mmm...

The smell of cookies in our home means the holidays have finally hit! I can't help but share the cutest boxes I found at work, and got my discount on, which is even sweeter :-) !!

Anyone want to do a recipe swap? I need to spruce up my holiday go-to's... 

Enjoying "El Caribe" in Cancun...

Well, we finally (sort of) took a honeymoon! Jeff and I have been planning our trip to Cancun since January. I found a great deal on LivingSocial for an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, and thought that it was now or never, especially since we plan on having more kids, and travelling with or without them would be harder to plan. We decided to take the girls, since they were free at the resort and this was family-friendly resort (hence the reason I say that it was a sort-of honey moon). Needless to say, Cancun did not disappoint! It was a gorgeous 75-80 degrees the whole time we were there, with the water's temperature matching. We stayed at one of the three Hoteles Solaris' resorts, GR Caribe. It was a gorgeous, smaller hotel, with a mexi-mediterranean decor. I am so glad they moved us to this one, instead of the original hotel we would stay at. It just had a more intimate feel. 

Our Hotel:

hotel adjoining ours, had most of the food and activities

this is the hotel we stayed in

my DREAM chandelier!

the Lagoon view from our roon

We arrived at 4 and settled in the first night. We immediately got in our swimsuits and ran to the beach first thing. The girls are just drawn to water, and with the water being warmer than Tahoe, I couldn't blame them for enjoying it longer than normal. After, we ate at the buffet, and then watched an Arabian-themed show in the plaza of our hotel. One guy tried to ask Claire to dance, but she was too shy:

The next morning, we ate breakfast at the cafe, and went straight to the beach. The water was still warm and the tide was low, so it made for easy playing in the water and sand. We also visited the kids club at the hotel and the girls played with the toys and did crafts. The hotel has shows every night, but it's hard to go to them when they start late and the girls are so tired. So unfortunately, we only saw the one show the first night.

The next day, we decided to go across the street to the Lagoon. Cancun has an interesting geological setup. The hotel zone is on this long strip of land, and on one side is the ocean/sea, and on the other is the Lagoon water. A lot of people go on fishing trips and kayaking on this side. We took the girls paddle-boating. Claire was a great navigator, and Cadence fell asleep to the motion. We could not keep her awake. It was so funny!

dock to the marina

the only sea life we saw on this side were little fish

Cadence- passed out in dad's arms

After nap-time, we decided to ride the bus to the Aquarium at Las Islas Mall. The mall is SOOO American and catered to tourists. Oh, and if you bought anything, it was all cheap and duty-free! Next time I will plan better for that! The girls loved the aquarium. Claire pet a sting ray, and both the girls LOVED the dolphins. And it was so cheap to go! Then, we walked around the mall, and learned about tequilas. When we were done,  we rode the bus back to the hotel.

petting the sting rays

hello mr. octopus! 

dolphin skeleton

I spy... a fish! 

The next two days were the same enjoying the beach and pools, and eating to our hearts' content. Saturday night, Jeff and I had our date night. The housekeepers in the hotel also double as the babysitters for the service the hotel provides. We had our sitter until midnight, so Jeff and I wanted to go into the city and see what the nightlife was like. Unfortunately, the front desk sent us nowhere near the area we wanted to be, and instead we ended up at Las Americas, a mall. The irony is that while in Mexico, we ended up eating at a Chili's, because that was the only restaurant at the mall. After feeling defeated, we headed back to the hotel around 10pm, got some drinks and walked the beach. Next time, I will research the cool spots to go for sure! Or, maybe it was a sign that we are too old to be going to the ''cool kids'' spots. :-)

at the kids' club/ waterpark

BEST. COFFEE. EVER.
It' has Kahlua and amaretto, heavy cream that's been whipped,
and a tasty raw sugar rim. On top of that, they do the coffee flambe style,
with a theatrical  pouring.
 

Sunday, I rode the bus to Walmart in the city. It was a 2 hour venture I hope to never do again, at least alone. Then, Monday we said farewell to the ocean, and flew home. The flights were a little defeating. 4 1/2 hours is a long time for an 18-month-old to be constrained to one area, and also for her mom to get murderous looks. If looks could kill... The two hour flights were just fine. Oh, and Claire loved the plane! She tells me all the time she wants to go in one again. I have decided three is the better age to start travelling long periods on a plane.

All in all, it was a fun trip and a memory we will cherish forever!