We planned the trip as everyone’s main Christmas gift, and even though my husband and I already had our passports, we still needed to get one for the kids. It was cutting it a little close, so we decided to expedite the passports, which you can take care of while turning in all of your paperwork (we did ours at the post office.)

How I booked:

I booked through Costco travel. I believe you have to be a member to do this, but all I did was go to the “travel” tab on the Costco website, choose our location, and a handful of deals popped up. I looked at a few options, but ended up choosing the one that appeared to be the most kid-friendly, was in a good location, and this one also happened to be the least expensive.

We stayed at the Villas Del Palmar in Cabo and with our package we received:

• 5 (good) round trip flights on Alaska Airlines – these were also the shortest flights
• 7 nights in a 2 bedroom suite (slept 6)
• Transportation to and from the airport
• $200 resort credit
• $100 Costco credit
• Kids were all-inclusive (breakfast, lunch, dinner, all drinks, etc.)
• Kids and adults breakfast included

Activities the resort included that our family loved: 

-Daily Bingo. This was a HIGHLIGHT for our son, Cal, who really wanted to be back at the hotel every day by 2:00 for the kids Bingo. There were prizes of ice cream cones and even cash, so this was a big deal to him.

– Pottery painting. This was purchased separately but was a nice activity to do to get out of the sun every once and a while.

– Afternoon water volleyball- We all got in on this a few times

– Nightly shows. The dinner shows are sold separately, but our kids LOVED them and the dinner buffet was absolutely delicious.

-Every day there were also other activities and games the staff put on daily that our kids looked forward to- water balloon toss, dance class, cooking class, etc.

Requirements for U.S. Return

To get back into the US, we needed to provide a negative Covid test. This was nerve-wracking for me, but the hotel did everything they could to make the process as easy as they could. When we arrived, we scheduled our tests for 48 hours before our return flight home. It cost $25 per person, but that was given back to us in resort credit.

The tests weren’t pleasant, but not a single kid cried or complained. We were so impressed. We received our results in 24 hours and were good to go. I am sure protocols are going to change over time, so check your hotel’s website for updated info on this.

Items I packed that I am so glad we had: 

-Snorkels- we used these in the ocean and in the pool. We’ve had these for two years now and they adjusted small enough to fit the kids, too. They’re so nice not having to fuss with goggles and a separate snorkel.

-Underwater phone case- we got some great footage while snorkeling with these!

-Wikki Stix– We used these every single day! These were perfect for the kids to play with on the plane, at restaurants, sitting by the pool, and just about any time there was downtime.

Kids water shoes– These were easy to slip on and worked going to the beach or walking around.

Waterproof Birkenstocks– These are the PERFECT pool/water shoe for adults. I wore these the entire week.

Walkie Talkies– We have never packed these before but used them daily! If one of the kids wanted to go back to the room to grab something, they took a walkie-talkie. If we split up for any reason, we each had one. It just made communicating very easy! And they worked FAR!

Items we brought that we didn’t need:

-Jeans- I brought one pair of jeans and didn’t wear them once.

– Adult water shoes- we never needed ours, but the kids wore theirs often.

-A book. Ha! I know this sounds silly to add, but I bought one in the airport, thought I would have all this time to lounge and read, but with three kiddos that was not the case. But, that’s okay! I preferred to be “busy” with them.

Activities

The only activity we booked in advance was the Dolphin experience, and we booked through here. It was the highlight of the trip for our daughter as it has been on her Bucket List for quite a while. It was very fun for the whole family and the prices were reasonable. The pictures, though, are what cost quite a bit. They’re not required to get, but how could we not? There was even a bonus camel viewing and elephant ride that we didn’t even know about that came included!

One day we also took a glass-bottom boat to Pelican Island, where we first got a tour around the island which I thought was fun in itself since you are able to see so many colorful fish, sea lions, a ton of different birds, and the infamous arch. But we were then dropped off for an hour to do some snorkeling which my daughter and husband LOVED. You can book these boats right on the main beach there in Cabo.

We got lucky one afternoon and saw a whale in the distance, so last minute we hopped on a boat and headed in that direction and got the show of a lifetime. A mama and baby whale were jumping out of the water and it was just incredible. You can pretty much rent a boat whenever you’d like on the main beach, so keep your eyes peeled!

I THINK this sums up the most-asked questions from our trip. I hope you found this helpful and we will definitely be booking through Costco again!

As always, thank you for stopping by!

<3 Shannon

Mexico- Part 2!

Booking last-minute accommodations: 

We decided to book a last-minute trip to Mexico over the Thanksgiving holiday since we didn’t have any family in town and had no real reason to stay. We only booked this trip 10 days in advance, and I really wasn’t sure we would be able to pull it off!

My usual go-to of booking through Costco wasn’t an option this time because we were booking so last minute and everything was either astronomically expensive or not available at all.  Our go-to resort in Mexico was showing unavailable, but just to be sure, I contacted the hotel directly and they had a king suite available!! It was showing unavailable online because the room occupancy is for 4 people, but they said we can just pay for one extra person and they will have a rollaway bed waiting for us. They also said they would match Costco’s current offer, so we got some great perks!

• Kids stay free + are all-inclusive (we did pay an extra $100 and something to have the extra kiddo in the bedroom)
• $125 spa credit

We decided to add the adults to the all-inclusive option as well, as this meant every restaurant, bar, and poolside eating option, as well as the dinner shows, were all included.

Flights

Because we booked so last minute, flight prices were through the roof, BUT, we found a bit of a loophole. We realized there were two flights leaving Spokane to Seattle (the first leg of the flight) within about 5 minutes of each other, but these flights only had 3 seats left on each of them. The flight that had 5+ seats available was double the price, making the flight portion of the vacation really expensive. So, we decided to book the flights separately, with Franklin flying with me on the way to Seattle, and the older kids flying with J, and we’d both land in Seattle about the same time, and then we’d all be on the same flight to Mexico, the longest leg. AND, we were able to use two companion fares (which is pretty much buy one get one free) which we get two of each year being that we have Alaska credit cards.

Items we are bringing that are different than the last time: 

Kids Snorkel Masks– Because we only had two snorkel masks the last time (adult sizes), they were a hot commodity, so we went ahead and got the kids their own this time.

Large beach blanket– We bought ours for $20 on the beach in Mexico and it has been one of our FAVORITE things to bring to the beach since it rolls up so small, yet is so big! I’m pretty sure this is the same one.

Franklin’s Life Jacket- I thought the resort would have these there, but they didn’t, and we were able to get by with little arm floaties that we bought at the little store the first time, but I love the assurance a life jacket gives me when near the pool and ocean since he isn’t a strong swimmer yet.

After we get back, I will update this Part 2 even more!

As always, thank you for stopping by!

<3 Shannon

The post All the Details Regarding our Trips to Mexico appeared first on Living with Lady.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

<3 Shannon

The post Target Fall Try-On (with flair) appeared first on Living with Lady.

The first thing that needed to go was the white carpet, so we ripped that out and started with a clean slate.  We wanted the flooring in here to be different than the rest of the house to add some contrast but also wanted it to be very durable and stand up to any water problems that may occur in a laundry/mudroom. We also wanted something we could install ourselves so when we came across  RevoTile by Daltile that has Clicfit technology, we knew they’d be the perfect fit for our needs.

These tiles are designed to “click” together, which means you don’t need any mortar or thin-set! They also come pre-spaced so you don’t need spacers which takes away so much of the work. We really liked the look of THESE ones because of the concrete look they give, but they have a ton of options to choose from.

How to Install

Since the rest of our main floor was under construction, the baseboards were already removed, so just be sure to remove those first. Then, lay the Rapid Prep underlayment down (also from Daltile) and this helps with noise and any movement of the tile.

Then, tape it together using waterproof tape.

The next thing we needed to do was decide if we want the tiles offset in thirds or in half. What’s nice is that the tiles are already marked for you if you choose thirds. Laying the tiles out will help with this decision as you want to try and avoid any small slivers of tile around the perimeter if you can.

After doing a bunch of math (my husband, not me) we concluded if we laid the tiles in halves, we would have the edge tiles alternate at 9.5″ and just about a full tile, which we liked, so we decided to do halves.

First, my husband cut all of the pieces along the back wall and made sure they were perfectly straight. Once these are straight, then the subsequent rows will line up much easier. And, we got lucky with this piece around the corner making for easier cuts in the doorway. Remember, the baseboards will cover any of those gaps against the wall.

To put the tiles together, line the tongue of one tile up with the groove of the other at a 45-degree angle and slide into place.

To get tight, use a tapping block and hammer into place. To prevent movement of the other tiles, it helps to stand on the tiles surrounding it while tapping it in as you can see in the photo below.

For the edges, use a pull bar to hammer tight.

To cut around the vent, my husband first laid a tile on top of it and traced the lines of the vent.

He then scored the back edge with a grinder so that it’d break off easier.

Then, he cut each side with the wet saw and lightly tapped a hammer in the middle to break the pieces off. To get the jagged little edge off, he went back and forth with the wet saw until he got a clean line.

To cut the other little part of the vent, my husband scored these lines with the wet saw and then carefully tapped them off.

Once all the tiles were laid, it was time to grout! We watched the tutorial on Daltile’s website and used Daltile’s rapid grout, which is what you need for this kind of tile. My husband worked with baseball-sized amounts of grout and smushed it in the lines from all sides at a 45* angle. When finished with that amount, we used a wet rag to wipe clean before it dried so that we didn’t get any hazing on the tile. It worked well for my husband to grout, and for me to follow him to wipe all the excess off the tiles.

No grout…

Grouted and wiped!

We absolutely LOVE how this turned out! It gave the room a concrete feel, which is exactly what we were going for. In all, it took about an hour to grout this room for reference. And, we only needed to wait 24 hours for the grout to dry before being able to walk on it, which was an added bonus.

We really found the Daltile website helpful as they show you exactly how to install it as well as explain all of its benefits.

We have been using this room for about two months now and everything is holding up beautifully! There has been no movement of the tiles and we are so pleased with not only the look but how much easier the install process was compared to traditional tile, too.

As always, thank you for stopping by!

<3 Shannon

The post How We Saved a Ton of Time and Effort Using RevoTile in our Mudroom appeared first on Living with Lady.

We bought our home just over six years ago now with the intention of remodeling within the first two. While we have been doing a bunch of DIY projects along the way, we had yet to tackle the major renovation we were always planning on.

The flooring was a combination of white carpet and white tile, and with two kids four and under, having flooring that I had to constantly battle to keep clean turned into one of my worst headaches. Fast-forward SIX years and we had still yet to remodel because it just never seemed like the right time. Oh! And in the meantime, we also added another kiddo and a pup into the mix as well.

As you can imagine, keeping the carpet and tile looking somewhat decent with three kids and a dog was near impossible, though I did give it a good shot. But in doing so, it made me dread any time the dog or kids went outside in the Winter (or Spring or Fall, for that matter) when muddy or wet feet would come running in soon after. Drinking coffee or wine in the living room also left me uneasy and don’t even get me started about training a new puppy. You can clearly see where our old rug was in this room no matter how hard I tried to keep it clean. It just always felt dingy.

About two years ago we thought we were ready to start the remodel, so we began the hunt for new flooring. I scoured Pinterest looking for inspiration photos, we read up on so many different types of flooring and went to so many stores as well and while we found some beautiful options, we weren’t able to find one that checked all the boxes and we just felt completely overwhelmed and ended up backing off the project as again, the timing wasn’t right.  In that time, though, we did narrow down what we were looking for in our flooring which helped us greatly with where we are today.

Since my husband is an arborist, he has always yearned for real hardwood floors. The look, the wood grain, the texture; it’s just ingrained in him. But with three kids and a dog and having lived with white carpet and tile for the past six years, I wanted something durable and low-maintenance.

So when we decided to FINALLY move forward with our remodeling dreams this past Spring, the hunt began once again and THAT is when we found something that seemed almost too good to be true; an engineered hardwood by Shaw Floors that gave us that real wood my husband was hoping for, as well as the durability I was hoping for being water AND scratch-resistant. Yep, you read that right. With this flooring, your worries are gone if you have pets.  If you have wet kids running through your house, your worries are gone there, too. Shaw Floors created a line of flooring, called Repel, to be lived in, and this could not have been more fitting for us.

Okay, so it checked the boxes in terms of material and performance, but could we find one that fit the look we were going for, too? Once we found this flooring online we knew we had to see it in person so we went to a local flooring store that we knew carried Repel and saw it for ourselves. They had dark options, light options, rustic options, modern options, and everything in-between.

We pulled out our favorites, took a couple of samples home to test in different rooms and see what they looked like throughout the day and it didn’t take us long to decide on the color “Fireside” in the Sanctuary Oak line for its warm tones (without being too red or too yellow), variation, and how well it nicely coincided with existing elements in our home. Our runner-up was the “Horizon” in the Exploration Oak line.

For us, this flooring gave us the light oak look we were going for while also providing that assurance I so desperately needed in its durability. I just cannot express enough what a dream-come-true it is to not have to worry about the flooring in our home anymore and that I finally feel like I can live comfortably and worry-free, no matter the season!

As a final goodbye to the white carpet I despised, I opened up a tub of markers and let them have at it. The looks on their faces are ones I will never forget, and I am thinking they, too, will never forget it. I did make sure to be very clear this is the only time they’re allowed to do it!

I DID want to leave a lasting effect on our home, though, and once the carpet was torn up we wrote what we thought to be some fitting bible scriptures on the subfloor to bless the home. It was important to me that the kids partake in this, too, since this is their home as well and I wanted them to remember that these walls mean nothing without Him.

The Repel flooring was just recently installed and the whole time it just felt surreal. I shared the whole process in videos, too, and saved it to my “flooring!” highlight on Instagram if you want to see the entire process.  I could not stop staring at it! But, to protect it while the rest of the house is being worked on it was immediately covered up as soon as it was installed.  So I have yet to see the big reveal myself! I did take some good notes, though, if you are curious about the install process; stay tuned!

As always, thank you for stopping by!

<3 Shannon

The post How We Chose the Perfect Flooring for our Home appeared first on Living with Lady.

Growing up, the only kind of detergent I remember are the kinds that came in liquid and powder form. Once I moved out of the house and on my own, I remember struggling with my laundry and it became a chore I strongly disliked right away. The big, giant jugs of detergent were not easy to maneuver, and no matter how careful I tried to be in filling up the designated cup, the jug and cup became so sticky from detergent leaking out and from filling the cup up that our laundry area was just a disaster zone. Then, more often than not, I would find those “grease” looking stains from pouring the detergent on my clothes that I was just not able to get out, which meant those clothes were ruined.

Again, not my favorite chore.

Things got a little easier when the pods were introduced and I used those for a few years, though they were definitely more expensive and as a young family trying to save every little bit while my husband went back to school, the little “extras” weren’t always feasible.

This past year or two, though, I have really become more aware of the environment and the products that I was bringing into our home and have started switching many over to safer options. I discovered Dropps several months ago and there is really no looking back.

Dropps come in the pod form that I love so much and are not only made of non-toxic ingredients and scented with essential oils, but everything you receive from Dropps is 100% recyclable or biodegradable. Many of the big laundry jugs that other companies use are not recyclable, but Dropps made sure every single thing that arrives at your door will simply go away. And we often think that using natural ingredients means it’s going to cost more; that’s not the case with Dropps! They cost about $.10 less than the old pods I was using so that extra expense you might expect just isn’t there.

And that brings me to the next aspect that I love so much, the fact that they are delivered (for FREE!) right to your door. They have become one of the things that I don’t even think twice about anymore because they just show up. They offer a subscribe and save option which gives you an even bigger discount and again, ensures that you never have to think about it again.

If you have sensitive skin? You’re covered. If you need tough stain-fighting action? You’re covered. If you’d prefer non-scented? You’re covered. Oxi-boosters? You’re covered there, too. Dropps offers a variety of options to meet your every need and so that you can ensure you are getting exactly what you want.

They’re also compatible with all types of washing machines; whether you have a front or top loader, they work for all! And don’t forget about the dish pods! They have pods for the dishwasher, too, and you can get those scented or non-scented and they also have the same amazing qualities as the laundry pods.

I feel good about using Dropps, they’re actually cheaper than the pods I was using before, and they have simply just made it easy. If you’d like to give them a try, you can use code: LIVING25

They are a favorite in our home and I am sure they will be in yours, too!

As always, thank you for stopping by!

<3 Shannon

The post There’s Really No Looking Back with Dropps appeared first on Living with Lady.

Franklin  (Appx ages 1-5 )

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar 

Avengers 5 Minute Stories 

Brown Bear, Brown Bear 

There’s a Mouse About the House

A Giraffe and a Half

Steam Train Dream Train

The Goodnight Train

Where’s Waldo

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and other Favorite Bedtime Rhymes

Goodnight Moon

The Kissing Hand 

Waddle Waddle

Goodnight, I Love You

Dr. Seuss Books

The Giving Tree

Goodnight Gorilla 

Franklin (Ages 6-7)

Pig the Pug Series

Dogman Series

Cat Kid Comic Club Series

Big Nate Series

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Our oldest son didn’t find a love for reading until he was seven. He enjoyed being read to, for the most part, but reading anything on his own was a struggle. Until….. we started the Dogman series. He started reading one of these books daily (on his own!) and I was having a hard time getting books in his hands fast enough. He has since moved on to other series and will finish every book in the series before wanting to go to the next. I think it just takes finding the right books to spark that love!

Calvin: Ages 7-8 (these are the ages my child read the books, but I am sure would be enjoyed by a little younger and a little older, too, depending on reading level)

Dogman Series 

Captain Underpants Series 

Fly Guy Series 

Super Diaper Baby Series  

Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol Series  

Mac B Spy Kid Series 

Dragon Slayer Academy Series  

13 Story Treehouse Series 

My Big Fat  Zombie Goldfish series 

House of Robots Series 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 

My Weird School Series 

The Bad Guys Series 

Calvin (Ages 9-11)

The Last Kids on Earth Series

Percy Jackson Collection

Heroes of Olympus

These are the first chapter books I remember our daughter reading and loving. She has always loved to read and has gone through hundreds of books but below are her very favorites, from what I can remember.

Gwyneth (Ages 5-8)

Junie B Jones Series 

 Magic Treehouse Series 

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle Series 

Pippi Longstocking series 

Bad Kitty Series 

Amelia Bedelia Series 

Nancy Clancy Series 

Homer Price

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series 

Henry and the Paper Route

Shel Silverstein Books 

Gwyneth (Ages 8-10)

Lafcadio

Boxcar Children Series 

Charlotte’s Web

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls (2 books)

Babysitters Club Series 

American Girl series

Dork Diaries Series 

Horse Diaries Series 

James and the Giant Peach

The Secret Garden

Chronicles of Narnia Series 

Harry Potter Series 

Little Women

The Indian in the Cupboard

Gwyneth (Ages 11-12)

Esperanza Rising

Wish 

Wonder

A Whale of the Wild

Pippi Longstocking

Hunger Games

All books by Alan Gratz

I hope this list has helped spark some ideas for you and your little ones! Growing up, my mom never said no to a new book, and that’s the motto we’ve continued in our home, too!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

<3 Shannon

The post Our Kids’ Favorite Books appeared first on Living with Lady.

Around three months ago I partnered with Care/of and started taking the daily vitamins that were recommended to me after taking their five-minute quiz online. It didn’t take me long to realize this was something I could stick with and taking them daily quickly became a part of my routine.  If you haven’t heard of Care/of before, it is an online delivery service specializing in personalized packs of vitamins and supplements that are tailored to your specific needs and are delivered to your door monthly.

About six weeks before I started taking Care/of I had surgery and was having some tummy trouble post-operation and was looking to incorporate some probiotics and vitamins to aid in my overall digestion and health. I chose to explore Care/of’s vitamins over other competitors because of their openness in explaining where their products are from and how they strive to obtain quality ingredients that are best for the consumer.

          “Our research and development team has traveled the globe, forging relationships with                     farmers and suppliers as committed to quality, ethical harvesting methods, and                                 sustainability as we are. We take sourcing seriously because ingredient quality                                   influences potency and bioavailability.” – Care/of website

I also like how all their ingredients are backed by research that is openly shared. Right after you are done with your online quiz you will receive a list of recommendations as well as the literature explaining what it is and why it is beneficial for your health so that you know exactly what you’re getting. When your vitamins arrive, you also receive a pamphlet with info in it as well as a photo of each vitamin in case you need to reference what is in each pack.

It didn’t take long for my tummy troubles to go away which encouraged me to keep taking my vitamins each day and even explore some of Care/of’s other products, too, like the collagen powder (which helps skin and nails) that I put in my coffee every day.

Another selling point for me is the packaging. Not only do I like how my name is printed on every little pack making them feel very personal, (and the different quotes each pack has on the front is a fun little addition!) but I love how they are individually packaged into the amounts I need daily so that it only takes me seconds to take them each morning with my breakfast. Or, in the mornings when I am running out the door and am grabbing breakfast on-the-go, they are easy to take along with me, too.

While I have yet to travel anywhere since our annual trip was just canceled, I know being able to take the exact number of packages needed on our trip would have made taking them while away as easy as taking them when at home. I just love how portable they are and how easy Care/of has made the whole process!

If wanting to simplify your vitamin routine or just start benefiting your health, see what Care-of recommends for you by going HERE to take their short quiz and then read up on the literature provided to learn more! You can also use code SHANNOND50 for 50% off your first order!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

<3 Shannon

The post The Ease of Adding Care/of to my Daily Routine appeared first on Living with Lady.

About six weeks after my operation I placed my first order with Care/of, which is an online delivery service specializing in personalized packs of vitamins and supplements tailored to one’s specific needs that are mailed monthly. To find out what my body needed, I went online to the Care/of website, took their five-minute quiz answering questions about my diet, exercise routine, and health goals and was then provided a list of recommendations that I could read further-up on. Being able to read the science behind each recommendation and learn how it is beneficial helped me to decide what I wanted to order and so far I have been very happy with those recommendations!

The areas that I wanted to focus on when answering my questions were reducing stress, muscle recovery (since I have just started to work out again), increasing energy, digestion, my immune system, and my hair, skin, and nails. Who doesn’t want to improve those things, right?!  And the vitamins and supplements recommended for me were Vitamin D, Astaxanthin, Ashwagandha, American Ginsing, and a probiotic blend. And, they arrived in cute, easy-to-open daily packs (with my name on them!) making them super easy to take. The collagen (which is what helps with my skin and nails) arrives in a powder form and I like to put that in my coffee each morning. I enjoy the unflavored but they also have vanilla oat creamer, matcha, and a lemon passion fruit flavor.

I have really enjoyed the routine of taking my daily vitamins and with the constant juggle of trying to fully recover, helping the kids with their school, trying to work from home, and also taking care of our family and home, I so appreciate how all the work has been taken out of deciding what my body may need with the Care/of approach. There is just a LOT going on over here right now and if something can be simplified, I am all-in! Plus, I love what the extra vitamins and minerals are doing for my body and immune system.

If interested in seeing what Care-of recommends for you, you can go HERE to take their short quiz and then read up on the literature provided. It truly is fascinating! You can also use code SHANNONM50 for 50% off your first order!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

<3 Shannon

The post Simplifying Life with Care/of appeared first on Living with Lady.

As promised, here is my men’s gift guide!

I asked you all what the men in your lives really like and you delivered! Every one of those items either come recommended by you all, or my husband recommends them! Well…. all except one. One I had myself in mind when adding to the list. Can you tell which one?

Just click on each photo for more details!

Is there anything else you would add to this list?

As always, thank you so much for stopping by!

The post 50+ Recommended Gift Ideas for Men appeared first on Living with Lady.