Charlotte's 5th Birthday Party at MY Museum

We celebrated Charlotte's 5th birthday a few weekends back. Her actual birthday is on the 19th, in a couple of days. I think I planned her party in all of one week, which is the opposite of how I normally plan things, but with a big move in the immediate future, Kyle in a different city and her party falling on a holiday weekend, we did our best and it turned out fantastic. 

The ease of the party was in large part to MY Museum (who just won Monterey Bay Parent's awards for "Best Indoor Birthday Party" and "Best Place to Play Inside"). From booking the party with their staff to them helping us out to our car with all of the gifts, leftover food, etc. after the party they could not have been more helpful and accommodating. 

I dropped off some tablecloths and balloons on the Friday before our party and when we arrived on Sunday, they were all set and ready to go. They include red tablecloths and coordinating balloons in the package, but you are able to bring in your own if you prefer. 

Speaking of theme, we didn't really have one because Charlotte kept changing her mind, but we ultimately ended up with unicorns and dress up. All of the party supplies were purchased locally from Target and Dollar Tree! 

Yummy Monterey Donuts!

The only slot available when I booked was a Sunday morning from 9-11am, before the museum opens for the day. A few positives, the whole space is yours and you can invite up to 75 people and you can have adult beverages (hello, bloody marys and mimosas). I looked into having some breakfast quiches/casseroles, fruit, pastries catered, but then asked Kyle if we would whip up some casseroles and he did an excellent job! We had a tater tot casserole, oatmeal bake, egg casserole and fresh fruit with lime-honey vinaigrette. Instead of a traditional cake, we had DONUTS! 

Amazing Daddy, Chef and Bartender!

MY Museum allows you in 15 minutes before your start time to set up and decorate, but it was all hands on deck and we had everything in place before the first guest arrived. One of the staff members even chased after Huxie for me! 

Charlotte had an absolute blast being the birthday princess for the day! She is going to REALLY miss going to MY Museum. If you are local and don't have a membership, it is the best $100 you will spend. Sometimes we go for 30 minutes and sometimes we stay for 2 hours. 

MY Museum offers a few different packages for birthday parties. Check our their website for more information! I give them 5 stars and more for the easiest birthday party, ever!! 

The BIG 3-0 at Carmel Valley Ranch

This is 3-0!

My 30th birthday has come and gone and I have to admit, I don't feel much different! I was completely spoiled for my birthday and couldn't have asked for a better way to ring in the next decade!

Kyle threw me a surprise birthday at SUR! in the Barnyard the day before my actual birthday. I was completely surprised and so shocked to see all of my friends. Many who were leaving the next morning for international trips! I'm such a lucky girl! We had a great evening! I literally told Kyle, "The only thing that would make this better is going to a hotel and getting sleep"!

On the 14th, I woke up to a sweet voice saying, "Happy Birthday, Mommy". We had donuts, eggs and bacon and sang Happy Birthday. I opened all of my gifts and thought I was starting my day by going to run with Stroller Warriors. Kyle handed me a card and said that he didn't get me anything since we are going on a trip next month. I didn't think anything of it and opened the card. Inside were some sweet words and "We are going to Carmel Valley Ranch. Massage at 4pm and Dinner at 7:45pm" Seriously, this man knows the way to my heart.

I've talked about the American Express Platinum card in my previous post on our Babymoon. It is SERIOUSLY such a great deal. Annual fee is waived for military and the benefits are amazing. When you book at one of the FINE Hotels on their Travel Rewards site, you get the following perks:

• Early check in at 12noon 
• Late check out at 4pm 
• Breakfast for 2 (a $60 value) 
• Room Upgrade
• Free WIFI
• $100 Resort Credit (for spa or golf) 

The rates are sometimes a little bit higher, but the benefits totally outweigh the extra cost. 

We arrived to Carmel Valley Ranch and it was warm, sunny and so perfect! We checked in and were upgraded to an amazing suite with a bathtub on the patio. While we waited for our room to be available, we had lunch by the pool. I had salmon tacos and Kyle had a salmon salad. 

We checked into our room and lounged a bit before heading to the pool and spa. CVR does everything well. They have golf carts that transport you all around the property. They are super service-oriented. We lounged by the pool and I had my massage, too. It was excellent and a great way to spend my birthday. I was even greeted with a mini cupcake with a candle after my service was over. After soaking up the sun for a bit longer, we headed back to get ready for dinner. We had dinner on property at The Valley Kitchen. Dinner was delicious! Kyle ordered a steak and I had the pork. Both were delicious and wonderfully presented. They also served us their yummy "Carmel Valley Road" Ice Cream for my birthday and it was some of the yummiest ice cream I have EVER had! 

My entree! So yummy!

We couldn't pass up the daily offering of S'mores out by the pool, so we stopped there on our way home as well to have another sweet treat! So yummy. 

I think I was out to the world before 10pm. I was abruptly woken up at 4am when I realized I needed to pump and I was also freezing! CVR has A/C where our house does not, so needless to say, I was cold! We slept in till about 7am and the ordered a yummy breakfast from room service. 

After breakfast, Kyle headed back home to check on the kids and I headed down to the "River Ranch" to do a workout class. It was so great! After the class, I had a coffee and did some work while I enjoyed the fire pits. CVR is truly such a beautiful place. 

We headed to the pool to soak up every last minute of our time at CVR! My friend Jessica joined me for the afternoon and we dubbed it our new favorite place and are already scheming a way to get back! 

Can't beat this view!

If you have a chance to celebrate a special occasion at Carmel Valley Ranch, I would HIGHLY recommend it! 

Charlotte's 2nd Birthday at Bay & Bee

When the time rolled around to plan Charlotte's 2nd birthday there was one thing that came to mind... It would be the middle of summer and INCREDIBLY HOT! Last year, we celebrated Charlotte's 1st Birthday at my mom's house in Orlando since we were in transition from Hawaii to Jax. This year, I knew she would have more friends to invite, so I wanted to have the party somewhere that kids could have fun indoors (and not have toddlers destroy my house, lol) The easy choice was Bay & Bee! Bay & Bee is a locally-owned small business, inspired by Montessori and Waldorf educational principles to create a stimulating eco-friendly play environment. On top of that, it is air-conditioned and their amazing staff makes sure every detail is accounted for!

Once we knew the date and location, it was time to start working on a theme! Charlotte is fairly obsessed with Frozen right now, so I debated a Frozen party, but then was made aware by other moms that there would be plenty of time for a Frozen-themed party in future years! So, we decided on Flamingo theme and it turned out so cute!

I couldn't have done it without my sweet friend, Stephanie with Boogie & Bear. Just when we started planning the party, her sweet and beautiful daughter, Addison, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. When I heard the news, I told Stephanie that there is no way I could expect anything from her during this incredibly challenging time for her family. Stephanie totally went above and beyond with the invitation and decorations and her husband even delivered items to my doorstep! I seriously could not have asked for anything more and I would highly recommend her to anyone planning a shower, birthday party or if you are just looking for some monogrammed goods. Stephanie is so sweet and creative. Please lift her family up in prayer and that Addison may be cured of cancer and get back to being a little girl instead of dealing with this horrible illness.

Charlotte's adorable invite by Boogie & Bear 

Birthday Stats Poster by by Dandelion Design on Etsy

Cookie Favors by Jenn Rorstrom 

Flamingos from Pottery Barn Kids

Fabric banner by Boogie & Bear 

Cake by the always-amazing Publix and topper by Boogie & Bear! 

Monogram and "2" Cupcake Toppers by Boogie & Bear

We had Chick-fil-A cater and it was so easy! 

Of course, I had to match Char and found a Flamingo Romper for me online at Target!

Char's adorable Flamingo Romper by Bitty Bundles of Joy on Etsy

Happy Birthday to our big 2 year old!