Some fun news today! I’m being featured on I heart Organizing! If you’re like me and love to organize and haven’t checked out Jen’s blog you are in for a real treat! I discovered her blog a few months ago and was hooked immediately. It’s seriously one of the first blogs I check now. Oh the sleep I lost pouring over her past posts! So many great organizing and decorating ideas and tips. I just love it all and am so excited to be mentioned on such an inspiring blog. Thanks Jen! It’s so much fun finding other people who share my passion for organization. And to celebrate my love for organization, tomorrow’s post is a fun new shoe system I created a couple of weeks ago after being inspired by one of Jen’s posts. YEA! I’m excited to share it. :)
But for today I wanted to answer a few questions in yesterday’s comments. Do you love how I answer questions in my posts instead of in the actual comments? If you ask a question, do you check back in the comments for the answer? I would forget, so I assume everyone else would too. Ha! Probably not so. I need to work on answering questions in the comments. Further my quest to become a real blogger. Do you also love how I get so sidetracked and can’t stay on the topic at hand? :) Back to the questions – several of you asked where we stayed in Maui. We own a week each year at the Westin Villas in Ka’anapali, Maui. That is why we vacation in Maui so much. Yes. It’s an amazing place to stay and I would totally recommend it for a family vacation! The villas are huge (like mini houses with full kitchens and washers and dryers) and we love that we have a room seperated from the kiddos. The timeshare thing was a perfect solution for us because we wanted to make family vacations a priority, but we can sometimes be too practical and were afraid we wouldn’t travel because it’s so expensive, so much work with the kids, etc. This way we have something set every year. We can go to Maui, or trade and stay in other amazing places like when went to Cancun with my family two years ago. We can also use points (part of the timeshare system) and stay in Westin hotels all over the world. We did that for our ten year anniversary and went to Italy. You have options! Optionality is my favorite word. :) Anyway, if anyone is interested in learning more I’d be happy to answer questions. Just send me an e-mail – my link is to the right.
A few more beach pictures…
I have to say one of my favorite things about this last trip was seeing Addison have so much fun at the beach. Ellie has been a beach girl from day one. She has always loved the sand and the ocean. Addison – not so much. Usually she is afraid of the ocean, doesn’t like getting dirty, too hot, too sandy, sunscreen in her eyes…always something. She has never loved the beach. I don’t know what changed since last summer (maybe just an age thing?), but to see her throwing all caution to the wind this trip and truly enjoying the ocean made me so happy!
I too can sometimes be a bit hesitant to swim in the ocean. Especially here in San Diego because the water is alway so cold.
I seriously got laughing so hard. I think I had more fun playing in them than my girls did one morning!
Kenny was laughing at how hard I was laughing. My cute friend Josie who is 7 months pregnant took these pictures and I’m so glad she did. Even though I look like a total dork, these pictures just make me smile. Fun memories with my girls. I seriously think I’ll be washing sand out of our hair for the next three weeks!
Ahhh…yes. It was an amazing vacation. And now. Reality. My friend Shari commented yesterday “Re-entry is brutal. Hang in there.” Man is that ever the truth! The last few days have been crazy trying to unpack and get back on top of things. We are still on Maui time going to bed too late and NOT wanting to get up in the morning. Yesterday I did manage to go grocery shopping.
I adore Jen’s blog just like yours. I saw your post on her blog today and was excited for you. You guys are both great resources. I have used some of her printouts for my Home Management Binder and love them. It looks like you had a blast in Hawaii…the time of your life. We are headed to vacation in Florida soon and I can’t wait.
How do you find the time/energy/money to get and stay organized? And how do you keep from getting overwhelmed by all the great ideas out there? I would love to organize my home better, especially since it’s a fairly new home for us; but I get overwhelmed at the thought of even starting, and then I always picture it being a major money pit…Help!
It is always great when there is another friend around that understand pictures like you! I am so glad she was able to capture those pictures of you…I seem to never be in the pictures and then I feel stupid when I ask my husband to take a pictures of me and the kids. He looks at me like really?
Oh the laundry room…how I can relate! When we came back from Cancun in December, we dumped all of our luggage, carry on bags, clothes, etc. in the laundry room & it looked just like your does (actually yours looks much better!). Such a disaster!
Thanks for the link to Jen’s site. Off to check it out now.
I am also a big fan of I Heart Organizing, so I was very excited to see you featured over there today! You both have such fun blogs (at least for those of us who just love organization)!
Glad you enjoyed your time in Maui! We are at a Starwood Resort (east coast) this very week and are having a blast!
Not afraid to admit that I will NOT be going to check out that cute blog on organizing. :)
But I’m really glad I get to check yours every day. I love these pictures soooo much, Erin. They are so much more meaningful because of the place you were in your life a year ago. ((HUGS))
Btw, did you have the beach to yourselves or what??? There’s no one there! So sweet.
Great I cannot wait to check it out! I love her blog too. I could spend hours just looking.
So glad I found you through Jen’s blog. Love your organization and sense of humor! Will take some time to look around your blog. Your trip looks like it was amazing :)
Going to check out her blog! Never been there. I adore reading your blog! It’s my favorite and the first one I visit every night:) Hope you all get adjusted back to realty soon!
Fabulous pictures. Love! I think that destination is being added to the list!
I also love Jen’s blog. Haven’t made it far enough into my reader to see your post there, am looking forward to it though!
I LOVE the pics of you playing in the ocean! Glad we got those! Next time, when I’m not afraid I’ll fall down and not be able to get back up, I’m getting in with you!
So happy for you that you had such a great vacation! Can you do a tutorial on how you did Addisons hair? I love the way its twisted up with part of the curls hanging out. Love your blog and you have such an adorable family!
Hey Erin, I’m visiting from Jen’s blog and just wanted to pop over and tell you personally (well, in a comment) how much I loved your guest post! There were a lot of things you did that I would love in my home. Thanks for sharing!
Bex :)
Your vacation looks wonderful! I love Jen’s blog too! Her site even gives me new organizing ideas and I’m pretty organized! I love reading your organizing tips too!
Too funny that you mention how you spent so many hours going over her past posts…I found your blog through Jen’s iHeartOrganizing blog – I was going through her past posts…I have been reading your blog since August and am still going through past ones too! I just love your blog, something I look forward to checking all the time! I wish you and your family the best!