Invitations + Food Cards: Rigney and Co | White Bounce House: Magnolia Luxe Rentals
I know it’s SO clique to say this, but people aren’t lying when they say that the days are long but the years are short! I blinked and now my baby boy is two years old. My heart breaks at the thought of him growing up even more than he already has! Baker is my little sour patch kid because you never know what you’re going to get with him. Lol! Even though he’s still young, I’ve notice that he has an eye for details and I can’t wait to see how that characteristic progresses. He’s a handful, but I love him so very much! I frequently pray that all this energy will be channeled into something good! 🙂
This birthday party theme has been in the back of my mind since last year! I felt like it was my last opportunity with the guise of “This ain’t my first rodeo, it’s my 2nd” so I ran with it happily. The light blue and brown color scheme was a must, and everything came together perfectly! I was so proud of my decor choices, and I highly recommend the rodeo/western theme!
Y’all will probably laugh, but my #1 regret from last year’s Pete the Cat party was the dang plastic table clothes. I still can’t believe I didn’t buy a cloth option for probably the same price, but I wasn’t making the same mistake twice. I LOVED the light blue plaid ones I ordered on Amazon! They really elevated the party decor while still being affordable!
All the decorations and serving dishes are from Amazon, Walmart and Etsy! The personalized koozies and confetti are from Peony & Confetti Co. The Amazon items are linked HERE, and everything else is below!
XO
Kels
Korean Pork Belly Bao at Virago
Loveless Cafe Biscuits + Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Creste Di Gallo at Sixty Vines
French Toast at The Mockingbird
Fry Flight at Bourbon Steak
I wish we would have had time to explore the OC, but we had a lot of ground to cover! Once we finished lunch in Beverly Hills, we decided to visit another popular restaurant called The Ivy. They have the most beautiful pink and orange flowers everywhere along with incredible red velvet cake that they’re know for!
Afterwards, we got back on PCH and drove through Malibu. We were already running late, so we skipped the Santa Monica Pier unfortunately! Lexus truly spoiled us the entire trip, but the hotel stays were next level! We checked into the Santa Barbara Ritz Carlton with even more breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. We had a delicious private dinner at Angel Oak and got ready for Day 2!
We continued on our California coast road trip to Monterey on Wednesday, but we did take a detour to Solvang! I’ve wanted to visit this town since it was featured on Vanderpump Rules, and it looked like we stepped into Denmark with all the Danish accents! We grabbed a few pastries at The Solvang Bakery and drove around before driving to San Luis Obispo for lunch!
 
We arrived in Monterey early to have some downtime before dinner! We stayed at Monterey Plaza Hotel and literally opened our balcony doors to listen to the waves crashing! It was so nice. Lexus threw a beautiful cocktail hour on the water and we ate at the restaurant there. I really wanted to see Big Sur, so we decided to at least go to Carmel by the Sea Thursday morning!
Bo and I went on the most fabulous vacation to the Bahamas in September, and I somehow forgot to recap our trip! Since the Bahamas is a hot spot for summer travel, I decided to go ahead and share our experience even if it’s 6 months late! Lol. Atlantis is a popular spot, but I knew I wanted to book our stay at Baha Mar after seeing photos of the resort on Instagram. The only other time I’d been to the Bahamas was during a cruise in 2013, so I was excited to go back!
We caught an early morning flight to Nassau on Friday and landed by lunch. I hadn’t traveled outside the country in years, so I was nervous! Everything went smoothly and I never felt unsafe, though. I did book a car for us through Baha Mar that was right by baggage claim. This was a more expensive option, but I wasn’t trying to flag down a taxi! Lol.
Once we arrived at Baha Mar, I instantly knew I made the right decision to book there! The resort is beyond gorgeous with the most breathtaking views. We were even upgraded to a Presidential suite at no extra cost. We immediately threw on our swimsuits and headed to the beach for an afternoon of relaxation before dinner!
I had read online that booking your dinner reservations in advance was a must, especially for popular restaurants! We dined at the Italian restaurant Fi’lia the first night. I ordered the Rigatoni Alla Carbonara and it was SO good and creamy! Just look at the photo!
We did a lot of lounging on Saturday! We started at the beach that morning, and Bo insisted on going snorkeling. I opted out of that activity and read my book while watching him snorkel in the distance. Lol! I LOVE a spicy watermelon margarita, so I ordered one at the pool with a side of truffle fries. The perfect snack before dinner at Costa! I was most excited to try this restaurant, but the food (or what I got) ended up being my least favorite of the trip. The dessert churros made up for it, though! And I still recommend booking here because the restaurant itself is so cool!
TRAVEL TIP: This is probably a good time to mention that the food is expensive, BUT I did think most of it tasted great! We had a heads up about the food before we left, so I bought a ton of snacks to put in Bo’s suitcase along with a few bottled waters and liquor. It’s totally legal to travel with liquor in your checked bag to the Bahamas! Just make sure it’s packed well. Bo was mad I made him check a bag since he prefers a carry-on, but it was 100% worth it!
Everyone said to try Cafe Madeleine for breakfast or lunch, and I’m glad we did! I went with the Breakfast Sandwich on Croissant, and it melted in my mouth. The donuts are also phenomenal as I had to have a sweet treat on the side! Lol. This meal fueled me up for the on-site waterpark Bo made me go to! We ended up having a lot of fun, and this would be perfect if you have kids. I had no idea that the resort was so kid friendly!
We ate dinner at Cleo on Sunday night which was a Mediterranean style restaurant! We chose the Hummus as an appetizer, and I got the Basil Pesto Rigatoni as my meal. Bo ordered the Moroccan Lamb Tagines which ended up being the winner between our two dishes! Haha.
While we were at the waterpark, we noticed a gorgeous pool area which turned out to be the Baha Bay Beach Club! You have to spend a minimum of $200 to sit in the secluded area, but it’s for an all day pass. We decided to splurge and do it on our last day! It was so nice sitting under the palm trees looking out at the beautiful blue ocean! We ate at Marcus later that night, and I’m still thinking about the fried chicken all these months later. I’m not a big collared greens girl, but I definitely recommend that with the sweet potato mash!
I personally think traveling to Baha Mar the weekend after Labor Day is the perfect time to go! The weather is amazing, the resort isn’t crowded, not to mention the rates drop significantly. I know you run the risk of hurricane season in September, but it’s worth it as long as you book the refundable options! Lol. We stayed at SLS, but there’s also Rosewood and Grand Hyatt. I’m not super familiar with the other hotels, but I do believe Rosewood is strictly for adults! I hope I answered all your questions! Let me know if I missed anything! 🙂