Our family took our first family cruise with three of the four children this summer. Everyone breathe a sigh of relief with me that it is over.
Sigh...
I have heard people say before that they need a vacation from their vacation and I have never really felt anything like that, until my vacation with toddlers. We took a vacation a few years ago with two pre-teens and that is awesome because even though there is attitude, they are able to go and do things and not rely on you 100% for absolutely everything. Toddlers need you for absolutely everything. Combine that with my constant concern that they were going to fall overboard and you have the most stressful vacation on record for me ever.
It's not to say that it wasn't awesome. Hubby and I have never been on this exact cruise before and we still had a number of different and great experiences than we have ever had on previous cruises. Spoiler alert - this one ends with a broken arm! It was an amazing trip and I am glad that we decided to do it. It just makes me realize that I want to take a family vacation every year and I also want to take a grown-ups only vacation during the year as well.
We booked a 5 day Carnival cruise out of New Orleans, La for the very end of the summer before our eldest daughter was set to start school for the year. We drove to Louisiana in enough time so we could stay in a hotel the night before the cruise. We cruised from New Orleans to Progreso, Mexico and then Cozumel, Mexico before returning back to Louisiana.
I will be posting several blogs over the next few days and will return and link them here once they are posted. I have planned to do:
a review of the ship that we cruised on
the ship room that we stayed in
tips on packing for a cruise
tips for cruising with kids
tips for road tripping with children
a review of the shore excursion that we booked
Carnival Programs review - Faster to the Fun and Bottomless Bubbles Soda program
Louisiana hotel review
If there is anything else that you are curious about or would like to know you can message below and let me know. I am far from an experienced cruiser but this was my fourth, so I like to think that I know a little bit more than your average joe.
Thanks for reading!
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Friday, August 9, 2013
Savannah Banana Designs Review & Isabella's Birthday Dress
This year for Isabella's third birthday I wanted her to have a special outfit. For her second birthday, I didn't go with anything special and I regretted it when I saw the pictures. I wanted my baby to be very cute and look put together for her special day! I began my search MONTHS before now looking for the perfect outfit. Unfortunately, I was having zero luck because I don't care for a lot of ruffles, animal print, or skanky clothing for girls. I also am not the biggest fan of tutus on children other than for dress up clothes, so I was very limited, it seemed, on outfit choices that would have been special for her birthday.
Then one of my friends from high school started a website/business called Savannah Banana Designs. I 'liked' her page on Facebook, found her on www.etsy.com, and began to browse her inventory of items. In her pictures were the cutest pillowcase-style dresses that I have ever seen. Her precious daughter and namesake of the company is the model for a lot of her items on her Facebook page. Crystal makes handmade dresses, memory blankets, bibs, burp cloths, headbands, complete outfits like the one pictured on the right and much more.
I am so glad that I decide to buy from her site! She is an absolute joy to work with! I had very little inspiration when it came to what I was looking for, so I just emailed her and asked if she had a certain print available as a jumping off point. She emailed me back straight away with several different fabric choices and ideas about what could be done. I appreciated the quick response since most other companies or stores on etsy.com will have a 24-48 hour lag time to read your email.
Before I decided on the style of dress that I was interested in and the fabric that I wanted, she hosted a giveaway on her Facebook page when she got to 100 'likes' and we won a headband! I decided that would be the perfect accessory for Isabella's party dress and placed an order that day. She had the dress and headband made and ready for pick up in less than 2 days, which was amazing turn around time! We decided on a teal and white chevron print and hot pink border. She made the headband reversible with the chevron pattern on one side and the hot pink pattern on the other.
Once we got it home, Isabella tried it on and we had a little photo shoot to show off how absolutely cute she looked in her new outfit! She loved it! All night long she raved about her new birthday dress and she wore the headband to bed that night. This pillowcase dress has a halter top and is a perfect length of just below her knees. I fully intend to order more items from her as this one is awesome and I am very pleased with the results!
Savannah Banana Designs can be found on Facebook and also on www.etsy.com. She takes custom orders on a variety of sizes, has excellent choices for fabrics and has excellent prices for the quality that you are getting. If you are in the market for some of the cutest little girl dresses, handmade items like memory blankets and bibs or headbands for all ages, then you should definitely get in touch with Crystal!
-Sara
Then one of my friends from high school started a website/business called Savannah Banana Designs. I 'liked' her page on Facebook, found her on www.etsy.com, and began to browse her inventory of items. In her pictures were the cutest pillowcase-style dresses that I have ever seen. Her precious daughter and namesake of the company is the model for a lot of her items on her Facebook page. Crystal makes handmade dresses, memory blankets, bibs, burp cloths, headbands, complete outfits like the one pictured on the right and much more. I am so glad that I decide to buy from her site! She is an absolute joy to work with! I had very little inspiration when it came to what I was looking for, so I just emailed her and asked if she had a certain print available as a jumping off point. She emailed me back straight away with several different fabric choices and ideas about what could be done. I appreciated the quick response since most other companies or stores on etsy.com will have a 24-48 hour lag time to read your email.
Before I decided on the style of dress that I was interested in and the fabric that I wanted, she hosted a giveaway on her Facebook page when she got to 100 'likes' and we won a headband! I decided that would be the perfect accessory for Isabella's party dress and placed an order that day. She had the dress and headband made and ready for pick up in less than 2 days, which was amazing turn around time! We decided on a teal and white chevron print and hot pink border. She made the headband reversible with the chevron pattern on one side and the hot pink pattern on the other. 
Once we got it home, Isabella tried it on and we had a little photo shoot to show off how absolutely cute she looked in her new outfit! She loved it! All night long she raved about her new birthday dress and she wore the headband to bed that night. This pillowcase dress has a halter top and is a perfect length of just below her knees. I fully intend to order more items from her as this one is awesome and I am very pleased with the results! Savannah Banana Designs can be found on Facebook and also on www.etsy.com. She takes custom orders on a variety of sizes, has excellent choices for fabrics and has excellent prices for the quality that you are getting. If you are in the market for some of the cutest little girl dresses, handmade items like memory blankets and bibs or headbands for all ages, then you should definitely get in touch with Crystal!
-Sara
Saturday, March 30, 2013
vine.com review
First, let me apologize for not keeping up with the 'blogging everyday' thing. I do the best that I can but sometimes I get home and am dead on my feet or am too busy making memories with my family and can't bear to be dragged away. I think that is worth the missed day, and I will make it up, I am sure.
I mentioned in a previous post that we use Bac-Out as a part of our cloth diaper wash routine. Bac-Out is an awesome product. It's made by Biokleen, which is a company that makes a lot of natural cleaners. It's technically called Bac-Out Stain and Odor Eliminator. You can use it as a cleanser for laundry, cloth diapers, carpets, drains, etc. It has a strong lemon/lime scent which is nice in the wash but doesn't remain on your clothes after the wash. It's natural, non-toxic and biodegradable.
Unfortunately, since not everyone has caught on to the awesome-ness of this cleaner, you can only purchase it from a select few brick and mortar stores. There are a lot of places online that you can order it from but usually the shipping cost + the cost of buying it online is higher than to just drive to the store(s) that you can buy it from.
The closest place that we can buy it from is a Kroger grocery store more than 10 miles away and we were having to drive out there twice a month to buy the only size that they had available which was 32oz. We decided that since we were going to be using this as a part of our diaper routine that we would just order a larger quantity online and hopefully get a discount for ordering more than a gallon.
I searched on amazon.com and found a deal ordering from a website called vine.com . They charged $31.87 for a gallon of Bac-Out including taxes and shipping, which was a deal since we were paying more than $14 for the product at Kroger not including tax or the cost of gas to get there. Plus they offered 2 day shipping.
When I picked up the box from the front porch I noticed that the outside of the box was wet and I was scared to open it. When Corry opened it, more than a cup of the product had leaked all over the box and the packaging inside because when UPS shipped the package they damaged the box. It was packaged with those inflatable bags inside of an appropriate sized box. Needless to say I was disappointed.
I went back to amazon the following day and filled out a complaint with the company just to let them know that the item was damaged. I just wanted them to know for the future that maybe they needed to package to assume that there would be damage by UPS or that they would speak with UPS about it. I expected an apology and maybe a 'we hope that you have a better experience next time'. What I got was totally unexpected. Within an hour of sending the complaint, I got a returned email from the company stating that they were sorry that I had such a bad experience and that they would send a replacement item out immediately and that I could expect it in two business days. I was shocked and amazed that a company would go out of their way to make my experience right. I was even more shocked this morning to see that the box already made it to my door. They sent it overnight to my house. I am blown away with this company's customer service. Not only did they apologize and make it right, but they made it better than my original experience. I would completely recommend this company to anyone who shops on Amazon.
Vine.com is a website that offers 'everything green' including soaps, cleaners, food, and household items. They have anything that you can want, it seems, on their site. They offer free delivery with a purchase over $49, which is awesome since they offer 2 day or faster shipping. This is definitely a company that I will order from again. They have definitely made a good impression on me and my family.
What company's have you had an excellent customer service experience with?
-Sara
I mentioned in a previous post that we use Bac-Out as a part of our cloth diaper wash routine. Bac-Out is an awesome product. It's made by Biokleen, which is a company that makes a lot of natural cleaners. It's technically called Bac-Out Stain and Odor Eliminator. You can use it as a cleanser for laundry, cloth diapers, carpets, drains, etc. It has a strong lemon/lime scent which is nice in the wash but doesn't remain on your clothes after the wash. It's natural, non-toxic and biodegradable.
Unfortunately, since not everyone has caught on to the awesome-ness of this cleaner, you can only purchase it from a select few brick and mortar stores. There are a lot of places online that you can order it from but usually the shipping cost + the cost of buying it online is higher than to just drive to the store(s) that you can buy it from.
The closest place that we can buy it from is a Kroger grocery store more than 10 miles away and we were having to drive out there twice a month to buy the only size that they had available which was 32oz. We decided that since we were going to be using this as a part of our diaper routine that we would just order a larger quantity online and hopefully get a discount for ordering more than a gallon.
I searched on amazon.com and found a deal ordering from a website called vine.com . They charged $31.87 for a gallon of Bac-Out including taxes and shipping, which was a deal since we were paying more than $14 for the product at Kroger not including tax or the cost of gas to get there. Plus they offered 2 day shipping.
When I picked up the box from the front porch I noticed that the outside of the box was wet and I was scared to open it. When Corry opened it, more than a cup of the product had leaked all over the box and the packaging inside because when UPS shipped the package they damaged the box. It was packaged with those inflatable bags inside of an appropriate sized box. Needless to say I was disappointed.
I went back to amazon the following day and filled out a complaint with the company just to let them know that the item was damaged. I just wanted them to know for the future that maybe they needed to package to assume that there would be damage by UPS or that they would speak with UPS about it. I expected an apology and maybe a 'we hope that you have a better experience next time'. What I got was totally unexpected. Within an hour of sending the complaint, I got a returned email from the company stating that they were sorry that I had such a bad experience and that they would send a replacement item out immediately and that I could expect it in two business days. I was shocked and amazed that a company would go out of their way to make my experience right. I was even more shocked this morning to see that the box already made it to my door. They sent it overnight to my house. I am blown away with this company's customer service. Not only did they apologize and make it right, but they made it better than my original experience. I would completely recommend this company to anyone who shops on Amazon.
Vine.com is a website that offers 'everything green' including soaps, cleaners, food, and household items. They have anything that you can want, it seems, on their site. They offer free delivery with a purchase over $49, which is awesome since they offer 2 day or faster shipping. This is definitely a company that I will order from again. They have definitely made a good impression on me and my family.
What company's have you had an excellent customer service experience with?
-Sara
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Valentine's Dinner at Torchy's Tacos
I'm eating something called a Trashy Trailer Park, sitting under a small red devil character, and drinking a soda made from certified organic fair trade cane juice. If you are even remotely familiar with Ft Worth, Texas and local awesome eateries then you know that I am at a place called Torchy's Tacos http://torchystacos.com/.
Torchy's Tacos is awesome! It was started in Austin by a fellow named Michael Rypka as a taco truck and has expanded into locations in Austin, DFW, and Houston. We go to the one in Ft Worth. They offer tacos, chips, salsas, amazing queso, drinks and desserts. Parking is daunting because they share parking with a bank and a busy hotel but there is a parking garage onsite that I believe is free. Also, be advised that you will probably have to wait in a line to order, but it is completely worth it so don't be discouraged. They have a cool outdoor setup that allows you to enjoy their patio if you are into that sort of thing.
The queso is definitely one of the food highlights. They describe it as a green chile queso with queso fresco, cilantro and diablo sauce. This diablo sauce alone is HOT; definitely too hot for me. My husband eats it on his tacos. It comes with a generous helping of chips. The servers bring your chips and queso to you almost before you are able to get your drink and pick a seat which is helpful if you are hungry.
They have creative names for their food, like the Trailer Park (left) which comes on either corn or flour tortillas, with chicken, pico de gallo, green chiles, lettuce and shredded cheese. Your friendly cashier will ask you if you want it trashy and if you say no then you should be committed to a mental hospital. Getting it trashy means that they remove the lettuce and add their outstanding queso. It's cheesey and spicy but not overwhelmingly hot.
My husband's favorite is called the Brushfire, which comes on your choice of tortilla and has jerk chicken, sour cream, mango, grilled jalapenos, and cilantro. On the side is a spicy sauce that my husband loves but I find a bit too much for me. He normally has it on flour tortillas but had corn tonight and definitely prefers it that way.
They have a children's menu available on their website or in person that has a number of different menu items including a breakfast sounding quesadilla with banana and peanut butter. Our kids have eaten a chicken quesadilla, which is just their grilled chicken and cheese - always a crowd pleaser for young children. Today they also had a bean and cheese burrito. Their beans are vegetarian which is cool for kids because you feel like you are feeding them something good but they still taste like good old refried beans.
Torchy's has an excellent atmosphere. We have always had great service from everyone that works there. They are wildly busy on Saturdays and Sundays so we definitely recommend visiting on a week night. My husband has been for lunch and says that there is usually always a crowd during the day. We went tonight and while we still had to wait in line for a short time to order, we were able to sit down easily and not feel rushed by people waiting for seats or having to sit elbow to elbow with someone else. They do have a bar that serves both beer and mixed drinks, I believe. I think that I saw a mention tonight of a margarita of sorts, but I have never ordered an adult beverage from Torchy's so I can't say for sure.
We would definitely give Torchy's two thumbs up!!
- Sara
Torchy's Tacos is awesome! It was started in Austin by a fellow named Michael Rypka as a taco truck and has expanded into locations in Austin, DFW, and Houston. We go to the one in Ft Worth. They offer tacos, chips, salsas, amazing queso, drinks and desserts. Parking is daunting because they share parking with a bank and a busy hotel but there is a parking garage onsite that I believe is free. Also, be advised that you will probably have to wait in a line to order, but it is completely worth it so don't be discouraged. They have a cool outdoor setup that allows you to enjoy their patio if you are into that sort of thing. 
The queso is definitely one of the food highlights. They describe it as a green chile queso with queso fresco, cilantro and diablo sauce. This diablo sauce alone is HOT; definitely too hot for me. My husband eats it on his tacos. It comes with a generous helping of chips. The servers bring your chips and queso to you almost before you are able to get your drink and pick a seat which is helpful if you are hungry.
They have creative names for their food, like the Trailer Park (left) which comes on either corn or flour tortillas, with chicken, pico de gallo, green chiles, lettuce and shredded cheese. Your friendly cashier will ask you if you want it trashy and if you say no then you should be committed to a mental hospital. Getting it trashy means that they remove the lettuce and add their outstanding queso. It's cheesey and spicy but not overwhelmingly hot.
My husband's favorite is called the Brushfire, which comes on your choice of tortilla and has jerk chicken, sour cream, mango, grilled jalapenos, and cilantro. On the side is a spicy sauce that my husband loves but I find a bit too much for me. He normally has it on flour tortillas but had corn tonight and definitely prefers it that way.
They have a children's menu available on their website or in person that has a number of different menu items including a breakfast sounding quesadilla with banana and peanut butter. Our kids have eaten a chicken quesadilla, which is just their grilled chicken and cheese - always a crowd pleaser for young children. Today they also had a bean and cheese burrito. Their beans are vegetarian which is cool for kids because you feel like you are feeding them something good but they still taste like good old refried beans.
Torchy's has an excellent atmosphere. We have always had great service from everyone that works there. They are wildly busy on Saturdays and Sundays so we definitely recommend visiting on a week night. My husband has been for lunch and says that there is usually always a crowd during the day. We went tonight and while we still had to wait in line for a short time to order, we were able to sit down easily and not feel rushed by people waiting for seats or having to sit elbow to elbow with someone else. They do have a bar that serves both beer and mixed drinks, I believe. I think that I saw a mention tonight of a margarita of sorts, but I have never ordered an adult beverage from Torchy's so I can't say for sure.
We would definitely give Torchy's two thumbs up!!
- Sara
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