The Great Falls are absolutely amazing especially during the winter months. All of the water freezes and it looks like a real winter wonderland. But be careful it does get super icy to walk on and certain areas are blocked off because of the icy conditions. This is a must see if you are in the North Jersey area. They have updated some of the park so it is definitely worth checking out.
Photo Credit: @marcetheblogger Great Falls National Park – Paterson, NJ
When anyone invites us to go camping or we make a plan to go, the first thing on our minds is: What are we going to eat? 🏕
Camping isn’t just about being out in nature! A huge part for us has been the food. I mean who doesn’t love to eat? 🥩🍗
This last camping trip we were fortunate enough to eat feast after feast after feast and no I’m not kidding lol. Some of us made breakfast and others made lunch/dinner. I mean honestly it seemed like the cooking didn’t stop so who really knows which meal it was lol. 🍽
These are just some pics of dishes we enjoyed during our trip: pupusas, skirt steak, pinchos, & grilled wings. 😍
I was going through a “funk” for a little bit. Change of season, peak busy time at work, and still grieving all hit me and it was nonstop tears. This past week and a half I finally started to get past it but this weekend was def the final touch to regroup.
We unplugged from the world and it was exactly what I needed. We also didn’t bring the kids with us which means I literally got a break and alone time with my honey.
The nights were spent by the fire filled with conversation and laughter. It was an overall great time with my fiancé, cousins and new people. I loved that we had no phone service because it allowed us all to interact, explore, and eat (a lot) lol.
Many people I know hesitate to experience camping but let me tell ya it’s a must try. At least once!
I spent it on an RV farm! Our friends drove their camper and we were able to pitch a tent on their site.
I actually captured this amazing shot during a sunrise on our second day! The view was so much better in person but this picture gives you an idea. It was a little chilly but nothing a warm cup of coffee couldn’t fix.
The best part, you ask? I was completely alone.
How did I manage to escape by myself? Well I actually needed to use the restrooms and it was super early so I walked up the hill while everyone was asleep. I came out and checked what time the sun would rise so I decided to stick around and wait. Def glad I did since it was the only morning I was up early enough to enjoy it!
Love to embrace nature especially with family and good friends but also quietly by myself.
I am feeling a bit nostalgic today so I wanted to share some thoughts. At the end of 2017, I took a very crazy leap of faith and accepted a new position. Why was it crazy, you ask? Well because it required a significant pay cut and leaving a job after 4 years (my longest job).
I had decided earlier in that year that I would return to grad school and get a degree to work in higher education. I knew it would not be easy and I knew it would require sacrifice. I went through so many situations since making the switch and they were not easy.
Many don’t know but I had interviewed at other schools but was never offered a position. But I did not become discouraged! I knew I wanted to do more with my life. I wanted to make an impact on people’s lives.
I was fortunate to have started my higher education career at the beginning of 2018. Since then I have moved on to a different institution and feel beyond excited for the new opportunity. I am fortunate to be working with a great team and cannot wait to see what the rest of this school year brings for me.
During our family cruise this past August, our ship docked at beautiful Cozumel, Mexico. This was our one stop where we decided to participate in an excursion. It was a family friendly activity that we all truly enjoyed.
For our last stop, we booked the Dolphinaris Experience. Due to my son being so small we opted not to do swimming with dolphins since he would not be able to participate and we were also on a budget. We booked the excursion directly on the Carnival app which was super easy and convenient.
We received our instructions in an envelope the morning of our excursion. Typically we would have received it the night before but we booked it super last minute. Once we docked, we made our way to our meeting spot where we had to wait about 45 minutes to be taken to our transportation. Our group was split into different taxi vans and the drive was about 15 minutes.
When we arrived, we were greeted by the super nice staff. We were able to watch some of the excursions that were already taking place while we waited for our host.
Shortly after we were given instructions to get ready. We had to shower beforehand to make sure we washed off any products that could harm the dolphins and water life.
Our instructor was great and we were in a small group of 4 plus the baby. The instructor explained what we had to do clearly and also shared valuable information about the dolphins. The two dolphins were named Marce and Frida. We were able to interact with them and had such a fun time.
After we were able to enjoy a buffet with an open bar before we had to head back to the ship. The options ranged from building your own taco to a good ol’ burger or hotdog. We also enjoyed some drinks called “Sex on the beach.” At the end, we had the option to purchase our pictures and other gift items. Tip: NEGOTIATE! 😉
Below are some pictures of our adventure.
Jena getting a kiss 😘Dancing!Baby John got in on the action!Frida jump!Splish splash!
I am a picture fanatic so this post will be dedicated to a few pics from our family cruise. We went this past August and had a great time! It was an amazing experience and we all enjoyed ourselves! We stopped at some beautiful ports in a week span. Thank you Carnival for the memories!
This summer we went on our first family cruise. We did it right before the beginning of the school year as a way to close out our summer. It was a 7 day cruise leaving from the Port of Miami to the Grand Cayman Islands, Roatan Island, Belize, and Cozumel.
We flew into Fort Lauderdale a day in advance and then took a cab over to Miami. We stayed at a Marriot close to the Port. We didn’t have a car so we mostly just walked around the surrounding area to do some exploring. We ended up doing a late night Target run and were able to get some necessities for our trip that we were missing.
This post will focus on some of the items I felt were important to have on this cruise especially traveling with a family. I will do a post and share some great pictures at a later time.
Plastic shopping bags – not the most eco-friendly item I know but it helped us for soiled diapers. Since they clean the room twice a day, it was the best way to contain the odor.
Spray bottle – I didn’t have one but I am suggesting it since cruise ships don’t allow kids who aren’t potty trained into the pools. It will help with entertaining the little one or you can do what I did and shower them with the showers right next to the pools lol.
These were the key items to have. The cruise ship helped with our milk supply as it was available 24/7 for the baby.
I will keep updating this as I receive feedback. Feel free to share your own tips and I can continue to keep this growing!
So today is the day my fiance and I finally posted our little guy to social media. I was not very happy about this at all but nonetheless it was bound to happen. I know it seems silly as we live in an age where everything seems to be on social media, but that is what I have a problem with!
I admit I was trying to be selfish with my son but with good reason. Social media can suck you in and either uplift you or bring you down. No matter how much you try not to let it affect you, it can! I was simply trying to avoid any negativity that could be given out towards my son whether direct or indirect.
My wish was to wait until he was 1 to present him to “friends” but daddy couldn’t hold on much longer and felt it went with his birthday theme this week. I really cannot be that upset so instead I embraced it and shared it.
Below you will find my 7 month old who looks exactly like his father with mom’s complexion. He has a part of my heart and makes me melt as soon as he is in my presence. He is growing everyday and is constantly exploring his surroundings. He keeps us busy but has brought joy to our family. He is truly a blessing and I am thankful for every moment I get with him.
When I take breaks at work, I travel with my planner from Pretty Simple Planner and 2019 Goals Notebook courtesy of the Leadership Certificate Program at Montclair State University. I love writing to-do lists and find joy crossing items off of my list. This year instead of making verbal resolutions, I decided to write my goals in a notebook. I gave each goal it’s own page and make notes when I make progress towards each of them or I cross off items listed below the goal that I complete. It makes me feel accomplished and at the end of the year I can see what I have accomplished and hold myself accountable for those I may not complete. I am optimistic but also a realist and truth is some goals might have to wait because we all know life happens.