This month has been crazy! Between running around to shop for gifts, decorating the house from top to bottom, and making December special for Nathan, I felt like it was about time to show my wife a little magic as well. Taking care of her two boys the way she does is no easy task. I really wanted to give her a day of complete relaxation – free of chores and to-do’s – to show how much I appreciate all she does. This silky-smooth Pinot Noir from Oyster Bay inspired me to truly celebrate how much I love her by taking a quick local getaway to a nearby bed and breakfast overlooking a serene lake.
This was only the second time my wife and I had stayed at a bed and breakfast, but as I get older, I realize I’m more and more into them. The peace, hospitality and cozy vibes really help you unwind and enjoy a holiday away from home. By turning our phones off, avoiding emails and disconnecting from the distractions of everyday life we could truly relax, drinking Oyster Bay’s fruit-forward Pinot Noir and enjoying each other’s company in total peace. There wasn’t even a TV for us to watch. Normally, I couldn’t survive without one (LOL), but with the ingredients we had, it made for a magical escape!
We played board games (which I of course won ;)), read a little (which, sad to say, I haven’t done in a looong time) and I even made the B&B’s cats sing by messing around with a guitar (I don’t know how to play at all).
For me, drinking wine always makes any ordinary day feel like a special occasion. On a romantic weekend away, great wine takes the moment to a whole new level. When I’m looking to celebrate, I can’t rate highly enough Oyster Bay Pinot Noir from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It’s fragrant, soft and flavorful style is the ideal catalyst for any magical celebration, and set the mood perfectly for our romantic local getaway.
December is here, which means it’s officially time to get ready for the holidays. As magical as this time of year is, it’s easy to get caught up in all the festivities, from decorating to shopping to holiday parties and the general running around you inevitably have, to squeeze into the five weekends of December. For my wife and I, it’s also one of the busiest times of year for work. Between all the demand of the holidays, it’s so important to stop for a minute, relax with someone you love and remind yourself what you do it all for. It’s not the gifts that create lasting memories, but the experiences and the time spent with friends and families that make this time of year so special. Like most people, we’ve been in overdrive for the past few months and don’t see ourselves slowing down until 2018. So, one night last weekend, I decided that once I got home, it was time for the wifey and I to relax, unwind and embrace the holiday spirit in a stress-free way. Naturally, my first thought was wine!
Since Oyster Bay Wines are synonymous with great moments, enjoyed in great locations, with great people, it was only right to pop a bottle (or two, who’s counting?) for a romantic night at home! Since there’s nothing relaxing about having to spend a ton of time cooking and doing dishes, I kept it simple and made some elegant finger foods. I love making crostinis! They’re easy, you can make a hundred different kinds, and most are usually just a few simpleingredients. For these crostinis, I opted for brie, prosciutto, basil and drizzled honey. I also bought my wife’s favorite stuffed mushrooms from her favorite restaurant as an accoutrement. The earthiness of the shitakes/Baby Bellas/etc. complimented the elegant fruit-forward flavors of Oyster Bay’s Pinot Noir perfectly. We also snacked on cherries, to enhance the fragrant concentration of bright red cherries in Oyster Bay’s signature pinot from the cool, maritime-influenced climate of New Zealand’s Marlborough region.
While relaxing and sipping (with the lights dim and Bing Crosby playing in the background), we started going through some of our holiday decorations. Every year we buy Nathan a new ornament. He loves his car ornaments, and it has grown into a family tradition! This collection belonged to my wife’s late father, but my mother-in-law handed them down to Nate. We just sat there and reminisced about the past years & ornament ideas we had for this year! It made us really giddy for the holidays, especially with Nate being so into Christmas. He keeps the magic alive for us!
All in all, slowing down with a cozy night in is a great way to kick off the holiday season. There also might have been some canoodling, but hey, I’m not one to kiss and tell! (LOL) We’re already looking forward to the next time we have a second to enjoy a bottle of Oyster Bay together, but our upcoming weekends are already packed. ‘Tis the season!
Whether it’s a romantic night in, small gathering, or festive dinner, Oyster Bay Pinot Noir is the ideal companion for all your celebrations. Try it yourself by heading to select liquor retailers nationwide, ordering via Drizly or checking out oysterbaypinotnoir.com to learn more. Cheers!
Lets get ready for some gift giving! Armitron and I teamed up to show you (3) different watch options that are the perfect holiday gift. If you’re like me, you have a lot of people to shop for, and with Armitron’s price point, one of their watches is a hard to beat option. I mean who doesn’t like getting a new watch?! I actually think I’ve bought my mom a new watch every Christmas for the past 5 years and she looks forward to it every year! I picked (3) different watches and styled them 3 different ways to show you there’s a watch out there for everyone!
The first watch I styled is the Armitron Solar Stainless Steel Watch with a brown leather strap. I don’t work in an office, but I imagine if I did this is the kind of outfit I would like to wear. This watch has a classic style due to the chrome bezel and blue face, but the brown leather strap gives it a rugged masculine feel, and I tried to make my outfit jive with that vibe. I’m really into olive and tan tones and like how the mix of these colors looks layered with some denim. After all, it is the perfect time of year to layer up! I wore these dress boots that have a military vibe to them. Just like the watch, I think they help dress up the look but also help to toughen it up just a bit. One more call-out on the watch! For the tech guys out there, he will really dig the fact that this watch is solar powered…I know I do!
On to the next watch! The 2nd watch I styled is the Black IP Stainless Steel Analog Watch. Every guy likes wearing black. Especially a black leather coat! I went with a more streetstyle vibe for this watch. I just love how black watches look with black leather jackets! Whenever I’m having a hard time picking out an outfit I know I can just start with a black leather coat and a pair of denim jeans, and the rest will work itself out. Just like a leather jacket immediately elevates a look, a watch can have the exact same effect. And you can’t go wrong with a sleek black, masculine timepiece. I really like how the black of the striped shirt, the beanie, the jacket, and the watch all compliment each other!
Out of all the looks I shot I think I liked how this outfit coordinated with this watch the best. The vibrant red Digital Chronograph Sport Watch really popped and stood out. This watch is tough enough to take on your hikes, but stylish enough to just complete any sporty look. I styled this watch with a pair of black pants, a black turtleneck, and a black puffer cardigan. The large faced red watch gave my outfit a pop of color, and to bring out the red just a tad more, I rocked a matching red beanie. The hint of red in the laces of my alpine boots was just the right amount to give my bottom half that little bit of color it needed. I really dig this outdoorsy look! I can’t believe this watch only cost $30…it’s perfect for your sporty guy!
If you’re looking for an easy to pick holiday gift for someone, you can’t go wrong with a watch! Armitron has a great selection of watches for both men and women, and at the perfect price point where you’re not spending a ton, but don’t come off too cheap either! (LOL) Check them out!
This post is sponsored by Flipp, however all opinions are my own.
Everybody knows that Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year. Everyone is going crazy looking for the best deals, and who can blame them?
I mean let’s be honest, Christmas time can get expensive! I decided to stop running around the crowded mall this Black Friday and use my Flipp app to make saving money a lot less stressful. You can go right on the app homepage and see the Black Friday countdown – wow, only 2 days left! Then, under the countdown, you can find all the Black Friday circulars you need, with an easy call-out as to when the sales begin and when they end – to ensure you don’t miss out!
If you don’t see the store you’re looking for, simply search the specific store using the search tool. You can even search for a specific product! While browsing through flyers you can click on the products you want and they will be automatically added to your list. Hey, you might find a deal you weren’t looking for from the start! You’ll love how Flipp keeps the items in your Shopping List super organized.
Download the Flipp app now and plan your Black Friday shopping (once your belly is maxed out from turkey) right from the comfort of your couch so that you can find the best deals and have a game plan BEFORE you go to the stores. And, even if you have the urge to hit up the malls on Friday, don’t run around like Nate and I did…sit back in the food court with some hot cocoa and let Flipp help you find the best deals first!
This post is sponsored by Flipp, however all opinions are my own.
One of the best things about fall is pumpkin flavored goodies. Every year around this time we all get excited for yummy treats like pumpkin candy corn, pumpkin cider donuts, pumpkin cider, and one of my family favorites, pumpkin pancakes! I’ve partnered up with Flipp, a shopping app that makes it easy to search for deals and coupons by item, brand or retailer.
I wanted to show you my steps for making the perfect homemade pumpkin pancakes – beyond just the recipe. Every Saturday morning, I take on breakfast duties and these pancakes are a family favorite. These seasonal pancakes require a few ingredients that require a quick grocery trip – so I turn to Flipp to help plan ahead and stay organized.
One of my favorite features on the Flipp app is the Shopping List feature. I always have my phone on me, so having my grocery list right at my fingertips is convenient, and ensures I’ll never forget what I need. My wife, who also has the app, can add groceries to the exact same Shopping List, which is super helpful when we’re at the store together or making separate trips. This feature really works well for us, because now when it’s time for me to go shopping I don’t have to keep calling or texting her asking what’s on the list, and when we check off an item we can see those updates in real-time.
Flipp also makes it a lot easier to shop for everything on our grocery list and help us find the best deals and coupons. I was able to search for my specific supermarket, view the weekly circular and quickly find the available coupons for that location. And, just by clicking a button I was able to add them right to my (virtual) price plus card! Once I got to the supermarket I was able to choose the store location I was at and locate what aisle the products I needed were in. This is especially nice so I didn’t have to walk around aimlessly searching – when Nate’s with me, it’s best to be in and out as quickly as possible (LOL). Once all the shopping is complete, I can just hand the cashier my phone and they can scan it for access to my price plus card. It’s so nice not to have to carry around these cards anymore and have one central location for them to all be stored on the app.
My family tends to put all the grocery circulars directly in our recycling bin before they even make it in the house because we know we’ll never end up remembering to bring them to the store anyways. But, now with Flipp, I’m actually looking at digital flyers in advance and using coupons for the first time! I’m finally taking advantage of savings! Watch the video to check out our shopping experience with Flipp and my first stab at making homemade pumpkin pancakes! They were soooo yummy! For the ingredients and pumpkin pancakes recipe, which I found online, see below! To top them off I added a little bit of whipped cream and some cinnamon and sugar!
Share how much you saved using Flipp! It’s available to download for free on iOS and Android!
Produce
● 1 cup Pumpkin puree Refrigerated
● 2 Eggs
Condiments
● Butter
● Maple Syrup
Baking & Spices
● 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
● 1 tbsp Baking powder
● 1/2 tsp Baking soda
● 1/3 cup Granulated sugar
● 2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice blend
● 1/2 tsp Salt
● 2 tsp Vanilla extract, pure
1. To a large bowl, add the buttermilk. If using the vinegar plus milk option, let sit for about 10 minutes to allow the milk to turn to buttermilk.
2. Add the pumpkin, eggs, butter, and vanilla and stir with a whisk to combine.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
4. Pour the dry ingredients over the wet and mix just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
5. Let batter rest for about 5 minutes.
6. Heat a non-stick griddle to 325 degrees or set large frying pan over medium heat. Melt a little butter on the cooking surface, spreading it evenly, if desired (if the surface is non-stick, you may not need to do this). Using a 1/3 cup measure (or, my pancake scooping weapon of choice, a trigger-handled ice cream scoop), pour the batter onto the griddle or into the frying pan. The pancakes are ready to flip when they look a little dry around the edges and start to form little bubbles, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown and completely cooked through, 1 to 2 more minutes.
7. Serve topped with butter and maple syrup, if desired.
Just like denim, corduroy is timeless. It never seems to go out of style. I love that you can find corduroy’s in so many different styles, textures, and thicknesses. I partnered with Stitch’s Jeans to show you their Barfly Slim Corduroy Jeans in the Bone color. These are perfect for fall! The corduroy is a thin texture and makes for a very light pant. These are actually also the perfect corduroy to wear during summer. They are slim fitting but also have a flowy, light feel because of the thin material. And I love the color! I paired these pants with their Rustic Plaid Button Down. I love the rustic, vintage vibe and colors of this shirt. The quality is also really comfortable! In my opinion you can never have too many plaids in the closet – even if it’s just to tie around your waist to channel your inner 90’s! I threw on a navy jacket that I already owned and couldn’t resist wearing my straw hat to coordinate with the pant color and play-up those western vibes. In the wardrobe market for some cords? Check out Stitch’s Jeans for a wide array of colors!
Well, it’s officially fall! The weather is getting cooler and the leaves in NY are starting to change. I wasn’t ready for it, but now that it’s here, I’m excited about switching up the wardrobe for fall. Nate and I recently took a trip to Old Navy for some fall looks. Nate is really into camouflage right now, and I must say he’s right on trend! (LOL) Camo can be one of those patterns, if done correctly, can really boost your outfit and give it a unique look. It can also make you look like you’re about to go hunting, if you wear too much of it! When it comes to camouflage, I like to try and only have one piece in my outfit…keep it simple. I know I’ve said it before, but I love coordinating my looks with my son. He just makes everything look cool, including me! (haha) We took it to the streets of NYC in our coordinating Old Navy outfits. I love how cool Nate looked in his all black outfit. He wore the black Old Navy Karate Skinny Jeans (currently on sale!) and this iconic Old Navy Run DMC t-shirt. I’m not going to lie, I kind of want both of these pieces for myself. I used to have the same t-shirt back in the day. The camo Old Navy Canvas Utility Jacket, which he loved, really looked good with the all black look. He cannot wait until it gets cooler out and he can wear this to school with his camo backpack! He was definitely a little show-stopper on the streets in this outfit. I went a different route and wore the camo Old Navy Slim Khakis and kept it light with the other pieces. I went with a monochrome look with the shirt and jacket. The Old Navy Slim-Fit Flannel Shirt, in the Creme De La Creme color, is super soft and comfortable! It looked really good with the clean look of the Old Navy Twill Coach’s Jacket in a similiar color. I feel like the lighter color and the clean silhouettes of these top pieces slightly dressed up the casual vibe from the camo. I completed my look with shoes in a similar color to the tops, and of course a classic tight-roll to the pants. I can’t believe how often I tight-roll my pants now-a-days! (LOL) I really love how the outfit came together! Comment below and let me know what you think! Having camouflage pieces in both of our outfits is just another way Nate and I can match without having the exact same pieces on. It’s so cute how Nate’s now getting to that age where he has opinions about his clothes and what he’s wearing. It melts my heart that he’s eager to find something similar to wear to match his daddy. 🙂
Getting older sucks! The only thing worse than getting older is looking older. Growing up I took looking young for granted. You probably can’t tell now, but I used to have a baby face — at least that’s what everybody used to tell me! My father always looked young for his age as well — at least that’s what everybody used to tell him! LOL His era didn’t have the luxury of all of the great products we have now. So, growing up, I never knew the importance of taking care of my skin. This may sound a little strange, but, I never actually used to wash my face until a few years ago — I just thought the shampoo from my hair, the leftover body wash, and some water was good enough. (I know, please don’t cringe) I guess I just though soap was soap! I don’t plan on using product on Nathan quite yet (he’s only 5), but I do want him to at least know how to take care of his skin and how important it is. The more he sees me doing the right thing, the more likely he will hopefully continue to follow in my footsteps. He’s already curious with some of my grooming routines.
With so many products on the market, finding a grooming kit with all the right products working together nicely, makes it easy and a lot less intimidating. It also saves me from having to go to the store and figure out which combination of products I need. The Kiehl’s Nourishing Shampoo + Conditioner is tough enough to get out all of the concrete, plaster and other dust that I come in contact with at work or just the normal muck from traveling around the city shooting. It has a great woodsy eucalyptus smell which is a nice change from the stuff my wife buys. For years I used what my wife bought and most of the time my hair smelled like a pina colada…Not Cute. LOL
All that dust I work around, being out in all of the elements every day, plus being by the pool and beach all summer long can really dry out and take a toll on my face. I honestly feel like this is the first year where I’m starting to see that age on my skin! The Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing face wash gets my face clean without over drying, and, I can’t afford for my skin to become any drier. (I think it’s getting drier as I age). This is also the perfect face wash to get your skin ready for a shave.
Now, if you’re using normal shaving cream, you’re doing it all wrong! In my opinion, there’s nothing better than using the Kiehl’s Smooth Glider Precision Shave Lotion. You get a much better and smoother shave and there’s less chance of irritation – I haven’t used regular shaving cream in years. As I’m writing about it, this may all seem like a lot, but these are steps you’re probably going to take anyway, so if you’re going to do it, you may as well do it right – and with quality products with natural ingredients, from a brand that’s been around since 1851.
To finish my routine, I use the Kiehl’s Facial Fuel. It’s designed to help resist the effects of the elements and re-energize the skin without leaving you feeling oily.
Last but not least – you have to protect your lips just as much as your facial skin! My wife hates when I have chapped lips — and I have them a lot. When I do, it means 2 things: I’m probably going to steel her lip balm (which I do and then always seem to lose it – whoops LOL) and when she kisses me, it’s going to be against dry, rough lips. It would be irresponsible for me not to use the Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 to keep these lips in tiptop shape — if not for me, for the wife. 🙂
At 37, I really wish I would’ve started taking care of my skin much earlier, but I guess better late than never! Now to hide all the quality products and keep my wife from steeling them on me! If you’re a guy in the market for some new products, or need a good place to start to get on the road to starting to really take care of your skin, definitely give the Kiehl’s men’s line a shot!
This post is in partnership with Kiehl’s. However, all views and opinions are my own.
I can’t believe summer is almost over and fall is right around the corner. This time of year is always bitter sweet, because the weather and long days will soon be taking a shift, but we also look forward to the different activities each season has to offer! This September is even more memorable for us, because my little Nate is finally starting kindergarten! My wife and son are super excited, but I’m not feeling as enthusiastic about it. Knowing that Nate is growing up and starting this new chapter in his life is a reminder that he won’t always be my little boy. With that said, now that he’s heading into the first school year, that means it’s BACK-2-SCHOOL SHOPPING TIME! (and not just for Nate, but for myself too LOL) Let’s be real, I can’t go shopping and not get some new pieces for myself as well! This fall season we teamed up with Old Navy to #SayHi and show you our back to school looks. Prior to being a dad, I’ve always hated when fathers and their sons wore matching plaid shirts, and I always told myself I would not be that cheesy dad. However, fast forward to me now, and I absolutely love any chance I can get to match with Nate. Although, I just try and do it in a more subtle way – maybe we’re less matchy matchy and more about coordinating. I love color-blocking and wearing monochrome looks, so I picked these Olive Pants, with the built-in Old Navy Flex Twill, which makes it easy and comfortable to get that fitted jean look without sacrificing comfort. I paired them with a different tone of olive and went with the Old Navy Lightweight Hooded Anorak Jacket. This jacket is the perfect fall staple! I wanted to go in a different direction than I normally would and add in some color, so I broke up the shades of green with the Old Navy Garment-Dyed Fleece Sweatshirt in their Brick Yard color. The dye process gave the sweatshirt a subtle, cool vintage look. Nate is usually drawn to fun, bold prints, so he picked out the Old Navy Sneaker-Printed Fleece Sweatshirt on his own. He thought it was super comfy and loved the little sneakers. He has a fun pair of grey Old Navy slip-ons from last season, that went perfectly with this grey sweatshirt…he takes after his daddy and loves slip-on sneakers! We used the color red to coordinate our outfits, so Nate wore the red Old Navy Hooded Uniform Jacket, which looks similar to mine (and like me, he always loves when we have similar pieces). Nate lives in joggers and rarely wears jeans, but didn’t mind wearing these Old Navy Distressed Karate Skinny Jeans because of their stretchy fit. I don’t know if it’s because I rarely see him in jeans, but I just thought he looked more like a little big-boy than ever – all ready for school! And I love how his little chicken legs look in them LOL. Can’t wait to see this little school boy head off to his first day of big-boy school! 🙁
At this point it’s no secret, my family loves the Caribbean! Almost all of our vacations consist of visiting a beautiful beach, on a beautiful island, surrounded by that beautiful blue water. I have wanted to visit Turks and Caicos for years now, but I was waiting for Nate to get a little older so he could enjoy some of the best snorkeling in the Caribbean. We finally decided we would plan our trip, and we’d just have to go again once Nate learned to swim. Little did we know…Nate actually learned to swim AND hold his breath under water, the week right before our trip. Perfect timing Nate! We partnered up with the Royal West Indies to share our first Turks & Caicos experience, while staying at their beautiful resort. The resort is only 15 minutes from the airport, which is perfect, since it’ a 4 hour plane ride from NY, and we didn’t want to spend any more time in a car. Although! We did stop at the island’s very popular, Sweet T’s, fried chicken spot on the way to the resort. When I tell you the chicken was good, I mean it was good! It’s one of the local’s fave spots, so make sure you stop by after you land! It’s been awhile since we stayed at a bigger resort, and the grounds at the Royal West Indies were just beautiful…they had the best landscaping and picturesque gardens. It was a great blend of green trees, cactus, palms, and colorful flowers. It was the perfect scenery for all of my photos 🙂 They had 3 pools: a huge pool, with an adorable kiddie pool attached (Nate’s fave!) and a bridge crossing over it to take you to their Pelican Bay Restaurant, and then 2 smaller sized pools in the quiet area – for those of your traveling kid-free and looking for a quieter scene. There was also a hot tub in the quiet area, and it was perfect for the wifie and I to get some mommy & daddy time, after Nate was in bed. My mother-in-law came on the trip with us, so it’s nice when my wife and I can get some adult time in. 🙂 The fact that the main pool had an attached shallow kid’s section for Nate and an underwater bench along most of the pool made Nate absolutely love it and helped him get the confidence to really expand his swimming skills. Now don’t be scared off! The resort is kid-friendly, but there was definitely not an abundance of them. During our time there I think I only saw 1 other kid in the pool. The craziest kid there was probably Nate (LOL). The pool was a stone throw away from the bar, which was perfect for us to grab our pina coladas and a bite to eat, because Nate literally never wanted to get out of the pool. The restaurant has some great choices and variety, but my favorite was the breakfast dish of grits and beef hash. I was told this dish is what the locals eat and it was soooo good. I actually ate it every morning. I’m a huge fan of grits and if it’s on the menu I’m ordering it. The pool-side bar also had happy hour from 5-7 so we always made sure we were in the pool at that time (LOL). I honestly can’t tell you how many pina coladas I drank, but they don’t get any better than how they make them here. Great, now I’m craving one right now! All of the pools are open 24hrs…which we all loved. Night life for us is pretty mellow these days, so it’s fun to be able to make a cocktail and head to the pool late at night with Nate, to extend our night and really maximize our vacay days. The room was a pretty standard size and included a bed (or 2), flat screen TV, and a small kitchenette with the basics, like a mini fridge and coffee maker. Our room had a balcony with a partial view of the ocean and pool and it was nice waking up and seeing both. The resort had bicycle’s you could use, as well as mini catamarans. The beach was of course beautiful. They had chairs and umbrellas you could use and it was only a very short and pretty walk from the pool. Though there wasn’t any reefs directly in front of the hotel beach, you can take a 15 minute walk down the beach to a small and very cool reef where we were able to snorkel from the shore. On the way, you can stop by Flamingo Cafe and grab a bite and cocktail right on Grace Bay Beach. We didn’t get to go scuba diving on this trip, but we definitely will on our next trip back – which hopefully will be soon! We did take a snorkeling excursion with Caicos Adventures. We stopped at 3 different reefs and I was blown away by the reef and variety & abundance of sea life. I never seen so many different types of coral. We saw so many different fish, lobster, and even some eels. Do however, beware of drinking too much of the complimentary rum punch like I did, because you are guaranteed to need a nap after (LOL). I think me and a fellow snorkeler must have drank a gallon! If you don’t feel like shelling out the $115 pp to take an excursion you can easily take a ride to one of the many snorkel spots off the shore. We went to the Coral Gardens Reef, which was literally 20 ft right off the beach. We went 3ft in and immediately almost stepped on a sting ray. This reef was perfect for Nate to get a first taste of snorkeling. I could not believe how good he did! He didn’t use a snorkel but he would hold on to me and swim around holding his breath underwater for about 20 seconds, and would just keep on pointing out all the fish he saw. The whole trip he kept saying he wanted to see a turtle and we finally were snorkeling around the reef and came up to 2 huge turtles lying on the ocean floor. He got to watch them swim up and take a breath above the water, and they were only about 3 feet away from us, so we all got a great close-up view! Snorkeling with Nate will truly be an unforgettable memory. I have never had so much fun and been more proud of my little man. Between the pool, the beach, snorkeling, and all of the pina coladas and rum punch, you really work up an appetite. There were so many restaurants to eat at but my favorite 2 would definitely have to be Cocovan and Mango Reef. Cocovan was a cool air-stream converted into a taco truck. They had the best tacos I have ever eaten! The Korean Beef and the Duck were my favorite. Oh and did I mention they have churros and ice cream for dessert. Sooooo amazingly yummy. Mango Reef was right by the water and was lit up with all these neon lights. They even had some neon lights in the water. The ambiance really made it feel like you were on vacation! As I’m writing this, it’s making me want to go back already. We all had an amazing time at the beautiful Royal West Indies. I know every vacation is going to be one for the books, but this one had a few firsts for Nate, so I’m always going to remember that this was the one where he really learned to swim and finally got to experience the magical sea turtles with his mommy and daddy. Thank you Royal West Indies for such an amazing trip! If anyone is looking to visit Turks & Caicos, definitely check this resort out. It was in the perfect location, had gorgeous grounds, really fun pools, is right on Grace Bay Beach, and has the best pina coladas! 🙂 We will definitely be back!
