The All-In-One Gift..

My husband (Khalid) and I had a talk. We have three weeks vacation in June that we have to prepare. With three kids in tow, we have to travel on a budget and really have to plan ahead of time. For the last 3-4 years, we've been going back to the Philippines at least once a year and every time we usually allocate 3-4 days stay on a beach. Though we had lots of fun on those trips, this year I'd like it to be different. Its hard to admit folks, I'm turning 35 this year and I have this promise to myself years ago that every five years (started ten years ago) I have to do something new or visit places I've never been to and so this is the year.2012.


Anyway, back to the talk, I suggested a few places and Khalid did too. Somehow he mentioned the place that I thought just perfect for us to visit! To be fair, I gave him exactly three seconds to take it back.(haha!) I know men rarely change their mind and given just 3 seconds fast, he never had the chance. :D  Even if he did though, I wouldn't have heard it anyway because I was already busy applauding and telling him how smart he was to suggest the perfect place. You can imagine how ecstatic I was at that time and I guess, my sweet husband just saw me glowing of excitement. From there the decision was made.

 

We are going to... Paris, France!

Oh Paris ,I'm coming to see yah!!!

The kids and I are very excited. We can't wait to see The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Cathedral Notre Dame and the famous Champs Elysées. To have petite pain au chocolat for breakfast and drink latte at a sidewalk cafe in the afternoon watching people go by in that beautiful city is just pure pleasure. Haayy (day dreaming)


Wake up, Me! :)


The trip is only a few months away that means I have lots of planning to do and of course budgeting as well. Speaking of budgetting, the kids agreed to save their money from the newspaper delivery for the trip. I also told my husband that he doesn't have to get me anything on Valentines Day or Mother's Day or my birthday or even on our anniversary. Ain't that nice of me. ;)haha..  Lets just call the trip to Paris, the All-in-One Gift.  So far everyone is on board and working together to make this awesome vacation a success.

For our friends/readers, please free to leave us stories, tips and suggestions  that you may have about family travelling to Europe (comment box below). I will gladly appreciate it. Thanks.

Hawaii- Quick Getaway

2011 was a fun year for the family.  We had a few quick getaway trips and one of them was to  Honolulu, Hawaii....

April, 2011

The family went to Hawaii for 4 days with friends.  The kids were ecstatic to have their friend, Kaitlyn (our friends 10yr old daughter) on vacation. yehheey!! Like they say, the more the merrier!
I should say, we did alot on that 4 day trip. We wanted to do something different each day to make it more fun and eventful. Here's a quick run through...

Day 1: Off to the beach.!!, . That's the main reason of going to Hawaii, right?  :)) We had our fill of the crashing waves, warm sand, the heat and the sun..... that also goes to say, we all got toasted on the very first day :/ but it was alright, everybody was happy and satisfied.

Enjoying the beach!!

Day 2: The road trip! Everyone wanted to see the rest of  Honolulu so we decided to rent cars  and off for a drive around the island.  I wanted to visit the Macadamia Nut Farm Outlet, the kids wanted to venture the maze at The Dole Pineapple Plantation, little Sean asked for a swim again, another wanted to visit Pearl Harbor and the list goes on...
Backpacks loaded with snacks and drinks, route all planned out, maps ready..we started early morning on our second day..

Day 3: Snokeling!!  Hanauma Bay's most popular activity is snorkeling. Swimming above the rocks and spotting a variety of sea creature was a fun way to spend the day.. 

 Day 4: Our last day :( We had breakfast at the hotel, went out for a quick swim and did our last minute shopping. Time just went so fast that it was then time to pack our bags and fly back home. 

We had lots of fun in Hawaii. The kids loved the experience so much that they've been talking about it for months. One thing I know for sure, we will be coming back...soon

Here are some little things to remember: 

1. Sunscreens: Bring tons and remember to apply before you leave the hotel and every 2 hours if you are on the beach even if the label says "Waterproof". 
2. Plan your day. It's alot easier if you know what you want to do and where you want to go. 
3. It's always handy to have a stash of on-the-go snacks and drinks specially with kids.
4. Don't forget the cameras, extra memory cards and battery chargers. 
5. Small First-aid kit.

I'm sure there are more of the "little things" to to keep in mind, please feel free to share some of yours.