The Year She Turned 18!!!

 My daughter is 18 years old and I could not be more thrilled for her to step into her adult life, finally.  Part of me is waiting for her to realize that this adulting lifestyle is a little ghetto and the other part of me can't wait for her to start living life, even though it makes me sad to think of her leaving. 

For her big, special day, she wanted a night out. I was all to happy to oblige, especially since it was going to save us money.  We'd already "gifted" her a beach trip as part of her birthday celebration, so the rest of her birthday shenanigans was going to be pretty budget friendly. 

We bought her a super pretty dress, an aesthetically pleasing Pinterest cake and reserved a few tables at a restaurant bar. Twenty-five of our friends and family showed up to show love and support to my daughter on her special night.  And most importantly,  she had a great time. It was a memorable birthday for sure.

Karaoke is always a good time, especially since the DJ wasn't MIA. It definitely added another element to the night.

On my daughter's actual birthday,  we went to Novoa Restaurant for some really yummy sushi.  Japanese " mozzarella sticks" are the best! 

A quick stop home for the traditional Happy Birthday cake with obligatory song before we headed out again for drinks and even more karaoke.  My daughter had the best 18th birthday and I could not have asked for more.

Are They Too Old For An Egg Hunt

 My kids are getting older but does that mean certain holiday traditions should stop because of that? For instance, my annual scavenger egg hunt. My kids loved this particular tradition where they hunted for clues inside eggs to find the ultimate prize, the hiding place for their Easter baskets.

As I watched my 16 and almost 18 year olds partake this year, it made me laugh. The difference between them and my 11 year old was comical to me. As my youngest bounded from clue to clue excitedly, bursting with glee, my older two merely tolerated the charade. I had to ask myself, how much longer would they be willing to participate? My oldest stopped hunting years ago. Was it time to give up on this tradition? I think I need one more year to make that decision. 

This year, we went to celebrate Easter with family and that is a tradition I can get on board with.

Happy Easter

The Perfect Getaway

 It had been 8 months since our last beach vacation, and we were all itching for a trip to the sun, sand, and sea. Summer in Costa Rica has been, for lack of a better word, light. With barely there sunny days and rain on the horizon more often than not, we needed a pick me up. 

We missed our chance to go to the beach in January, so the next opportunity we got, we took it. Easter week is normally a very busy and expensive time to vacation in Costa Rica, as it's the high season. However,  we found a quaint little hotel for an amazing steal of a deal and we could not pass it up. 

The hotel was pretty basic and there weren't any amenities except for a full communal kitchen.  But there is a decent sized swimming pool and lots of shady trees that made the hot days bearable. There was also plenty of wildlife to be seen, like howler monkeys in the tree tops and on the roofs and a gigantic iguana that prowled the grounds lazily. 

All in all, it was a pretty perfect vacation, all for a budget price.