travel

Beaches Turks and Caicos

Filed under: Mom Life · June 18, 2019

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

The Stew Crew’s Disney Cruise

Filed under: Mom Life · March 31, 2019

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

How to De-stress during the Holidays!

Filed under: Mom Life · December 13, 2018

I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off for quite sometime now (#momof3) but with the holidays here it has been multiplied times 5. I was ripping and running and actually making myself sick. I started feeling super irritated, anxious, tired and quite frankly just bothered. My husband and I went to dinner with one of our favorite couples and the wife expressed to me how hard it was for her when their kids were young. She said that she was always moody and tired and didn’t want to be bothered half of the time. Now that they are all grown up she can relax a little and do what she wants to do. (When the grandkids aren’t around lol) I know you Mommas can relate!

After we dropped them off at their hotel, I realized that I had a gift card to the Mandarin Oriental Spa from Mother’s Day that I had not used. It was just sitting in my wallet for like 5 months. That is how hectic things have been. As soon as I woke up on Monday morning I called the Spa and set up my appointment for the next day. I knew that if I pushed it to the following week something would come up and I would have to postpone it cause thats what moms do. Am I right?

I made my appointment during school hours of course. I planned the day perfectly. If I dropped the kids off at 8:30, I could be to the Spa by 9:30 and be out by 1:30. Well things were going as planned when I got a call from my daughter begging me to bring her timeline that she left in the office. So my relaxing day turned into rushing from one school to another then sitting in traffic to get to Brickell. But, once I arrived at the hotel at 9:45 the ambiance took over and I felt a sense of peace all over me. This was my day and for the next 5 hours I was going to chill. Yes, I was there for 5 hours. I had a 90 minute massage, facial, manicure and pedicure and it was amazing. The hotel staff made my day. So if you are a little burnt out and looking for a little me time here are a few ideas to destress during the holidays. Cause if Momma ain’t happy, nobody is happy.

10 Ways to De-stress

Spa Day
24 hour Staycation at your favorite hotel
Dinner for 1 at your favorite restaurant
Get a massage
Buy yourself something that you usually wouldn’t buy (Tom Ford, lol)
Go for a long walk
Candle lit bubble bath
Go to a yoga/meditation class
Dance
Volunteer

XO,

Sharonda

One HAPPY Island

Filed under: Mom Life · August 21, 2018

Boy did this summer fly by!!! We had our usual family trips to Orlando and Nassau. A few play dates and outings scheduled here and there but the main event of the summer was turning 40. I was super anxious about turning 40 last month. I survived and turning 40 wasn’t as bad as I thought. I got some really nice birthday gifts too. My kids made me three beaded bracelets with a little bling bling. My hubby got me the red Prada bag that I was watching for months at SAKS and I got a surprise trip to Aruba!!!!!

I had about three weeks to plan my outfits and itineraries. I spent hours on Pinterest looking at pictures, reviews, suggestions and outfit options. I even asked my Facebook peeps for travel advice. I shopped and shopped and shopped some more. New swimsuits, coverups, shoes you name it, I bought it. When August 2nd arrived I was ready!!!!

Aruba was amazing!!!! We spent 4 nights and 5 days at the beautiful Ritz Carlton Aruba. As soon as we arrived at the hotel we were greeted with Champagne. Everyone was smiling and so friendly and I loved all of the different accents. At check in I always ask if there were any upgrades available and sure enough there was an Executive Suite. The room was amazing. The best part was the breathtaking views of the sunsets. The room was so nice that I didn’t want to leave but we had a whole happy island to explore.

Most of the time we hopped in cabs to see the area. There were so many restaurants and bars to choose from. One night we ate at the on site steak house BLT. It was good soooo good. The mini doughnuts were to die for. The next night we got out and headed to the Palm Beach shopping area. We had dinner at a place called Azia. The ambiance was so nice kinda South Beach like and the food was delicious too. I loved the vibes and the big Buddha statues that were all over the restaurant. We hit up the casino every night after dinner. The casino was a lot smaller than Atlantis but it was cool. Almost every hotel on the island has its own casino.

Everyday we spent time on the beach. The water was so beautiful. It was very windy though. Nobody warned me about the wind and how the sand blows really hard. Like it hurts so you have to be real or stay in the water lol! We rode the paddle boat and tried paddle boarding for the first time. I was so proud of myself for trying something new. They had these super cool floats too. We felt like young kids out there on the water.

On day 3, we rented a car and headed to the downtown area and Baby Beach. I really wanted to do the jeep excursion but my back can’t handle those terrains. Downtown had a strip called the Renaissance mall. It was adjacent to the Renaissance Hotel. They had a lot of the high end stores like Gucci, Dolce, Prada, LV and Michael Kors to name a few. We stopped at the famous Dutch Pancake House and had delicious berry pancakes. The line was wrapped around the front of the building so we had to wait like 30 minutes but it was so worth it. Everyone wanted those famous pancakes! They are kinda like big crepes and come in like 50 combinations.

It took about 45 minutes to get to Baby Beach. It was so peaceful and serene. There were cool rocks everywhere. We got there to late to enjoy the water but it was nice to sit and take it all in. We took pictures and actually played in the sand. It was just what we needed!!! On the last night we did the sunset cruise. It started off really nice and everyone was having a ball. We met some really cool people from Maryland and Texas. The further we sailed out, the more the waves started crashing harder and harder and I got a little paranoid. I thought that I was going to get sea sick. Thank God we survived, but I told my hubby that I won’t be going on another catamaran for a few years.

I was really impressed that this little island had so much to offer. We could have stayed a few more days because there were so many other sights that we wanted to see. I am so thankful that the grandmas cheerfully agreed to watch the kids for us. And I am so grateful for such a loving, thoughtful, handsome hubby that spoils me rotten. Aruba is definitely one happy island and we can’t wait to go back!!! We agreed that the next time we would definitely take the kids. Hope you enjoyed the pics and had an amazing summer too!!!

XO,

Sharonda

Summer Bum Bum

Filed under: Fashion · July 31, 2018

Have you ever browsed through a magazine and thought to yourself hey maybe I should try that? Yeah, of course you have. That’s why they sell magazines. Well last week I was looking through InStyle and saw some of the celebrities favorite summer items and I saw the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. It looked familiar but I never had much interest in it. The packaging was bright and eye-catching and she raved about it so I took a mental note of it. (Especially planning for my next beach vacay.) Hey at 40 I am willing to try anything to smooth out this skin.

A few days later I stopped by Sephora to pick up some lipgloss and a facial mask. You know how they have all of those travel size items in the line looping around until you reach the cash register? They really know what they are doing cause nine times out of ten I usually buy something that I wasn’t looking for. As I was patiently waiting in line I saw a travel size Bum Bum cream!!! Ok it’s a sign, I have to try it! Ok, I didn’t have to buy it but it was calling my name.

When I got home I decided to look more into it before I used it on my bum. I realized that this famous skin tightener has been around for a few years and gets great reviews. I opened the jar and it smelled amazing. Like Jamaica in a bottle. So far I have only been using it for three days. I love the way my skin feels right after I apply it. It gives it a sun kissed glow. I am not sure what my personal results will be but I will definitely keep you ladies posted. I know one thing I will be using it daily for the next 30 days praying for a miracle. So, have you ever tried it? What did you think?

XO,

Sharonda

Back to School Blues

Filed under: Mom Life · August 18, 2017

I knew this day was coming. Admit it, we all did. The day we would have to go back to setting our alarm clocks, scheduling drop offs, pick ups, packing lunches, doctors appointments, meetings oh and HOMEWORK the best part. After 9 weeks of vacation and yes this summer our family lived it up, we traveled until the wheels literally fell off of the suitcases. There was Disney, Atlanta, Atlantis and oh my favorite Turks and Caicos! We got to spend quality time with family and friends and enjoyed lots of good food. But now it is time to face the music.

On Monday the alarm will go off not once but twice. We now have three kiddos at two different schools. You know what that means, lots of driving back and forth between schools, practices, tutoring and play dates. I already got a taste of it this week because one kid started school a week earlier. The carpool selfies are going to be filling your Instagram and Facebook timelines very soon. Traffic jams, detours and lunch on the run here I come!

This school year will be very different for us. We officially have a middle schooler. Yes those wonderful days of middle school filled with puberty, girl fights, detentions, first crushes and those first real disappointments. Like not having anyone to sit with at lunch, forgetting your locker combination way too many times, pimples, not making the cheerleading squad or dance team. Those days that most moms blocked out when they arrived to high school. So please pray for me. Pray that I too survive this second round of middle school. That I can be a tool of patience, love, understanding, kindness and guidance for my beautiful daughter whom at 11 years old is already taller, smarter and stronger than I was at that age.

On the bright side, I do look forward to having a little time to myself again. All summer long I have been on the clock. Every now and then I squeezed in some “ME” time but definitely not enough. Now I can workout on a real schedule, get my nails done, blog, volunteer, meet up with friends for lunch, and shop when I want to solo!!!!!!! I might even finish that book that I started last year. Oh my the list could go on and on. So although going back to school is bitter sweet, I know that the kids need to get back to their routines and so do we. Cheers to a fabulous 2017-2018 school year!

XO,

Sharonda