with whipped cream and strawberries, eggs, bacon and potatoes. Trent would have cereal and fruit.
After breakfast, we got off the ship and made our way to the beach.
On the walk to the beach, there were several characters taking photos. Even though we were not the first ones off the ship, there were plenty of available lounge chairs. We decided to set up shop on the first family beach under an umbrella, so that we would be nearest to the snorkeling area…since Brett would be snorkeling for a while.
Brett brought his snorkeling gear, along with the GoPro and GoPro scuba mask, so that he could film his snorkeling adventures. The videos turned out so great! They were so clear and you could see everything he was seeing…I had a difficult time narrowing it down, but managed to get it under 10 minutes. Watch the snorkeling video below!
As I’ve mentioned before, Trent did not like the beach last year, so we got him water shoes and hoped for the best. And he loved it! I was so happy. In fact, once I saw he was ok with playing in the sand, I immediately walked to one of the shops and got a really cute duffle bag with multi-colored sand toys in it for him to play with. It was very reasonably priced and he played with every single toy that came in it.
Not only did I get a spot with 2 lounge chairs, but there were two regular beach chairs right in front of the lounge chairs. These were easier to sit in to be closer to Trent and play with him without having to actually sit in the sand. There were so many open spots that I didn’t feel bad taking up 4 chairs.
I also brought my chair down to the water (like quite a few other people) so Trent could play in the water and sand down there too.
And look! No water shoes. I took them off to see if they needed to have sand dumped out and since he kept on playing while they were off, I just left them off.
There were two little sisters playing next to us and Trent kept going up to them and trying to interact, but they didn’t know how to react, so they just kind of played near each other for a little while. There was another little girl that showed up with her family that sat next to us and she kept playing with Trent. He was a little ladies’ man
{sorry for the blur}
Playing at the beach sure is tiring!
It was so relaxing lounging under the umbrella. While Trent slept, I just took in the scenery and relished in the fact that it was in the forties and raining back at home and I was in the seventies without a drop of rain sight. Perfection.
Yes, even without a margarita…
Brett came back to us after snorkeling and since Trent was still sleeping, he brought all of his snorkeling gear back onto the ship, showered and changed, and grabbed his camera gear to take photos the rest of the afternoon.
Shortly after Brett got back, Trent woke up and it was time for lunch! Our beach spot was very conveniently located directly across from the one of the lunch pavilions. They serve BBQ type food, ice cream and soda and it’s all free!
After eating way too much, we took a stroll to the splash pad area for Trent to play in and then we went back to our spot on the beach to gather our things up. We had left our non-expensive items there knowing we’d only be a short walk away for a short amount of time. I didn’t have any worries about it…since there was hardly anyone near our spot. When I was packing up Trent’s sand toys, I noticed his blue bucket was missing. I was so sad! He had held and used that bucket the entire time he was playing on the beach, so I was disappointed that it was gone…but I don’t give up so easily! I scanned around and noticed that a family by the water with only one child had two blue buckets just sitting in the sand near them not being played with. Even though I felt extremely awkward, I went up to the mom and told her we were missing a blue bucket and wondered if both were hers. I don’t remember my exact words, but I tried so hard not be rude about it. Turns out, only one was hers! I didn’t even ask how it happened, I just took one and was thankful I had gotten his bucket back. I know this may sound ridiculous to some of you, as Trent wouldn’t even remember the blue bucket or know it was gone, but if I have opportunity to get something back that belongs to him, then I’m taking it…and I’m glad I did.
So the moral of the story is, only leave items at the beach that you are ok if it “wanders off”. I’m not saying someone stole a blue beach bucket, but most kids don’t know boundaries and think anything they see on the beach is for everyone.
After we gathered everything up, which luckily wasn’t much, we walked a bit to the bike rentals, so we could ride bikes to the observation tower on the other side of the island. Trent had never been on a bike before, so he was a bit freaked out, especially because there were a thousand people all in that little area buying bikes, returning them, etc. and the employee that was helping us was like right in Trent’s face and then we had to put a helmet on him…he was not happy! So we quickly strapped him in the child seat, put his helmet on and rode a bit down the road to get away from all the people…then we stopped to adjust the helmet and make sure everything was secure, and then we were on our way.
The bike ride was about 10 minutes and was so leisurely and fun! I recorded Trent…but for some reason I had the hardest time steering straight while recording! I guess it’s like a pat your belly and rub your tummy thing. You’ll have to stay tuned for our trip video to see the fun
Once we arrived at the observation tower, we parked our bikes and climbed to the top…and enjoyed the view!
I spy with my little eye…2 hidden not-so-hidden Mickeys!
There are some props scattered around the area to look at, but it’s mostly a rocky, marshy area.
We then rode around a bit more, parked our bikes at the Serenity Bay bike return and took the Tram to the 2nd Family Beach, which has a fun slide/play area! If we ever come back, I bet Trent will love it. Oh, who am I kidding, can I go on too???
While we were walking, I noticed a few beach wagons parked in a small area off to the side of the walkway, so I grabbed one, put Trent and our stuff in it and pulled that instead of carrying it all! So much better! These are in several spots on the island and are free to use if any are available, with the unspoken request that you return them to a designated spot when you are finished..
{You can see the container of those duffel bags with the beach toys in them in the background. They were everywhere and like 50% of the kids on the beach had one lol}
Before getting on the Tram to be dropped off at the closest stop by the ship, we took some more photos by the recreational rentals.
These look fun!
That’s a big tire!
Hush mom!
So beautiful.
The lines to get back on the ship were pretty long. There were two but we still probably waited in line at least 15 minutes.
After we got back on the ship, we quickly changed and brought Trent to the Open House hours at the final Youth Club we hadn’t visited…the Oceaneers Lab! This was where the Toy Story room was…and where Trent had the most fun out of the three Youth Clubs.
I mean, how fun is this room?!
There was also a Monsters Inc room.
When we got back to the room, Toy Story was on the tv…how convenient! Just a boy and his sheep watching tv in the Caribbean.
Tonight was Pirate Night! Of course, we couldn’t attend a theme night without dressing up too! Trent as the adorable, swashbuckling matey and me as the pregnant wench lol.
For dinner on Pirate night, you go to the restaurant that you attended the night before, which for us was the Royal Palace. No matter which restaurant you’re at, everyone gets the same Pirate menu.
Unfortunately, we had the hardest time choosing our dishes tonight…nothing really stood out.
For Trent’s appetizer, we asked the head waiter if we could get just a bowl of strawberries, since that is what he had been eating the most of at the time. We were a bit shocked when we were told “maybe” and that he would check. What?! The HEAD WAITER needs to see if he can grab a bowl of some strawberries for a toddler on a cruise ship that serves them at all the bars with alcoholic drinks that don’t get sold because everyone brings their own alcohol on board??? (Say that three times fast) You have to search the ship for some strawberries? Sorry, but we would never have heard that on the Royal Caribbean boat. He ended up bringing a small bowl with not nearly as many as we would have liked, but at least we got some…and Trent ate them all.
We both started with The Buccaneer’s Sun-Ripened Pineapple - fresh island pineapple with a coconut covered banana and orange glaze.
Brett got the Jerk Chicken Salad - jerk-seasoned chicken strips over fresh crispy greens with a citrus dressing and plantain chips.
I got the Mr. Smee’s Bibb Lettuce Saladwith bibb lettuce, baby greens, chicory, tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and raspberry vinaigrette
For dinner, Brett had the Treasures of the Seas Grilled Shrimp and Seared Scallops - served on strings of pasta and fresh creamy tomato sauce.
Trent had pizza for dinner and for dessert, had the chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.
Brett had the Floating Island - crisp meringue, vanilla anglaise and marinated fruits.
I chose the Banana-Chocolate Crepe - with mango coulis and coconut. I was expecting something like the crepes at the France pavilion in Epcot, but instead got a banana wrapped in a tortilla…like a children’s snack. Blech.
Overall, we were not really impressed with any of the dishes.
Before dinner, we attended the Pirate Party on the deck, but it was only just a short little play…like only 15 minutes. We were disappointed that we had dressed up for such a short event…in fact the entire “Theme night” wasn’t as much as it’s hyped up to be and we were expecting much more.
Luckily, the fireworks were awesome. I had asked a cast member where they would appear in the sky and we found a great spot that wasn’t crowded one bit. It was so neat that we were watching fireworks in the middle of the Caribbean.
After the fireworks, we called it a night and looked forward to our day at sea the next day…little did I know what the day would end up being like for me…
How was your Easter? Ours was absolutely wonderful. The weather? Not so much, but at least it wasn’t raining.
We started with Trent getting his Easter basket. We let him wander into the living room, where we had it sitting on the table, and at first he didn’t see it. So we had to turn him around and say “What’s that, Trent?” and he ran up to it but then stopped just short and stared at it, looked back at us until we said “Go ahead and see what’s in there!”
We focused more on non-candy items, a Mickey plush he actually found at Target the other day, a pinwheel, board books, stickers, a little monster truck, a water gun and, wait for it, silly string…which may or may not end up being a complete disaster.
So of course, what does he find first? One of the three rolls of Smarties candy I placed in there. Figures.
He didn’t even want to wait for the wrapper to come off.
He was a happy boy.
He even had to show Sheepy his new toys.
We then went to Brett’s mom’s house for food and an egg hunt.
Our after-dinner entertainment. P-nut was not amused.
New this year…Brett’s mom set up an iced coffee station. Yum.
While the eggs were being hidden outside, the kids waited impatiently inside. Even though he had absolutely no idea what was going on, he managed to get his hands on two baskets. Why only have one basket, when you can have two?
Someone was ready to go.
Ok, let’s go hunt for some eggs!
We sectioned off an area just for Trent and the rest of the yard was for the two older kids. At first, Trent just wanted to run with them and away from us because he thought we were trying to take him away from the fun. Eventually, he let me show him to put the egg in the basket, and from then on he was an egg hunting professional!
He had a blast! So did I - it was so fun watching how cute he was and how excited he got every time he found an egg.
There was also a big kid collision as they raced towards the final egg…the pink basket did not make it
After the egg hunt, we went inside to see what goodies were in the eggs.
On Saturday, we decided to try a new beach…Grayton Beach State Park. It was about 2.5 hours away, which is only about 10 minutes more than the beach we normally go to, but the drive back allowed us to stop at Pier Park in Panama City Beach to enjoy some Red Robin and shopping. We went with some family members and we must bring a lot of stuff because we each had our own “cargo” to carry to the beach.
Even the pregnant woman had to pull 45+ pounds in the Radio Flyer wagon with a 30 pound toddler on my shoulders. The things us moms do!
After all was said and done, this was our little home on the beach for a few hours. That canopy was such an improvement over our umbrella…we had lots of shade. Perfect for a red-haired toddler to play under.
The two times we brought Trent to the beach last year (here and here), he was absolutely NOT a fan of the sand or the ocean. But since he did really well at Castaway Cay in the Bahamas during our cruise, we had high hopes for him being much better this year…and he was! He was trying to get me to put him down as soon as we found our spot! After the mandatory sunscreen application process, he immediately started playing with all of his beach toys.
Brett kept busy by building a sand replica of Main Street USA and Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom!
And then we let Trent destroy it.
Another new item this beach trip was this inflatable beach pool. We had seen and tried a version of this from Pinterest last year using a shower curtain, but we bought this from Zulily a few months ago and it is much easier to set up and hardly gets any sand in it. (They also have it on Amazon)
The ocean water was a little chilly, so when we first got there, we set up this pool, poured the water in it and let it warm up a little. Trent had his own little pool and he loved it.
Then it was time to head down to the water.
I walked him down to the ocean, but let him stand on his own to figure out whether he liked it or not.
We think it definitely helped for him to have water shoes on…it was easier for him to run around and not have to think about the sand or seashells touching his feet, which he didn’t like last year.
He would stand back and watch for a few seconds, then run towards the water and then run back. Back and forth…he did a lot of running while we were there and he was definitely much braver!
Jessi was a tad happy…can you tell?
Delicious zero calorie sparkling flavored water…yum.
After a few hours, it was nap time, so we set up the umbrella to block any wind and sun with a little spot for Trent. He fell right asleep…I wanted to join him!
After Trent woke up, we packed up our temporary home and headed towards Pier Park in Panama City Beach to enjoy a tasty dinner at Red Robin. Trent was well-rested and quite rambunctious during our meal.
A must have at every visit to Red Robin…freckled lemonade with free refills!
I had a Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Burger with fries. It was good, but I could have used a little more BBQ sauce on it, as it was a little bland.
Brett had a fried chicken sandwich with cheese.
I love how the sides at Red Robin are endless…endless fries, endless broccoli, endless salad. Too bad I don’t think I’ve ever taken advantage of the “endless” benefit.
After dinner, we walked around the shops for a bit and enjoyed the nice afternoon/early evening.
We ended the day with some ice cream and Starbucks. Trent was a fan of the peanut butter and chocolate ice cream Brett picked out.
Can’t you tell?
I was so glad that Trent enjoyed this beach this time and we are so excited to take him more often. In fact, he slept so well the rest of the weekend…and THAT is a darn good reason to go back, as well!!
I hope your weekend was just as great!
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The Photographer's Wife Parenting, Disney, Travel, Reviews & Other Randomness
