We took a wonderful vacation to Hyatt Coconut Plantation in Bonita Springs, Florida with Adam's parents. We had a great time! (at least during the day) This property was equipped with everything fun for kids and adults alike.
The boys LOVED the toddler pool/splash pad. I think this is where we truly learned how much they loved the water. They had no fear of crawling around and sticking their faces in the fountain. (we got home from our trip on a Saturday and the boys started ISR swim lessons on Tuesday:) )
This Hyatt had amazing pools, and a lazy river. We took the boys on the lazy river everyday before nap time to relax them. And relax them it did. When you see the sleeping pictures below, those were post lazy river floating.
Like I said before, the days were great, the nights, no so much. These two little birds, we've learned, don't sleep great unless they are in their own cribs with no one else in the room. I think out of 6 nights, they slept once all the way through. Teething and a new place, I think were to blame. We made the mistake of trying to sleep in their room on the giant king size bed, but like I said, mistake. But their naps, their naps were stellar. I'm crossing my fingers that since they are a little older (and hopefully won't be cutting teeth) that the long trip we have planned to my moms for Thanksgiving, will be a successful one:)
Going on this trip I was nervous about their sleep, and about sun exposure. The American Board of Pediatrics suggests no more than 1 hour of direct sun for those under 1. I also know how fair their skin is, so I was sure to be extremely prepared for the sun. Here is what we did:
1. SUNSCREEN!!!!! We used Babyganics Mineral based sunscreen SPF 50 (which means 50 minutes before the next application is needed!!!!! Remember that when choosing and lathering up your littles!) I love this sunscreen! Its mineral based so it doesn't have an harsh chemicals sitting on their skin and what is in the lotion isn't penetrating their skin either. I have one (if not two) bottles in every location for the littles: diaper bag, car, beach bag, house, garage, stroller.
2. Hats. I am a huge hat wearer in the sun and so is my hubby. After seeing my Dad have skin cancer removed from his head a few times, its a must in our household. These hats are the bees knees! they covered their heads AND the back of their necks and they are UPF 50+ - lots of sun blocking happening there (yes you can still get sun through clothing!)
3. Rashguards. I love iPlay products so much we went with the rash guards too. They are a little expensive, but so worth it! We have this one and this one! Again, UPF 50+
4. Umbrella time. We got the same location but the pool every single day. And our spot always had two giant umbrellas. We made sure to bring the boys under the umbrellas to feed them their snacks, eat meals, and nap. They were in the shade A LOT!
Some other vacation tips i have that worked for us:
-we brought the boys wagon. Easiest thing to tote them around in! and we used to haul our things back and forth from the car!
-We also brought the boys clip on fans from their stroller to use under the umbrella too. They kept them cooler than they would have been without them.
-Phil and Teds Lobster high chairs are the best thing on the planet for traveling. I use these at my moms, restaurants, friends houses. They stay in my car and are used all the time!
-We were lucky enough to have a kitchen and huge family room in between our two rooms so I made a trip to the grocery store to buy all the boys favorite things so that we always had them on hand.
- We also brought their floats from home. These were easy to push them around in while they could still be in the water without anyone having to carry them. We have these.
That's it! Here are some pictures from our wonderful trip!
enjoy!
xo,
b
* all images and content of this blog are property of Brittany Laws
