Last month, D and I had the privilege of going to Baja California, Mexico, for a home-building missions trip with our church. This was my second time (last time was in 2013), and D’s seventh or so time (I have lost count).
The drive down takes about seven hours. It is about the same as going to Northern California for us, but in the opposite direction of course. At the border crossing, our van was subjected to a search. The van was put through a giant x-ray machine of sorts and scanned, but nothing objectionable was found. Phew.
Only D brought his phone on the trip, so I put him in charge of pictures.
We rode in separate vans. D was the navigator for his van.
The group always stops for lunch at Costco in Ensenada. Interesting that they have lasagna. We stick to the pizza and hot dogs, and everything tastes exactly the same as in the U.S.
Our first dinner was at “Red Bowl” taco stand.
That is not its official name, but you can see how the nickname came about.
We ate very well during the week, and I am happy to report there were no gastrointestinal issues!
The firepit at the base camp was our gather place. We had a devotional there every morning to remind us why we were there.
When we first arrived at the worksite, there was a concrete slab and lumber. D and I were on different worksites, but they were fairly close together. D was the roof supervisor for his house.
It is truly amazing to see how fast the house can go up with teamwork.
Mango paleta break!
When you see the living conditions of the families we build for, it is heartbreaking.
This family welcomed a new baby just a few days before we arrived!
My favorite day is dedication, where we make the house a home and present the keys to the families.
Notice the Mazda jacket on the bed? D thought it would be a nice donation since it had the Mexico flag on one sleeve and the Japan flag on the other–haha.
During our free time, we went to the nearby beach. It is amazing how access to the coast is free–no $15 parking fees!
We ate one of our dinners at Papa Ruben’s.
I was able to split a torta with D. Bread tasted good after having so many tortillas!
We also visited IDT ministries and learned about all of the trade schools that are providing training and hope to the people in the area. This is “The Dome”.
Going to Baja is always an eye-opening experience. It is exciting to see God at work. I cannot wait until k and n are old enough to go and we will be able to serve together as a family!
I have to admit, with the recent heat wave, the last thing I felt like doing was cleaning our house. However, today, (Labor Day), we experienced significantly cooler weather. Since I did not have work and the kids did not have school, it was the perfect day to test out our new Libman Company Wonder Mop.
Even though it is not technically fall yet, I always associate fall cleaning with going back to school and a fresh new start. Once the kids go back to school, more dirt seems to be tracked into the house. We have been in school for a couple of weeks now, so…time for fall cleaning!
We bought our Libman Wonder Mop at Walmart. It can also be found at Home Depot and Lowes.
According to the instructions, the Wonder Mop works on Wood & Laminate, Vinyl & Linoleum, Ceramic Tile, Marble and Stone. Using the Wonder Mop is an simple three step process that was very easy for my kids to follow.
Soak 5 minutes in hot water. It is nice not having to add any other cleaning solution!
2. Push sleeve down and twist 4 times. This rids the mop of excess water.
3. Pull sleeve up, snap into place, and mop.
(My kids were literally arguing about who should do it first because it seemed like such a fun job–no joke!)
First, we tried the Wonder Mop out on our laminate flooring.
We also tried the Wonder Mop on our tile entryway.
The Wonder Mop worked “wonders” on both types of flooring. The Microfiber Gripstrips did a great job of lifting dirt off of our floors. It might be gross, but I always find it satisfying to see all of the gray water that ends up in the bucket after a good mopping. When we finished, we easily removed the mop head and washed it by hand. (It can also be thrown in the washing machine.)
I’m also excited to announce that The Libman Company is hosting a Back to School Pinterest Giveaway. Participating is easy–just pin your must-have cleaning products and enter to win a Libman prize pack. I am a big fan of giveaways and Libman Company products, so I will have my fingers crossed!
We have been to Tanaka Farms on numerous occasions, either in the spring for the strawberry tours or in the fall, for the pumpkin tours. I won tickets to the farm a while back, but I wanted to hold onto them until the summer so we could go on the watermelon tour for the first time.
D had been looking for a straw hat to wear for our housebuilding mission in Baja. When we were browsing the gift shop, they had a nice selection for a reasonable price. Sold!
While we were on the tractor tour, we tried many freshly picked vegetables, including sweet corn.
All of the tour guides have been friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. This one was no exception.
We stopped and sat under a tent to taste various melons. This yellow watermelon had a slight pineapple taste. It is not widely available because it is fragile and difficult to ship. n did not really care for it, but he is not a huge watermelon fan in general. The rest of us really enjoyed it, though. So refreshing!
At the end of the tour, we each went home with a watermelon. One boy kept dropping his. “Hold onto your watermelon!”
We have been up and down I-5 countless times, but had never stopped in at Pea Soup Andersens. This past summer, we finally tried the food at this iconic road stop.
Not many restaurants can say that they have been around for close to 100 years!
Of course, we had to try the famous pea soup in a bread bowl. I liked how the toppings came separately so you could customize your own bowl. We all enjoyed this.
I also wanted to try the Monte Cristo sandwich. I think the only other place that I have ordered this is at Disneyland. I would definitely suggest splitting this entrée with others, as it is decadent. The raspberry jam provides a nice sweet counterpoint to the ham/cheese.
D ordered the club sandwich, was pretty good as club sandwiches go. Even though D was skeptical about only ordering two entrees and a soup, it turned out that it was plenty to sustain the four of us on the rest of our trip up the I-5.
I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.
Both the kids and I are big fans of fruit snacks. I keep them in stock for lunches, road trips, and passing out after soccer/basketball games for team snacks. Therefore, I was excited to have the opportunity to try Veggie-Go’s, which are like fruit snacks, but they have the added nutritional benefit of including vegetables in the ingredients.
Veggie-Go’s come in individual size packets of strips or bites.
The strips come in a variety of unique flavors, including:
*Berry, Apple+Spinach
*Sweet Potato, Apple+Spices
*Carrot, Apple + Ginger
*Tropical Fruit + Kale
The bites come in three flavors:
*Strawberry, Chia+Beets
*Berry, Rice Crisps+Greens
*Orange, Cocoa Nibs+Carrots
My kids were somewhat skeptical about how these products would taste since they are not used to vegetables in their fruit snacks. The clear favorite flavor-wise was the Strawberry, Chia+Beets Bites. I am not a big fan of beets myself, but the strawberry flavor prevails, and the chia adds a nice little crunch.
The flavors with the green vegetables were a little harder sell with the kids. Just like when I try to sneak spinach or kale into a smoothie, there is a distinct aroma and a little aftertaste. However, I can honestly say that I enjoyed all of the flavors! I also appreciated how the ingredient list is simple and healthy. Each strip/bag of bites contains one half cup of fruits and veggies.
We brought these snacks along on a recent camping trip with friends. Veggie-Go’s would be perfect to take along a hike or anywhere that you need portable energy. They can be found at local stores, including Sprouts and Whole Foods.
Contrary to all of my recent posts about Alaska, we did do other things during our summer vacation. I was able to obtain free tickets to the Marvel Universe Live show at Staples Center, so we went on a Sunday afternoon.
I was not sure what to expect. There was a loose plotline and lots of pretend fighting.
We have never watched Guardians of the Galaxy, so we were not too familiar with these characters.
The aerial acrobatics were pretty impressive.
I think n enjoyed the show the most, which is understandable since I am pretty sure he was the target audience. D and I realized how many superhero movies we have not seen in the past few years. We need to catch up!
“I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.”
We all know that sunscreen is important for protecting your skin. Even when it is not necessarily sunny outside, we still make sure to put on sunscreen.
Last weekend, we went on an overnight camping trip with friends. We went to San Mateo campground and visited San Clemente State Beach.
I made sure to pack the Coola Guava Mango Eco-Lux Sport SPF 50 sunscreen spray that was recently sent to me to sample. I had never heard of this brand before, but it contains vitamins and antioxidants. Maybe even more importantly, it does not contain parabens, paba and phthalates. It is water-resistant for 80 minutes, which is always important for beach outings. I was very curious about the Guava Mango scent, since I am not used to my sunscreen smelling fruity.
It turns out that these girls really liked it. (The matching swimsuits were just a coincidence, by the way!) The scent was tropical and refreshing, but not overbearing. I think more sunscreens should be made to smell good. It was easy to apply, absorbed quickly and did not feel greasy.
Coola has an entire line of sun-safe products, and the packaging has a luxe-feel. I would recommend this line to anyone looking for sun protection with natural ingredients that is better for both you and the environment.
I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.
When I was a kid, vitamins were chalky and awful-tasting. Although they came in fun shapes, taking Flintstones and Smurf vitamins everyday was a chore. I also had to take iron pills at one point that were so gross, my mom let me eat a few Skittles as a chaser!
Fast-forward a decade to the invention of gummy vitamins.
The Hero Nutritionals Yummi Bear Organics Complete Multi-Vitamin is the first and only organic and GMO-free gummy vitamin for kids with no artificial ingredients. These mascot bears are wearing 20th Anniversary Celebration t-shirts, so the company has been around a while. That is something to celebrate!
Because there are no artificial colors, the vitamins do not look like regular gummy bears. The kids thought that the adult Slice of Life Organics Energy + B12 looked more appealing. However, upon tasting the Yummi Bear vitamins, they were pleased with the sweet fruity taste. I also appreciate that these vitamins are peanut/tree nut free without any “may contain nuts” disclaimers since our kids are allergic to nuts. I try to provide my kids with all of the nutrients they need through their food intake, but I think vitamins are a good “back-up”. These vitamins contain 16 essential nutrients for growth and development, and I feel good about giving them to my kids.
I tried the Slice of Life Organics Energy + B12 vitamins, which contains B12, along with folic acid and B6. According to the company, this combination supports heart and circulatory health as well as energy metabolism. These gummy vitamins taste like a little treat, and extra energy is always a good thing. I would definitely be interested in trying the Slice of Life Multivitamin in the future. The Hero Nutritionals line can be found at Ralph’s and Sprouts, two of my regular places to shop.
On Saturday the kids and I slept in until 8:30 a.m.! Well, we did turn our clocks forward 1 hour overnight, so it really felt like 7:30 a.m., but that is still pretty late for us. D was disciplined and ran early in the morning everyday on the running track on Deck 4.
The kids grabbed breakfast from Cabanas. They brought it back to our room and ate on the verandah.
D and I did not eat breakfast since we had brunch reservations at the adults-only Palo restaurant.
We dropped the kids off at the kids’ club. They were supposed to make Stitch’s space goo (slime), but there was a mix-up, so they did not do that activity. They ate lunch at Cabanas with my parents and went to a cooking demonstration after that.
There is a $30 surcharge per person for the Italian restaurant. I think it was definitely worth it for the experience. The service was exceptional–it felt like we had our own waiter, even though I think he did have at least one other table to take care of. He accompanied us to the buffet and explained the offerings.
This huge wheel of parmesan cheese was quite impressive. I had a small piece with a little bit of honey that had a really delicate taste. It was like nothing I have ever tasted before!
I ordered a grape pizza that is no longer on the menu. I had read reviews of people raving about the combination of grapes and bleu cheese and had to try it for myself. D ordered a sausage pizza. They were both really good, and the crust was thin and crisp.
For our main entrees, we had chicken parmesan and an eggplant dish. Both were excellent, but kind of difficult to fully enjoy with all of the other offerings.
Plus, we had to save room for dessert! I loved the presentation and small portions. I think the waiter said it was mandatory for us to try at least five.
Well, if we must…
Last ice cream run.
Last dip in the pool and going down the slide.
While D and the kids were in the pool, I snuck a peak at the re-scheduled Frozen deck party. We did the majority of our packing in the afternoon as well. Our typical vacations have us staying in one place only one or two nights at a time so we never really unpack. Here, we really made ourselves at home, so packing back up was quite an undertaking.
Our farewell dinner was at Animator’s Palate. There was a special activity where you draw a character at the beginning of the meal and then it comes to life in a cartoon that is shown on the walls at the end.
D was serious about his drawing!
The walls coordinated with the servers’ shirts.
There were less choices during this meal because they wanted to expedite service for the animated show at the end.
Kids’ appetizer
Adults Appetizer Sampler
k had the Grilled Garlic Marinated Shrimp with Linguine, which she really enjoyed. This picture is making me hungry right now!
n had the Chicken Schnitzel off of the adults menu. Looking back, we did not eat too much chicken in the dining room on the cruise.
Beef Wellington–the kids were interested in this since they have seen Gordon Ramsay’s version on Master Chef.
Roasted Filet of Alaskan Sockeye Salmon
Shahrang had also told us about the “secret menu” Indian food that they offer and brought us some. The chicken was a little spicy, and very tasty!
I was not able to figure out the video lighting until the very end, but this gives you an idea of how the drawings come to life.https://flic.kr/p/VbKBn6
We also had the servers sing happy birthday to my BIL, even though he does not like that type of thing.
The kids had decorate your own cupcakes for dessert.
The adults had Celebration Cake.
Our last towel creation. 🙁
I did my first pin swap with the ships’ officers and was able to snag these two Disney cruiseline pins.
We went to the last show, called Disney Dreams. It was very well done, and a nice way to end our cruise.
We had to wake up n the last morning. Our breakfast was scheduled at around 7:15, I think. We had told Frances that we planned to eat our breakfast in the dining room, but that we would leave our luggage in the room and then do express walk-off. He said that was fine, and it worked out well.
We were back in Vancouver, where it all began!
The menus were called “See Ya Real Soon!” We all ordered the Route 66.
The debarkation process was remarkably smooth and efficient. We took the Skytrain to Vancouver Airport even though our flight was not until 2 p.m. (My parents and sisters stayed another night in Vancouver and did not leave until the next day).
We watched this woman set up and basically run this Japa Dog stand just outside the airport by herself. It opened early, so we were able to try it out.
Having had a big breakfast, we just shared one so we could have a taste. Lots of umami going on here.
We also used our time at the airport to try another Canadian institution: Tim Horton’s.
We had an assortment of Tim Bits. n liked the salted caramel flavor.
We boarded our plane, landed in LAX, picked up our car at the Parking Spot and returned home without incident.
Thank you for accompanying us on our adventure. It was truly an experience that we will never forget, and I am so thankful to my parents for making it possible. I hope this series of posts will help preserve our memories and offer some useful tips to those planning a trip of their own. If you have not been to Alaska, I would definitely put it on your list of places to visit. I know that going Disney-style is not for everyone, but the family-friendly atmosphere, impeccable service, excellent food, and outstanding entertainment were perfect for our three generations to enjoy together
After our crab tour, we walked around Ketchikan, “The Salmon Capital of the of the World”.
As you can see, it was still drizzly, so we did not spend as much time here as I would have liked.
We took a short walk to Creek Street, a cute little shopping area.
It is built on top of an actual creek!
We followed the signs the salmon ladder, but we were too early for the season.
On our walk we experienced why much of Alaska is considered to be a temperate rainforest. The air was so moist even though it was cool.
We started walking back to the ship since it was almost time for dinner.
Salmon-colored federal building.
Whale-shaped bench.
Upon re-boarding, we were greeted with hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies!
Our dinner rotation had us at Triton’s. The menu feature Alaskan “Regional Inspirations”.
Clockwise: Beefsteak Tomato and Vidalla Onion Salad; Marinated Tiger Shrimp; Thai Red Pumpkin and Coconut Curry (vegetarian entrée, just because I was curious); Alaskan King Crab Legs (yum!)
Both of the kids had Fettuccine with Parmesan Crusted Chicken.
Both D and I had the Oven-Baked Lobster Tail.
I had already started digging in when our server offered to cut the lobster meat out of the shell for me. Oops! This was definitely one of my food highlights for the week.
Yes, it was all good! Julie, one of our servers, presented the kids with calligraphy she did with their names; very sweet.
After dinner, we returned to a towel monkey. I took k and n to the gift shop where they each bought a Captain Mickey Tsum Tsum. Meanwhile, D went to guest services to reserve a placeholder for a future cruise!
The evening entertainment was a magic show by David Gatti. He put on a good show, and made us wonder, “How did he do that??”
Our Alaska stops were now officially over, and we were headed back to Canada.
