Planning a Multigenerational Family Vacation

I really enjoy vacation planning. Before I met J, my vacations were with friends. Honestly, I didn't contribute much other than my share of whatever hotel was selected as well as my transportation costs. When J and I started traveling together, I started to love the whole planning process. From accommodations to dining to activities, I enjoyed the research and selection. I even liked planning the transportation once we got to our location.

Planning a romantic vacation for two is a snap compared to planning a family vacation. Yes, I'm planning our first trip away with little Jack....and my parents! I'm really excited by this trip (Hi Mom--if you are reading!) as I know my mom has really wanted to travel to this part of the country. We have as well! But it does present a different set of challenges.

Accommodations

While the majority of my experience has been traveling within the Marriott family, J and I have taken several trips where we utilized HomeAway.com. A friend of mine had booked a month in a farmhouse in the hills of Virginia. It sounded amazing! The first time we opted for a vacation rental was during a trip to Boston. We rented a charming 2nd floor apartment in the North End. It was cheaper and bigger than any of the hotel rooms available. We've also rented in Charleston and Chicago, both were fabulous (feel free to contact me if you want the specifics). Space was never an issue. It was always about location for us!

For this trip, we knew that we needed a house with at least 2 bedrooms and enough space to feel like we all have some room to breathe. The place had to be baby friendly. As well, we needed all the amenities (mainly TV/cable for my dad). J and I wanted to be close to town to enjoy some of the local dining and breweries. We lucked out and were able to secure a great property (I'll be happy to share with you where we are staying---AFTER our trip!!)

Transportation

We definitely need to rent a vehicle for this trip. Not only do we need room for the adults and baby (carseat), but we need room for luggage, medical supplies for my dad, and Jack supplies. If it were just J and I, we would have used one of our own cars or perhaps flown and rented a car upon arrival. I am not brave enough to fly with Jack yet. I'm in awe of all of you who have done this!

Activities

Activities that heavily involve walking are not good choices for this particular trip. For both Jack and my parents, it just won't work. However, I've found some really great opportunities for us to see the natural beauty of the area with minimal walking. I found a few waterfalls that can be seen from the road and have areas where you can pull over and take a picture. I also found some local apple farms where you purchase from the store rather than pick your own. Also, we will be traveling in the fall so I hope there will be some leaf peeping opportunities.

Our trip isn't for a few months, so please share any other tips you may have! Thank you!

Meeting Chef Kevin Gillespie

I used to love "Top Chef". I wouldn't miss it! But then it was too much drama and not enough food, for my taste anyways. Then we cancelled cable, so I can't watch it anyways!

But when I did watch, Season 6 was my favorite. Aside from the tasty Voltaggio brothers, this season featured fan favorite, Kevin Gillespie. Known for his wicked tattoos and even more wicked beard, he is REALLY known for winning the most Quickfires and Elimination rounds! His food was always so inventive yet accessible. And he was never about drama--just great cooking skill and a passion for food.

When I saw that he was going to do a demo at my local Publix Cooking School, I quickly snatched up a pair of tickets for J and me.

It was one of the best events I had attended!

Kevin is extremely laid back, funny, unpretentious, and honest. He demonstrated four recipes, featured in his new cookbook "Fire in my Belly" (it is awesome, by the way). During the demonstration, he would shared stories from his family, his career (he turned down a scholarship to MIT to attend culinary school), and whatever else people wanted to ask him. While he may have had some idea on what he would talk about, it felt very real and unscripted. It felt like we were hanging out in a friend's kitchen.

Back to the food. Well, it was just fantastic! He prepared:

Marinated Turnip Salad (The first time I had something purposely raw food diet compliant!)

Crispy Green Beans with Salsa Fresco

Tomato stuffed with Savannah Red Rice, topped with Creamed Shrimp

And dessert, which was a mash-up for Bananas Foster, Cherries Jubilee and Peach Melba

It was so delicious that I ate it before I remembered to take a picture :)

After the demo, he answered more questions, including where did he have the best meal in the US (Eleven Madison Park in NYC).

He took the time to sign books and take pictures. It was great as he did not rush us and we got to have a nice conversation with him about food magazines.

Kevin was already a favorite "cheftestant" of mine. After this event, I really gained a new level of respect for him. He is a man of integrity who cooks food that his family can enjoy and be proud. He is extremely articulate and engaging. J and I definitely plan to make the drive up to the ATL to dine at his new restaurant, Gunshow.

And the beard and tattoos are even more epic in person!

Childhood Summer memories

For the past few weeks, J and I have been taking Jack to the park on the weekends. We live very close, about a 15 minute walk/stroll. Jack has tried the baby swing (he's ambivalent) and the slide (assisted by us....he loves it!). During these walks, I started to reminisce with J about childhood summer memories. Here are some of my favorites:

• Picking honeysuckles and tasting them.
• Catching grasshoppers.
• Bikes rides from afternoon to dusk.
• Running through the sprinklers.
• Building forts on rainy days.
• Chasing the ice cream truck down the street
• Hanging out at my friend's "clubhouse", aka her parents' shed. Pretty sure we would pretend to be the Babysitters Club!

I hope walks to the park will be one of many memories for Jack one day!

Rooster Update

Remember this guy?

He showed up at my in-laws at the beginning of April. And he never left. He was adopted by their cul de sac. Neighbors left food out for him. My in-laws named him Brew Roo. He was friendly--even eating chicken feed out of my mother-in-law's hand.

On Monday, my father-in-law reported that he had not heard Brew Roo crow since Sunday. He feared that foxes had gotten to him. On Tuesday, his neighbors went on the hunt and unfortunately found him about a quarter mile away, an apparent victim of a hit and run. A kind utility man helped them place Brew Roo in a box and added flowers on top. THEN he said a few words in memoriam! The neighbors brought Brew Roo back to the cul de sac. The utility guy stopped by the neighborhood and asked if could dig the hole for his burial. He was buried under an oak tree, next to the pond by my in laws' house. He was truly kind.

At 8pm that evening, the cul de sac held a memorial for Brew Roo. THIRTY PEOPLE showed. It was amazing! One neighbor even went to Publix to purchase a cake with a rooster. The Publix bakery staff was able to make some adjustments to an existing cat cake and turn it into a rooster. They are awesome.

One of the neighbors is a local morning radio show host. She's been giving regular Rooster updates on the air. This morning, she recounted the whole story. Even though I knew it, it was crazy to hear someone telling it.

While Brew Roo's life was short, he really won the hearts of many. He will not be forgotten.

The Lee Bros.

I have shared before that I love the Publix Apron Cooking School. Aside from offering an array of classes, they host guest chefs for cooking demonstrations as well. I was over the moon excited when I saw that Matt Lee and Ted Lee, aka as The Lee Bros. were on the schedule! The Lee Bros are Southern food historians, in my opinion. They have done a lot of researching and interviewing on the Southern food heritage. They grew up in Charleston, SC on Rainbow Row, no less! They regularly contribute to Southern Living, Food and Wine and other esteemed food publications. They have also been on No Reservations, The Best Thing I Ever Ate and more. Oh, and they have won a James Beard award for their cookbook. No big deal.

The event was a cooking demonstration and tasting of their recipes, framed in a multi-course meal. The format was such that they would discuss a recipe, demonstrate how to prepare, answer questions, and then we would eat! Our meal consisted of Henry's Cheese Spread, Frogmore Soup (pictured above), Shrimp and Grits (pictured above), Matt's Four Pepper Collards (pictured above), and Syllabub with Strawberries (inhaled before a picture could be taken). Each course was paired with wine as well.

Matt and Ted are highly entertaining and approachable. They are not restaurant chefs, but home chefs who really take the time to reach into the Southern food history and adjust the recipes for modern day cooking. As expected, all the recipes were delicious! They were very welcoming to all our questions. My favorite was the shrimp and grits. They were so good that J even said he'll need to start making them at home!

If you ever get a chance to attend a cooking event with Matt and Ted, just do it!!

Touring the 2013 HGTV Smart Home

The 2013 HGTV Smart Home is located a hop, skip and a jump away from our home in Jacksonville Beach. When I heard there was an opportunity to tour the home in person, I jumped at the chance! The tour also served as a fundraiser for the Beaches Area Historical Society, which is a wonderful organization aimed at promoting and preserving historical areas of the First Coast Beaches area.

My good friend B and I decided to make it a Mommy's Day Out with the tour and lunch at Poe's Tavern. We braved the rain and it was definitely worth it! I took many pictures to serve as design inspiration for that future dream home of ours. I picked out a handful of favorites that I wanted to share on here.

I love the mix of textures and patterns in the living area. And yes,  those are three tv's on the wall! Each TV can be covered by a painting that is retractable! There is also a separate sound system for the deck, so one could be in the pool watching one show while the people inside are watching another. Pretty smart!

I just about squealed when I saw this anchor. The anchor is comprised of starfish. The background is the actual wall with a shadowbox placed over it. So fun.

I really loved the arrangement of these oversized frames. The entire wall was very striking. I love the teeny bit of aqua that you see between the pictures.

The color palette of this second bedroom was a nice departure from all the aqua. The decor was fresh and modern. I didn't capture it in this picture, but the bed had a lovely linen headboard.

This was the Master Bath. The tub and shower are both enclosed by glass. You would be hard pressed not to be able to relax in that tub!

I am really glad we had the opportunity to see the home in person. The Smart Home elements of recycled and reclaimed materials were impressive. The iPad technology used to control all the aspects of the home was amazing! While coastal decor is not normally my cup of tea, I love the way the designer infused coastal living with modern elements. I love the use of tension wires on the staircase and window treatments. The home could have easily been too theme-y, but it wasn't.

You can still enter to win. And I think you should!

The April 2013 Shopping Budget that wasn't

So this post is where I would share what I purchased in the way of clothes and accessories in April 2013. But I'm here to explain why I won't be posting it this month.

Confession: I was out of control.

I bought what feels like triple what I would normally buy.

A Lilly skort from consignment.

A seersucker dress off eBay.

2 non-sale dresses from Lands End.

A maxi dress from a boutique.

White Cropped pants from JCP.

And I don't exactly know what else!

I use one word to describe this: UNACCEPTABLE

Mindless buying is extremely dangerous. So in light of that, I'm doing a no-spend May.

Believe me. This is necessary. Luckily I have a good Twitter friend who will be joining me.

Wish me luck!