I meant to recap this trip over a month ago, and then well... life happened. In a good way! I also still need to recap all of life's adventures lately, our family cruise with my sis-in-law and her family, and my quick trip to Vegas with Lil' Miss to see the Backstreet Boys at The Sphere. Still riding the high from that experience!

Lil' Miss has been wanting to check out the summer camp I grew up going to on a lake in New Hampshire for a while, and we finally made it happen this year. Since it involves flights, a rental car, and strategic planning of staying with family and then hotels for our road trip around New England it was no small feat. But so worth it! I just felt super bad for the pup who was at the boarding place for almost 2 weeks.

A morning flight out of Terminal C (my fav until the other terminals get their much needed renovations) calls for a stop at Summer House before heading to the gate. We touched down around lunch time and spent the afternoon and evening with my in-laws before meeting my parents for breakfast the next morning. My brother and his family were on vacation, so we didn't get to see them until after we got back from our road trip a week later.

The next evening, we went to our first Hartford Yard Goats game. Lil' Miss was just there for the hot dogs, popcorn, and her new jersey!

The next morning was our 16th anniversary, so we started the day at a local coffee shop before meeting my college bestie who was our MOH to have lunch at our wedding venue. I still can't believe how much it's changed, but enjoyed the trip down memory lane and of course lunch with a view.

Palm Print Beach Dress | Jelly Flip Flops

I also had us recreate one of our photos from the wedding, and can't believe how much we've also changed in the past 16 years. My smokey eye wedding makeup and updo was very 2010!

Saturday was our last full day in Connecticut before driving up to New Hampshire to drop off Lil' Miss. We finally got to try Neil's Donuts (I was also a big fan of their iced coffee) before heading over to an indoor rock climbing place for the cousins to burn off some energy.

That evening, we grilled dinner with my parents (yes they STILL live in Connecticut, and yes they are supposedly finally joining us in Florida hopefully much sooner than later. Lil' Miss is constantly asking when Nana and Poppa are going to be here.) My mom gave me a care package to leave for her to open on the 2nd day of camp which was such a sweet surprise.

It was surreal for me to walk the grounds again after growing up spending most of my summers there. Watching my little girl get settled into her cabin and explore was simply incredible. I was so nervous that she wouldn't love it as much as I did, and worried about her the whole week until we reunited with her. We sent her daily letters and had a care package delivered to her on the 1st morning but it was hard not to know how she was doing other than seeing pictures they were posting to a shared folder for the parents.

After dropping her off, and me bawling my eyes out walking away from her cabin we drove down to Cape Cod for the next few days. Exhausted doesn't describe how tired we were, so after a quick dinner and some fire pit time we were ready for some much needed sleep.

We picked the Hyannis Harbor Hotel since it was right across from where we would catch the ferry to Martha's Vineyard the next morning for a day of exploring the island on bikes.

After biking over 12 miles, it was time for some lunch, shopping, and a quick drink by the ferry where everyone was watching the World Cup. I miss the energy during the World Cup, and am now counting down the days until the next Olympic games.

We were exhausted from the sun and riding bikes, and ended up at the prettiest spot for dinner although I felt underdressed in my sweater and shorts. Oh well, I was there for the food and the views which did not disappoint.

Off the Shoulder Flag Sweater | Shorts

Our last full day on the Cape was spent working from the hotel room, grabbing lunch in the marina, and some shopping at Cuffy's for some new sweatshirts.

The next morning, we checked out and headed to Ogunquit, Maine for a few days to stay at the cutest inn with a view. It ended up being super hot, and even though we were on the ocean there was a lack of breeze making it feel even hotter. I was beyond embarrassed at how uncomfortable I was in Maine when I was visiting from Florida.

After checking out of the inn, we made our way back to New Hampshire for the evening to stay on Lake Winnipesaukee.

The original plan was to go hiking, but it was still in the mid 90's (even up in the mountains) so spending time on the lake and renting kayaks became a much better idea.

The next morning was the 4th of July, and it was finally time to pick up Lil' Miss. It was the sweetest reunion, and I cried even more when she exclaimed that she had an amazing week and wants to go back again next year!

We hopped back into the rental car and headed back to Connecticut to spend the 4th of July with my family before flying back home the next day and to scoop up the pup.

It's been a whirlwind, but amazing summer! My heart is officially full.

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Spring Break Cruise on the Celebrity Apex

I can't believe it's already been a few weeks since we returned from our spring break cruise on the Celebrity Apex. The tan lines are fading, but the memories are forever!

I am excited to announce that after years of bouncing around experiencing different cruise lines because we were choosing cruises based on the itinerary and not the ship, we have finally found our favorite that we want to build loyalty with. I mean look at that view from the infinite verandah. Ahhhhh...

Over the years, we have cruised on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Virgin Voyages, Princess, Disney, and now finally Celebrity. And we felt that Celebrity was the best all around compared to the others. Disney's ships are stunning, but they are so insanely overpriced (it's 2-3x's the price of these other cruise lines and I honestly don't see anything worth the huge mark up. Castaway Cay is my favorite private island in the Bahamas, but it's not worth a double or triple mark up). Celebrity's ships are also stunning, and we thought the food and the service were superior. I'm also a huge germaphobe, and their cleaning standards were the best we've seen at sea. It was the first cruise line I've been on where most people stop to wash their hands before entering the buffet. YES please!

Another reason we are choosing to build loyalty with Celebrity is that they are owned by the same company as Royal Caribbean, so their loyalty programs handshake. We walked on board with status already since we've cruised with Royal. And we'll definitely still be checking out some of Royal's new mega ships. Lil' Miss will be there for the slides!

We were so excited for embarkation day, and woke up early and felt like Anna in Frozen when it was coronation day. Boarding was seamless, and we were able to be on board by 11:00 with Premier Access. And our room was READY! Usually, you have to wait until 1:00-2:00, but we were able to access our room immediately and drop off our stuff and change for the pool before grabbing some lunch.

Boarding Romper | Sandals | Barrette | Sunnies

The Magic Spritz from the Magic Carpet bar was my favorite beverage order for the whole cruise. And the views from the Magic Carpet. WOW. It's a "magic carpet" because it hangs off the side of the ship and can even go up and down between decks. Gorgeous and innovative spot.

Black Midi Dress

First night on board, and Lil' Miss begged us to go to kids club which is called Camp at Sea on Celebrity. So, we headed over to the Martini Bar and caught a little of the show that evening in the theater before picking her up.

And yes, we always do the drink package now (with the exception of our cruise on the Disney Wish since Disney Cruise Line doesn't have drink packages). It's not just about the adult beverages (although it's nice not to be trying to keep a tally of how much we're spending or if a drink is "meh" we can order something different) the package also includes bottled water, specialty coffees, energy drinks, and mocktails which is great for ordering smoothies or milkshakes for Lil' Miss.

The next day was a sea day as we cruised towards the Dominican Republic. Breakfast included my favorite view from the back of the ship before heading to the gym for a quick Peloton bike ride (yes they have Pelotons on board!) and then the pool.

We also popped into a dance lesson in the Rooftop Garden which was a lot of fun. Lil' Miss was called up on stage at the end to demonstrate what she learned.

Stopped back at the room to enjoy this view and get ready for lunch at the Rooftop Garden Grill. Oh my was it delish! Every last bite, and make sure to save room for dessert. Their warm chocolate cookie and s'mores in a jar are everything!

One Shoulder Top in Berry | Wrap Maxi Skirt

Later that afternoon Lil' Miss had a hair cut in the salon before we got ready for dinner which was the 1st Evening Chic night. I brought a dress from the way back of my closet to wear that hadn't been worn since a friend's wedding 15 years ago and paired it with my favorite sparkly pumps. Shop your closet!

The next morning we enjoyed room service breakfast (always free!) on the balcony as we pulled into Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. We decided not to book an excursion and just enjoy the port area which had several pools, a lazy river, swim up bars, and lots of restaurants and shops. It was the perfect relaxing Monday.

Color Block Bikini {only $34} | Sunnies

We walked back to the ship for lunch and a little more pool time before getting ready for dinner. I also tried out my new drink holders that clip onto your lounger. Game changer! Instead of putting drinks on the ground where they always seem to get kicked over.

And let's just say this romper will be on repeat all spring and summer. So comfy and love the palm print! It's also available in blue.

The next morning we arrived in Puerto Rico where we had booked an excursion to go ziplining. I was nervous Lil' Miss might get scared, but she was a champ! The last run was called "Fast and the Furious" and she was upset at the end that it wasn't fast enough. Oh boy!

I wore my new tennis dress which was SO comfortable and had built in shorts underneath with a hidden pocket. Loved it so much, I ordered it in hot pink when we got home for Universal days! It was perfect for the tour which also included some hiking and rope bridges. VERY thankful we brought our water bottles with us.

That night we tried out the Silent Disco which was so much more fun than I thought it would be. Even Lil' Miss had a blast and danced and sung her heart out when the Backstreet Boys came on her station. That's my girl!

It was also St. Patrick's Day, so we brought our green and she was excited to bump into some of her new friends from the pool and kids club before we went back to the room for the evening.

The next morning was our final port of call which ended up being my favorite stop. The ziplining was my favorite excursion, but St. Kitts and Nevis was a new to me island and it was beautiful! We booked a tour that brought us over to Nevis by boat where we were set up in little cabanas on the beach.

The last two days were sea days as we sailed back towards Florida. The first sea day was their "Poolest Day Ever" which was so much fun. Lots of themed accessories, beach balls, pool games, and even fun drinks from the pool bar.

For the 2nd evening chic night, I pulled out this cutout ruffle dress which was so effortlessly beautiful. I paired it with sandals because of all the walking around the ship which ended up being the perfect decision.

During the last day at sea, Lil' Miss competed in a giant corn hole tournament and did SO well. She didn't win, but we were impressed with how many points she scored.

Dinner on the final evening included a special dessert for Lil' Miss. I also pulled out a one-shoulder dress I had purchased months ago with the cruise in mind. Another beautiful piece that will be worn a lot through the summer.

Since we didn't have to rush off the ship to catch a flight, we decided to skip the chaotic buffet (always super busy on the last morning) and go to one of the sit down restaurants. It was a much more relaxing way to end an amazing trip, and then we walked off the ship with our luggage and lots of memories.