In this blog post, I’m sharing what we did as a family and my recommendations. We only stayed 3 nights, so there were things we didn’t do/see, but I hope this helps if you are planning a trip to Galveston, TX.

Where did we stay?

We stayed at The Dawn Beach Condominiums. I totally recommend our specific unit as it was clean and organized. We felt very “at home” and it fit our family of 5 perfectly. I’m including a link to the VRBO listing where you can find more photos.

Where did we eat?

Salsa’s Mexican Restaurant Wherever we go, we always love to find great Mexican food. Salsa’s did not disappoint! The beef fajitas were the best I’ve ever had, honestly. The service was impeccable and the atmosphere was great too! 5/5 stars!

Miller’s Seawall Grill We enjoyed brunch at Miller’s on our second day in Galveston. We arrived around 9:00 am and there was a 30 minute wait. The menu has great options for breakfast/brunch with kids. I built my own omelette and the kids and Adam had pancakes with eggs and bacon. Everything was delicious! 5/5 stars!

Rainforest Cafe We can’t visit a city with a restaurant like this without going… if you have children you understand! Reservations run two weeks out in the summer and you can’t call ahead. However, you can drop by and add your name to the list. The wait was an hour and a half, so we picked up groceries at Kroger, and shopped for a few beach toys at Walmart while we waited. They texted when the table was ready, and we had 15 minutes to arrive. It worked out great! I had the shrimp Caesar salad and it deserves 20 stars! It’s the best I’ve had, and I still think about it all the time! Lol. 5/5 stars for food and experience!

Katie’s Seafood House This restaurant is located near Pier 21, in the historic port district (The Strand). There’s beautiful views and it’s an adorable place! We made a reservation online and avoided the wait altogether. Everything we had was delicious! Katie’s was the most recommended restaurant by my Instagram followers, and now I know why. 5/5 stars!

Dawn Donuts This little donut shop was near the condo and was a fun breakfast treat for the kiddos to have by the pool on our last morning. For what it’s worth, they rated their donut holes 5/5!

What did we do for fun?

Day 1– The first day we went to Schlitterbahn Waterpark and had a blast. I scored discounted tickets from Travel Zoo and spent $40/ticket compared to $60/ticket at the gate! In my opinion, $40 was fair because a few attractions were closed. We didn’t spend any money in the park, because ice chests (no glass or alcohol) are welcome! For a family of 5, this policy is such a blessing. We packed a nutritious lunch + snacks, waters, etc. and had plenty to eat for the five hours we were there. I recommend getting there at 11:00 am when they open, and “claiming” a shaded picnic table (there are lots) by putting your things on it. Wear swim shoes and get one of these necklaces to protect your phone. Also, we recently switched to this mineral sunscreen and it held up so well! We reapplied it once, and then kept this “after sun cream” in the ice chest and applied it afterward!

Day 2- The second day we were in Galveston, we went to Moody Gardens and explored the aquarium and rainforest pyramids. It was a perfect amount for us, and kept the interest of our kids (ages 3,6,9). It took us about 2 1/2 hours to explore it all. You can purchase individual attraction tickets online or at the door.

After our fun at Moody Gardens, we did some shopping at Murdoch’s Souvenir Shop. I can’t say enough about this adorable place! It’s Galveston’s oldest shop, originally built directly on the sand in the late 1800s. The store has been rebuilt several times over the years, and the new store is just lovely! My favorite part is the fact that every type of souvenir you could possibly think of, is all under one roof! We gave the kids each a budget and they took their time carefully deciding on treasures to choose. We easily spent an hour browsing, and the kids still talk about the “huge beach store”! It’s a must!

Day 3- The third day was a beach day for us and Penelope’s 6th birthday! We loaded the car with the few beach items we brought, and headed across the highway. We used the public street parking on the beach side of Seawall Blvd, which is reasonable at $2/hour, and very convenient (pay via debit card). We parked near a bathroom/spray off station to make cleanup easy before getting back in the car afterward.

After having lunch in the room, (I placed a grocery pickup order at he nearby Kroger), and we rested a little before heading out to Pier 21 to take a dolphin tour! We booked/paid for tickets online to reserve our boat through Galveston Water Adventures. We went on the 5:00 pm tour, and it cost around $70 for the five of us. The tour was one hour and we saw tons of dolphins!

After the dolphin tour, we walked to dinner near Pier 21 and then walked around The Strand, Historic Downtown Galveston. Much of the shops close at 5:00 pm, but we did get to visit the most adorable candy shop, La King’s Confectionery .

Day 4- Checkout time for our unit was 11:00 am, which gave us just enough time for donuts by the pool! It was tough to go home, but we vowed to be back soon!

If you’re planning a weekend in Galveston, TX, I hope you have as good a time as we did! If you have any questions, comment below!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

This summer I compiled a list of things we do in our home, and ways we are making this summer fun and peaceful. Here are a few of our ideas.

Make a “summer bucket list”!

We got together and made a list of things we want to do as a family before the summer is over. We thought of small, simple things, as well as vacations and big ideas, experiences, and more! We’ll check them off as the summer goes on.

I’ve found that making a master list like this cuts down on boredom, and helps me as a mom intentionally plan fun things without the days just passing me by.

Create a chore/responsibility system.

When it comes to helping out around the house, we keep it simple, but take it very seriously. Since I’m not the only one living in our home for the summer, I won’t be the only one caring for our home this summer. 😉 We make messes together, we pick up together… We eat dinner on the patio together, we clean up together… We change in and out of our swimsuits all day, we tend to our laundry together… and the list goes on!

Our little system comes from a tradition that is used at the kids’ school. We work together to earn “house points”. As a family we’re working to earn enough house points to go on a trip. For us, it’s 10,000 points. Individually, the kids are earning house points for the family, but also want to be the “weekly winner” to choose the restaurant where we eat during that weekend.

I don’t assign them specific chores or tasks, I just ask them to help with what needs to be done at the time. “House points” are earned by completing your task WITHOUT COMPLAINING! So simple, but so effective! Giving them the control over what we’re already doing, is gold!

5-minute-pickup

This is nothing new if you’ve been a around here a while, but I had to mention it! At least once, sometimes twice a day, we do a 5-minute pick up, all of us together. We set a timer for 5 minutes and everyone picks things up and puts them away. We start by taking care of our own stuff that we left out, and then help each other as time allows. We usually do this quickly before we leave the house, or before we start something new for the day. (Quiet time, board game/puzzle, screen time, etc.)

Make snacks accessible.

When I make things safely accessible in my home, my kids need me less, and feel empowered to make their own choices. Snacks rule the summer at our house, so I make them “healthy-ish” and accessible! A low pantry basket and a designated fridge drawer is all it takes. Sometimes I have to repackage things for easier access, but it’s that simple!! If you’re concerned about too much snacking, set a snack alarm on your phone or Alexa to let the kids know when they can get one.

Limit cups!

Ok let’s talk cups! During the summertime, cups show up in places all over the house! Every time I turn around there’s another cup… it adds up to so many dishes! This summer each kiddo has been getting one spill-proof thermos to refill water throughout the day. ONE! At meals they have a milk or juice option, but one thermos full of water works for the day!

Schedule alone time and/or date nights.

Getting time alone as a momma, (or as a couple), isn’t as easy to come by in the summer, but it’s just as important. Taking time to choose dates and schedule family or babysitters ahead is a great way to navigate tons of time spent with the kiddos. For me, it gives me something on the calendar to look forward to, which helps me to appreciate and enjoy the time I DO spend with my children during the long summer days. I recommend one afternoon per week alone, and a couple of date nights a month.

If we were chatting over coffee I know we could think of more ways to help keep summer enjoyable for everyone, so send me some ideas! Comment below and let me know what you and your family do, I’d also love to hear your “bucket list” ideas as well.

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

You’ll need:

Assorted Sprinkles

Ice cream sandwiches

Pour sprinkles out on a flat surface (plate or pan). Unwrap ice cream sandwiches and press ice cream onto sprinkles covering all 4 sides. Lay flat and store in freezer until ready to serve! Enjoy!

See how simple it is in the video below!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

Ice

Cranberry Strawberry Juice Cocktail

Unsweetened coconut milk

Freeze dried strawberries

Sweet Cream coffee creamer (optional)

Fill your glass half full with ice, cover ice with juice. Add a few freeze dried strawberries. Pour in coconut milk to fill glass. Leave an inch on top for creamer if you like. (Froth creamer for extra creaminess!)

Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

I’m so happy with how things turned out and I’m sharing the full tour + my summer “pink drink” recipe on the Bloom YouTube Channel today. Scroll down to check it out.

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

I kept the decor simple by using fresh flowers throughout the house.

Tip: Don’t forget about decor in the bathroom. Placing a small vase of flowers in the guest bathroom makes a world of difference!

Reusing vases and mason jars help keep the cost down without compromising the look. A garden party can be eclectic, so just use what you have!

By the end of the day, we had one happy three year old. Kid’s birthdays can be so much fun to plan and decorate if you keep the focus on them. Consider what makes your child feel special, the colors they love and the decor they associate with a birthday party.

You can plan the most chic party for your child, but at the end of the day, if it doesn’t look the way they believe a birthday party should look, they are not going to feel like it was for them!

If they insist on a character or a color, go with it! There are plenty of ways to make parties feel custom! One thing I always do is focus on the cake and the favors/guest gifts.

The cake! For our garden party, we chose a strawberry molded cake with fresh flowers and fruit. We added edible butterflies. It was very custom, delicious and most importantly… she loved it!

Favors! The favors/guest gifts were unique and fun for everyone! Each guest potted their own flower to take home! It was so simple to get a stack of mini plastic pots, dump a bag of potting soil in a bucket, and pick up a flat of perennials! Nobody needs another plastic bag full of themed junk and candy, let’s be honest!

We set up a little station under the carport and let them at it! Remember… keep…it…simple!

For more party ideas and decor inspiration follow me on Pinterest, Facebook & Instagram!

Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo