This post was sponsored by The Grove Orlando. Thank you to The Grove for having our family and treating us like kings and queen!
Alright guys, I told you at the start of Summer that I wanted to be more intentional about spending quality family time together this season since (A.) We’re having another baby and (B.) K starts VPK in just a few weeks! So, creating as many long-lasting memories as possible, big or small, was a priority for us before our life drastically changes in these next few months! I shared our Family Activity Planner on my blog last month- In it!? A Summer Bucket List! One of the things on our personal bucket list was to end the Summer in a relaxed setting where we could kick back, take a load off, and simply enjoy each other’s company! So, last week at The Grove Orlando, we did just that!
As a busy, on-the-go family of 5 (soon to be 6) I feel like almost all of our meals are a last minute decision and that we’re constantly in and out of the car jumping from place to place but, not this time! This time, I thoughtfully curated a pre-planned evening that was full proof! I knew it was important to get our family back to neutral and ground our family as a unit before the chaos of the school year sets in! So, I made a list with a handful of stops for our evening followed by dinner and a treat!
Our first stop of the evening was Kelly and Kayden-an adorable children’s boutique full of amazing learning toys, high quality kids clothes, and my personal favorite: Native shoes for the whole family! I don’t always splurge on clothes and shoes for the boys because they go through them insanely fast. I mean, they’re boys after all! However, I am a true lover of Native shoes so, when I saw an entire wall from floor to ceiling full of Natives, I was in heaven! What I love about this spot is that with so many fun things in the store at the boys’ eye level, they could browse and play while I shopped! ANDDDD they did just that! I love bringing our family to places where I can mark things off of my list and the boys truly enjoy themselves! WIN, WIN!
After watching K and Linc race every.single. pullback car in Kelly and Kayden, we popped into Royal Nails and Day Spa next door, for this mama to schedule a pedicure before school starts! (Thinking of those morning drop-offs! I may be wearing clothes from the day before when I show up in the drop-off line but, at least my feet will be presentable!) This was the first time we’ve ever been in to the Royal Nails and Day Spa salon and it was BEAUTIFUL! I can’t wait to spend a day lounging in their chairs fit for royalty!
Since I knew I’d be coming back out to The Grove Orlando for a pedi next month, stopping in at Autumn Nucci Hair Salon to see if I’d be able to get a fix for my wild mane, was a MUST! Getting up and out the door by 7:30 is tough enough with a child who loves sleep but, to get myself ready on top of that (while pregnant and exhausted) is an entirely different situation! So, I sent James and the boys off to get settled and order our dinner while I had a quick consultation with Autumn! She and I decided that a Brazilian Blowout was just the thing to turn this drab mama into a fab mama for school drop-off! (Stay tuned for that Brazilian Blowout update next month!)
Since my consultation only took a few minutes, by the time I made it over to our dinner spot, the boys were all settled in with drinks and our meals were being made! Our dinner spot?! Burger Fi! If you haven’t had a Burger Fi Red Velvet Shake or their Urban Fries, you truly haven’t lived! We got a large order of Urban fries (fries dusted with Parmesan and herbs, covered in a creamy garlic aioli) to share! The staff was super gracious and delivered our fries with extra sides of the aioli! Y’ALL. These fries are LIFE!
Since I don’t do meat often, I’m always grateful that Burger Fi offers a vegetarian burger served in between lettuce! So, while the boys and James devoured their 100% certified American Angus beef burgers, I got down on a veggie burger that surpassed the flavor of any veggie burger I’ve ever had!
To top off our night, we surprised the boys with Italian ice from Jeremiah’s right next door! I like ice cream BUT, I love and adore a layered Italian ice! So, to say this treat was just for the boys would be a total lie!
If you haven’t been to a Jeremiah’s Italian Ice yet, let them know when you arrive that you’d like to try a few samples before committing to a flavor! The staff is super sweet and prepared to give out as many samples as you need to make a final decision! My favorite?! The Orange Smash Gelati! It’s like a creamsicle that melts perfectly in your mouth!
With sticky hands and full bellies, we ended our night watching the sun go down through the palms at The Grove Orlando before heading to the car! We were SO refreshed and grounded after spending the evening as a family without anything on our mind but, enjoying our time together!