fireworks

It's been a while since we've enjoyed a full day out with the kids, without having to look at rentals, dealing with selling our townhouse and negotiating our newest property purchase.  Not to mention doing some last minute touch-ups to our townhouse to make sure it's in good shape on completion.  More about the craziness in another post...

Saturday was the day that was all about family.  Okay, I lied.  My morning started with a couple of appointments to look at rental properties for us to live in while our new house is being renovated.  There's not very many landlords that are willing to rent their suites out for 3-4 months, so it's been a LONG and tedious task.  After practically wasting my morning, I picked up the rest of the family for a second and third appointment.  The plan was to go home and start some of the touch-ups at the townhouse, but we ended up driving by a street festival and obviously we had to go!  By this time, my phone battery was dying (thanks Pokemon Go!), so I didn't get to take any photos (I guess I should start bringing my camera with me).

After the street festival, we headed to English Bay to watch The Netherlands work their magic at the Honda Celebration of Light.  Not only were we lucky enough to find parking right on the beach, but we were able to watch the fireworks from the family-friendly YVR Observation Deck (highly recommended!).  Tickets start at only $49 (plus taxes and fees) and include:

• Background music + fireworks soundtrack simulcast
• Access to cash bar and food service
• Dedicated washroom facilities
• Reserved bleacher-style seating
• All-ages licensed area, with an alcohol-free zone by request

There is also limited, complimentary accessible seating on the top deck of the YVR Observation Deck (must call for inquiries).  We brought the stroller for Zoe and was able to leave it with security in a gated entrance to the deck from the beach.

We caught all the fun on my Snapchat account (add me --> kristina.cross), including when I dropped my phone under the bleachers!  Don't worry...my phone is okay, but the experience Jadon and I had retrieving it was hilarious (think crawling through a space big enough for only Jadon haha!).  Gary couldn't stop talking about how watching the fireworks from the YVR Observation Deck was the best time he'd had at the fireworks....EVER!  I have to agree 100% and the cash bar was a great addition haha!

Make sure you reserve your tickets now for the next two showings:

• Wednesday, July 27th - Australia
• Saturday, July 30th - USA

The deck opens up for both showings at 6:30pm.  I'd recommend getting your wristbands first (from the top of the deck, accessible from the street), and then stroll along the beach and enjoy the food trucks before setting on the deck.  If you end up watching the fireworks show(s) from the YVR Observation Deck, I'd love to hear about your experience!

xo,
Kristina


Disclosure:  All opinions in this review remain my own and do not reflect the opinions or views of Honda Celebration of Light, the Vancouver Airport Authority, and/or their affiliates.  We received complimentary passes to the YVR Observation Deck in order to conduct this review.

zoe's special day + a giveaway!

You know those weekends that feel so fulfilling and successful (is that the right word?) that when you look back at it, you actually feel like you got something done?  This was one of those weekends.

Yes, it helped that it was a long weekend and, yes, it also helped that it was a special one for our family.   I almost can't believe I'm saying this, but Zoe just turned four.  FOUR!!  It just feels weird saying that since she's my baby, and now I look at her and she's this little person.  My mind is just blown.

Since we celebrated Zoe's birthday a couple weeks ago at a joint party with her BFF, we decided to spend her actual birthday at the Vancouver Aquarium with the entire family.  The night before, Jadon couldn't contain his excitement about his baby sister's special day and even helped me bake her birthday cake (all caught on Snapchat: kristina.cross).

The best part about our visits to the aquarium is seeing the magic of discovery through my kids' eyes. Everything is so new and amazing to them, and I just love that.  Speaking of new, the recent upgrades to the aquarium will have visitors of all ages in awe!

If you haven't been to the Vancouver Aquarium lately, you have to go!  There is so much to discover, see and learn - from the new Discover Rays exhibit (which, unfortunately, we ran out of time and weren't able to see) to the ever-popular dolphin shows to the 4D movie feature.  I promise the locals that the new aquarium is nothing like you remember it to be and I promise tourists will not be disappointed.

When it's time to finally relax (and while you're waiting for the 4D movie to start), I would highly recommend visiting the "Animal Rescue Centre" with your kids.  It's basically an enclosed play/educational area for kids to freely roam, and for adults to sit down and take a break.  Zoe had a blast rescuing her animal friends, while Jadon ran wild:

celebrating 60 years

The Vancouver Aquarium is celebrating it's 60th anniversary this June!  They've launched a photo contest to celebrate this milestone and encourage visitors to post their favourite Vancouver Aquarium memory to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #vanaqua60.  Alternatively, entrants can upload their photos directly to their contest page.

{win it!}

Want to win your way in and see the new Discover Rays exhibit for yourself?  The Vancouver Aquarium is giving one of our lucky readers a chance to win a #DiscoverRays prize pack including two tickets to check out the exhibit!  To enter, please follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is open to BC residents only and ends on Monday, May 30, 2016 at 9pm PST.

Our Spring Break recap + a special deal from The Hyatt Regency Bellevue!

You know you've been busy when you're just starting to write a blog post about Spring Break - that happened almost two months ago!

Yup, that seems to be the way things are going lately.  If I'm not at work or trying to blog, then I'm at home wrangling with the kids and attempting to keep the house in order, or driving the kids to their respective activities and trying to keep them occupied.

Oh and did I mention party planning?

Ah, the life of a working mom.

Luckily, we were able to take a short break from it all and head down to our must-go mini vacay spot across the border - Bellevue, Washington.  I get really excited every time we go because we get to shop, see family and stay at our all-time favourite hotel, The Hyatt Regency Bellevue.

It seems that every time we stay at The Hyatt Regency Bellevue, we end up getting treated like royalty and this time was no exception.  We were just anxious to go back to what has become our frequent stomping ground in Bellevue and walk around the downtown core.  Little did we know, this was waiting for us after a long car ride:

I swear, they nail it every single time.  How sweet it is to feel welcomed and have our stay personalized - complete with regular milk and chocolate milk in the fridge and a library of kid-friendly movies for our kids!  We honestly couldn't have asked for anything more to make our first night, and entire stay, easier for us {and definitely memorable!}.

SwankWeekends: "Me" time, a new look & preschool activities

The past weekend was a perfect mixture of “me” time and one-on-one time. On Friday after work, I decided that I was going to be selfish and take a nap before I headed out with a couple of girlfriends for the night. Hubby tried his hardest to get me to put Zoe down for a late nap but I refused. After all, I had already warned him earlier in the day that I needed the nap, otherwise, how would a girl enjoy herself on a night on the town? In the end, everything worked out: I got my 30 minute nap, and Zoe and hubby got their almost 4 hour nap. Funny how things work out, hey?

And it just so happened that getting out with a couple girlfriends is exactly what this girl needed! We started out at an outdoor lounge for drinks, then headed to two more restaurant/lounges for food and more drinks, and ended the night at one of my favourite (back in the day) clubs to dance the night away.

Not so happening was the next morning, which meant waking up earlier than any human should want to on a Saturday morning and getting Jadon ready for his weekly gymnastics class (to which I basically got scolded by the coach because my son wouldn’t listen. Have you ever heard of “off” days?).

Did I mention this weekend consisted of “me” time? Because the next few hours looked like this:

And voila!  {sorry for the blurry photos but that's as good as it's going to get today.}

Day 1: Penthouse and The Strip {it's not what you think!} #TheCrossesTakeOverVegas

If you follow us via Instagram or Facebook, you'll know that we just came back from an almost week long vacation in Las Vegas with the kids!! 

Call us crazy but it's my fourth time in Vegas and each time I had gone before, I began to notice more and more families with young kids - strollers and all - walking down the Strip.  I thought, what a fun place to bring the kids and, knowing my hubby, he would totally go along with it.  And why not?  After all, you only live once and if the kids have to come, the kids are coming!

Day 1 started out like this:

I started packing the kids' suitcases a few days before we were scheduled to leave because I knew I wouldn't be able to remember everything all in one day.  List?  What list?  {I hate lists!}.  Besides the essentials, I only usually write down stuff we must NOT leave behind.  If we forget a pair of underwear, we can always buy it when we get to Vegas, right?

So the kids were all packed and, thankfully, Miss S packed her own suitcase.  Hubby repeatedly refuses to pack until a couple hours before we need to leave the house.  I'm left fending for myself and two littles.  And making sure they both have their snacks, lunches and proper liquids - not to mention extra clothes, diapers, wipes, headphones, blankets, toys, stroller, Pack 'N Play, car seat, pajamas and toothbrushes {did I forget to include anything else but the kitchen sink?}.  Packing for kids is no easy feat and I ended up putting together my own list after we came back home {go figure, right?!}.

weekend with the crosses: fun + laughter = the best weekend ever!

This past weekend could easily go into the history books for the one of the most fun and relaxed weekends I've had in recent memory.

Friday was spent unwinding with a glass of wine and an early night for hubby and I.  There's something about the end of the week that just has sleep calling our names.  Of course, I had to check my emails and sew some headbands.  You know - just another SwankMama Friday night!

The next day, I woke up to the sounds of my kids and noticed that hubby was awake and already taking care of Baby Z!  That's all I needed to see because the next thing I knew, I rolled out of bed around 10:30am.  I can't even begin to describe how good that felt!

Then to make things even better, the entire family was in cleaning mode as I ventured into the living room.  Say what?!  Maybe I should sleep in more often...

Staycation {Day 1}: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park + a Giveaway! #CrossFamilyStaycation #Vancouver

Even though I just returned to work, I knew I needed a week off to recuperate with the family.  Initially we were planning a trip to Seattle - we really wanted to take the kids down on the train and explore Downtown Seattle.  With hotel rates double or triple the price we normally pay, we decided to stay home at the last minute and enjoy a staycation.

The whole point of our staycation was to discover places around the city that we normally don't take the kids to and the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park was at the top of our list.  Surprisingly, I've lived in Vancouver all my life and don't remember ever visiting the suspension bridge!  Our main reason was for not visiting was the price - it just didn't seem like an affordable family outing. Although, after exploring the suspension bridge and finding out that there was more to it than the bridge, we now understand why the price is a little higher than most family attractions.

We parked our car in a pay lot across from the entrance and found this magical walkway.  Miss S told Lil J that little people live up in the trees and inside the tiny holes:

weekend with the crosses: vino, Suits, gymnastics & a photoshoot!

I will never understand why the weekends fly by so fast.  Most of us work five days a week longing for the weekend to come and then when it does, those two days end up being a complete blur.

As soon as I got home on last Friday afternoon, I pretty much poured myself a glass of wine.  Despite it being a short four-day week, it felt LONG.  And I was so over it.

I also tried writing a blog post but decided on spending time with the kids and hubby.  Once the kids were in bed, hubby and I cuddled up on the couch and watched one of our favourite shows, Suits. 

{Oh, Harvey, how your one-liners mesmerize me.}

Last Saturday was spent getting the kids ready for a day out.  First, it was off to Lil J's gymnastics class, followed by a quick trip downtown to BeautyMark for their annual sidewalk sale.  I scored with a $6 Cargo lip gloss {regularly $24} and Lil J scored a free Freezie.

Saturday morning