Sporty Mommas

Beaches Turks and Caicos

Filed under: Mom Life ·

Hey there Sporty Mommas! How is your summer going so far?  I am almost settled back in after our family vacation to the Beaches Resort in Turks and Caicos. First of all let me say that it was pretty amazing. Some of you have already seen my pictures on Instagram or Facebook so you know that the Stew Crew had a blast. I wanted to share with you some of our favorite things about the trip and a few tips if you plan to visit.

Why Beaches? Every summer and sometimes spring break we always head to Atlantis. We actually spent the day there on our Disney Cruise back in March. My husband and I were talking with the kids and we all voted on trying something new this summer. I think it is a blessing to be able to take them to different places so they can experience new things. We love the beach and I’ve heard amazing things about the Beaches property so I figured hey let’s give it a try. However, I didn’t book the trip until early May and there wasn’t a lot of availability. (Tip 1: Book early)

 

We originally booked a five night stay in a family kids suite in the Italian Village. But, about a week before our departure I searched online one more time for any available upgrades. There were two suites available in the Key West Village and since it was five of us for so many nights, I went ahead and changed the room category. We were so glad that we did. The two story, two bedroom Key West Villa was just what we needed. It was equipped with two king beds, two full bathrooms, a kitchen, living and dining area, a cute little porch and two balconies. It was like having our own beach house for 6 days. (Tip 2: Check for upgrades/cancellations)

It was our first time staying at an all inclusive resort with the kids. All of the food, drinks, water activities, x-box lounge and shows were included in our package. We experienced great food and service and they made special accommodations for our son who has a gluten-free diet. The kids enjoyed riding in the golf carts, the slides in the water park,  going to the beach and playing video games in the X-box lounge every night. I even played Just Dance 2019 a few times. There was complimentary childcare and day camps for families that needed it but since we have a tween, we kept them all together.

The best part of the trip for me was to see the kids playing in the water with their dad. They laughed, made videos with the go pro and looked for fish and seashells. That reminds me, I have a bag of shells inside one of my purses. The water was so clear that we could see schools of fish in the shallow area of the beach. The sand was so soft it felt like baby powder under your toes. The sunsets each night were breathtaking. Besides overeating at the buffets and gaining four pounds lol, there were really no complaints.

 

 

We wrapped up our trip with an amazing photoshoot. All guests receive a complimentary 20 minute photo session on the beach. I am usually really good at planning our family pictures but I forgot this time. (#mombrain) At the last minute I threw together our outfits. All we needed was a white top and denim right? (Tip 3: Coordinate your family photo look in advance) So if you are looking for a great all inclusive vacation, I highly recommend Beaches. The service, food, beaches and smiles were worth every penny. Did you go on vacation yet?

 

 

 

XO,

Sharonda

Disney Dream (Part 2)

Filed under: Mom Life ·

 

Day two on the Disney Dream was just as full of excitement as the first day. We had to get up early for our breakfast seating time. Everyone is assigned restaurants and times to have breakfast. I was very happy with the gluten free menu accommodations for our son. Sometimes when you travel it is hard to find options but once our server found out about his dietary restrictions they were on it. He was able to enjoy yummy pancakes, donuts and Mickey Waffles just like the other kids. Tip 4: Let the server know if you have any food allergies. After breakfast at the Royal Palace we gathered our beach bags and departed the ship for a busy day at Atlantis Aquaventure. We spent last Spring Break at Atlantis so it was cool to be able to enjoy the slides and spend some time on the beach with the kiddos. They love the slides and the lazy river. I usually just chill at the pool and take pictures. The last time that I went on the lazy river, my tube wanted to do it’s own thing so yeah…I am not going back for awhile.

 

We spent about 6 hours at Atlantis, which is just enough time to enjoy the water, have lunch and explore a little. The waves were very serious so we didn’t spend as much time at the beach. Before we knew it, it was 4 p.m. and time to head back to the ship. I wasn’t playing around after having those dreams that the ship left us lol! It took a while to get everyone cleaned up and ready for dinner. It was Pirate Night!!! I ordered a bunch of Pirate stuff from Amazon. Thank God for Amazon Prime.  Tip 5: Order or make Pirate costumes Everyone willingly participated in Pirate Night (even the hubby) and we enjoyed dinner at the Enchanted Garden. This restaurant was the prettiest but I wasn’t crazy about the menu. I think it changes from time to time and perhaps I ordered the wrong selection.

 

The older two kids enjoyed watching Captain Marvel in the movie theater while the little one and I went to see Beauty and the Beast live. I was so impressed with the theater, performers and special effects. We enjoyed fresh popcorn, gummy Mickey’s and ginger ale while watching the show. It is amazing what they can do on these ships. I must say it was a full day and we were all ready to go to bed. The kids were so tired from our daily activities that they only went to kids club once.

 

 

On the third day we headed to Castaway Cay. It was all my little one kept talking about. Disney’s own private island was not a disappointment. You name it, they had it. Slides, kids club, jet skis, snorkeling, great food and an adult only beach. There is definitely something for everyone. My oldest daughter convinced her dad to take her on the jet skis. I thought they were just going to ride back and forth where I could see them but they left with a group of about 12 jet skis and disappeared for like 45 minutes. She said it was the best thing ever!!!! I needed a glass of wine from worrying so much lol.

 

The Disney Dream was really amazing. Now I know what everyone was talking about. It was worth every penny to see my kids have so much fun and experience something new. They were actually sad when we started packing up our bags. There is so much more to share but I don’t want to tell you everything. I can say that if you have never been on a Disney Cruise you should definitely plan one soon. Tip 6: Go for it Don’t let fear hold you back from exploring the world. I am already planning our next Disney Cruise for 2020. This time we are heading to the Mediterranean!!!! Where’s your favorite family vacation spot?

 

 

 

 

My son says, “My favorite thing on the Disney Cruise was the Aqua Duck slide and finally seeing Captain Marvel”

 

XO,

Sharonda

 

 

 

 

The Stew Crew’s Disney Cruise

Filed under: Mom Life ·

My kids must have watched over 100 YouTube videos reviewing the Disney Cruise. I would walk into our office and find my 8 year old watching the kids go on the slides, eating treats and searching for the perfect room. They started begging us to go last year but I was very hesitant. You see I have been on a few day cruises to gamble and catamarans hanging out with the girls but never slept on a ship. I didn’t know if I could survive with my nerves. In January, I started searching for the best itinerary that fit our Spring Break schedule. I decided on the 3 night Bahamian cruise on the Disney Dream leaving out of Port Canaveral because it left right when the kids got out of school and we could enjoy a few days in Orlando when we returned. When I told the kids they were beyond excited and started counting down right away.

 

 

I had anxiety for weeks leading up to the cruise. Crazy dreams that one of the kids went missing lol. Or dreams about missing the ship at the port of entry and being stuck on an island. Yes, I was a bit paranoid. But after talking to a few friends they reassured me that the Disney Cruise was the best cruise to book and I would have a great time.  I am so glad that I calmed down enough to really enjoy this trip. We really had a blast. I have had so many people ask me for tips and what not since posting pictures on Facebook and Instagram so I wanted to do a quick review of our amazing Disney Cruise. This is part one because there’s so much to share.

 

 

We packed up the truck on Thursday afternoon and jumped on the Turnpike around 4 p.m. heading to Orlando. My hubby and I decided that it was easier to already be in the area then jump up at 6 a.m. rushing to the Port and something crazy come up like the SUV breaking down or unbearable traffic. The truck had been giving us some problems and even though we picked it up from service the day before we didn’t want to take any chances. We arrived to Orlando with way too many bags. Anyone else over pack like me? After checking into the Hilton Lake Buena Vista Palace we headed over to have dinner at Paddlefish in Disney Springs. It was delicious!

 

 

 

 

 

On Friday morning we checked out of the hotel, grabbed breakfast from Panera and headed to the Port around 11 a.m. I was already freaking out and driving my husband crazy. We left a little later than I planned and I was starting to worry. Well we got to the port around 1 p.m. which was an hour before our boarding time. First tip: Drop your bags off at the drop off before parking the car lol. We didn’t do it and had to roll the bags quite a distance. After clearing security and check in we had our picture taken in our matching shirts and our cruise adventure began. Tip 2: Get  cute themed shirts from Etsy or Amazon. 

 

 

 

Everyone was so nice and helpful as soon as we walked on the ship. It was like being at Magic Kingdom but on water. We immediately went to our rooms to decorate our doors. Tip 3: Order a fun door magnet to help identify your room from the others cause they all look alike. I ordered ours from Etsy. I was super impressed with the rooms. I originally booked the Veranda ocean view that slept 5, but my husband decided to add another connecting room because we are used to the extra space. (I/m so glad that he did) The kids had their room and we had ours. I must say the beds and showers were amazing considering we were on a ship. I need to find out what kind of mattress they had.

 

 

 

 

Each night had a theme so you want to pay attention to the itinerary. There was a Sail Away party, Pirate night and Fancy attire on our ship. Most people dressed up each night but you don’t have to. I got tons of compliments on our t-shirts and pirate costumes. After the sail away party my kids rushed to put on their swimsuits to hit the slides. We enjoyed dinner at Animation Palate where we had an interactive meal with Crush from Turtle Talk. It was super yummy and fun. The kids went to the Oceanaire Kids Club after dinner while the adults explored the ship. The ship was so big by the way that we did not make it to the front of the ship. There are over 1250 room on the Disney Dream! Crazy right?  Stay tuned for Part 2 later on this week.

 

 

 

Here’s what my eight year old said about the cruise. “My favorite thing on the Disney Cruise was the Kid’s Club, Goofy’s Sports Simulator and the Aqua Duck!” She must have gone on this slide 20 times.

 

XO,

Sharonda

Fenty Ma’ Damn!

Filed under: Fashion, Mom Life ·

By now I am sure that you all know that Rihanna’s new cosmetics line is killing it. When Fenty Beauty made it’s first debut back in September, most of the products were sold out in minutes. It is reported that it made over 72 million dollars in media sales in one month. (That’s just from social media) I went to several Sephora’s back in September and October trying to get a peak at the line. Most of the shades that I needed were always completely sold out. Everyone was raving about the bronzers and how the line was designed for every skintone. I kept thinking is the hype real?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being a MAC girl I was very hesitant about trying something new and a little tired of the empty shelves. But, thanks to a Christmas gift card from the hubby, I gave Sephora another try last week. I am so happy to tell you that there was so much more to choose from this time around.  Several more items have come out like the limited edition galaxy eye shadow palette and eyeliner. I LOVE the Ma’Damn lip color and Killawatt freestyle highlighter. The soft matte lip color lasts for hours and adds just enough pop to turn heads. It doesn’t leave my lips feeling dry like a lot of matte lipsticks do. Most days I do not wear anything but that. I have received so many compliments since adding it to my beauty routine.

 

 

I was also thrilled to find out that it is free from parabens, sulfates and phthalates.  I can’t wait to try the match six trio and the Candy Venom lip color from the Mattemoiselle!  FYI: Fenty Beauty was also named one of Time’s Inventions of the Year for 2017. So if you haven’t tried it yet, what are you waiting for? “Lipstick is all about having fun and expressing your mood at any given moment. This collection makes it easier than ever because there’s a color for everyone.”—Rihanna

 

 

XO,

Sharonda