 We have done a bit of traveling since Benjamin has been born. He is currently 13 months old and we have been in planes, cars and more. After the first few trips, I have gather a lot of knowledge on how to travel with children. Yes, Traveling with little ones can be a challenge… "Did you pack enough clothes? What is they get bored? What will you do for food? Will they get carsick? Are the iPad’s charged?" Some many questions!! Here are 5 great tips on traveling with children.  Tip 1: Make sure to have their favorite entertainment tools If your little one likes the iPad or has an activity book that will keep them occupied, then bring it! Charge the iPad and make sure to download Netflix or another form of movies to the device. *Note: Netflix allows for you to download movies that work offline. This is great for any kind of transportation that doesn’t come allow Internet.  Tip 2: SNACKS! Yes, it is not safe to allow your child to eat when you drive due to a choking hazard, but its always a good idea to pack a few snacks for any trip. The easier, the better! Applesauce pouches, granola bars, pretzels or even trail mix. Things that don’t require refrigeration are always a plus. *Note: some airlines will allow for you to being unopened containers of food for your children. Always ask in advance with security.  Tip 3: Packing for your little one When it comes to packing up a baby for a few nights, if may seem like you have 12 suitcases for them. Yes, be prepared for the unexpected but you can also travel light by eliminating unnecessary items. These include: Extra pairs of shoes, extra pajamas, larger bottles of lotions and shampoos, toys, and blankets. A lot of these items can either be reduced in quantity or placed into smaller containers. When your getting ready to fly, most airlines allow 1 piece of luggage for your little one and 2 additional pieces of baby equipment such as a stroller, pack n play or a car seat.  Tip 4: Prevent sickness or motion sickness while traveling. Some of the easiest ways to get your child sick while traveling is through contamination of germs. Places like airports have so many people in them constantly. As soon as your little ones blanket touches a planes seat or they push their noses up against the window begins the process of viruses being spread. Make sure to watch your little ones as they are traveling. Try to prevent them for putting things in their mouth, especially their own fingers. When it comes to motion sickness in a vehicle or train, you can purchase some great natural remedies for this. Dramamine makes a great bracelet that applies pressure on your write to a pressure point for nausea.. I know it sounds silly but it actually works! Try it out!  Tip 5: Stick together When traveling with children, every parents fear is a situation where someone gets lost. Yes, traveling itself can be stressful and a bit chaotic, but remember that your children are precious and can easily get lost in crowds. Traveling with matching shirts is a great way to pick someone out of a crowd. Also, making sure to have a serous talk wit your children with a game plan incase someone gets misplaced from the group. Lastly, you can always purchase a small backpack or toddler travel harness.  Hopefully, your travels are seamless and as stress free as possible. By taking these tips with you on your voyage, you may just be able to have a great family vacation.
What other helpful tips have you learned while traveling with your little ones? Comment below!
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 Here is a quick Q and A on goals for this New Year. I don’t usually have new years resolutions. I am not someone who thinks that the new years is really a ‘restart’ button of some kind. I get that this is a great way for some people to see it as an opportunity to track goals, but for me, I try to make goals when it feels right for me. Either way, here is a short Q and A on the New Year and what it will look like.  What does the middle of the year look like for you? I am hoping to be able to expand my following, build out my blog, spend lots of time with my family and hopefully be able to travel at least 3 times in a plane!  How do you stay motivated on your goals throughout the year? The biggest thing that I find helpful when it comes to staying focused is to have small reminders around me all the time that motivate me. I am a big believer in self-motivation being the key to success. For example, for me to stay focused on positive body image, I make sure to surround myself with others who are also preaching positive body image. Same goes with a diet. Don’t hang outside a pizza place if you’re trying to watch your weight.  What is one thing you regret from last year in 2018? Hmm that’s a tough one. I wouldn’t say I regret anything, but I will say that I wished I had taken the initiative sooner to start my blog. I have only been blogging since September of 2018 but I wish I had started a lot sooner!  Does it feel like 2019? No! I am defiantly going to struggle with writing the date correctly. For the first few months I will need to keep white out with me or write in pencil.  Did you make it to midnight on New Years Eve? Nope! I haven’t made it til midnight for the last 5 years… I was in bed by 9:30pm that evening.  Do you see 2019 being a better year than 2018? I am always hoping for each year to be better than the next. Unfortunately, we got some pretty hard news on New Years Eve. My father in law suddenly passed away so I would say so far this year hasn’t been off to the best start. I am hoping this year will get better and bring our family joy.  What is your biggest goal for the upcoming year? My biggest goal and ambition would be to be happy. Always my happiness comes first before anything else. I want to make sure that those around me are also happy. An actual tangible goal would be to travel more! Happy New Year everyone!
Hope 2019 is filled with positive vibes & great memories. What are some of your big goals for 2019? Comment below!  #1 You are going to want to quit There are going to be some days and nights where you think to yourself “Why the hell did I sign up for this?!” There will be days and nights when you just want to give up. But as soon as you start to feel that way, you instantly go back and realize that you are that baby’s mother. They are your world and you would do anything for them. That is why you will never give up. It does get hard and it might be tough to shake off those negative thoughts, but just remember that you are strong and have the most precious life depending on you. You got this!!!  #2 Make sure to make time for yourself. Stay social Every parent will tell you how important it is to keep your sanity. If you are not well rested (which there will be plenty of days that you are not) than your baby may be sensing this. Get plenty of fluids and food in your system to get you through the day. Even if you have to finish your little ones half eaten banana, its still better than nothing. Make sure to stay social as much as you can. Weather you text your sister or call your mom every other day, make sure to get that adult time in. You may go a little insane talking baby talk all day long.  #3 Don’t forget about your partner No, it isn’t your job to make sure everyone in the house is entirely taken care of, but one thing you will notice is that your attention is completely on your new family member. It's all that’s on your mind. Your partner will be able to sense this so just let them know they are still important.If you can find a way to do date night one a month or even take the afternoon and spend it with your partner then take advantage of that time. Yes, romance may be put on hold, but let your partner know that they are still just that; your partner. Again, it is NOT our job to make sure everyone in your home is taken care of, but it might know hurt to let them know they are still on your mind. It is just as much their job as it is yours to make each other still feel special.  #4 Patience This I feel is an obvious one. We all at some point in our lives get confronted with patience and how to use it. You learn this skill either in your job, with family or even in your relationships, but the patience that comes with parenthood is very different. Here is what I realized: You are new to parenthood. Your baby is new to the world. You are both learned how to do things together. Be patient. It will go along way. Getting frustrated at 2 am because the baby is crying will drain you. You will become a zombie if your patience runs out during the difficult times. Keep in mind that everyone is learning a whole new role. Being a mom is new but so is being a baby. As strange as it sounds, that baby has never been a baby before. He or she isn't sure what to expect or how to handle new situations. Sound familiar?? Take a deep breath, step back and just know that your patience will build.  #5 Sleep HAHAHAHAH What is sleep??? This was one of the biggest wake up calls I received after becoming a mother. I am a person who can usually run on 4-5 hours a sleep no problem. But the every 2 hour feedings 24/7 was TOUGH! Not only was I learning how to be a mother, how to breastfeed, change diapers and still manage a household, but I was running on ZERO sleep. And no, it's not like I had 1 or 2 nights of no sleep and then jumped back onto a decent schedule; this was every single day, all day. Its hard to explain to your partner what tired is for you. Sure, before baby I was tired. I would have a bad night or tossing and turning because of a sore back or weird pillow, but the next night I was able to recover and all was well. Not anymore... My days were night and nights were days. Everything just kinda smushed together into extended days of delirious nonsense. "Just nap when the baby naps" WHAT A JOKE! If I were to actually nap when baby naps, here is what it looks like. 9:00am - baby finally falls asleep after feeding. 9:15am - I try to jump in the shower.. since its already been 2 days without one. 9:20am - Dry off quickly and get back into compfy clothes 9:30am - shove a piece of fruit, toast or lets be real some candy into my mouth so stop by tummy from growling. 9:45am - Clean out the bottles for the next feeding and finish the dished from last night 10:00am - I settle down and turn the light off to catch some ZZZZzzzzs 10:30am - being over tired sometimes its hard to shut your mind off but you finally start to relax and fall asleep. 10:45am - baby begins to fuss but hopefully they just go back to sleep. 11:00am - baby is up and you got to sleep for baby 15/30 minutes???? NOT WORTH IT.  #6 All babies are different. You are the parent and you know best This is one of those situations where other moms or dads tell you how you should be parenting your child. There were quite a few times that I would talk about our son and I would get interrupted and told that I should or shouldn't be doing that. Its not a competition people! You are their parent and you know what is best for your child. No, I'm not saying you need to have this mentality with your pediatrician, but when it comes to the way you want to do things for your child, do them regardless of what others day. You are going to get all kinds of advice thrown at you, but just try to be polite, nod your head with a smile and say 'thank you'.  #7 Multitask/Priorities You will soon learn that your priorities are going to change drastically. I was so unprepared for the lack of sleep I was going to get and so I pictures my life after baby to not change as drastically as I was told it would. Boy, was I wrong. I am a SAHM and I feel bad when the house is a mess, dishes are in the sink, laundry isn't done and grocery shopping isn't completed. (BTW I do not believe women need to stay home and men go to work. I am a strong woman and we live in a very feminist home). But, there is something about making the home that I feel is part of my "job" as a SAHM. I had to priorities my day. #1 baby. Baby is always #1. If the baby is having a bad day, then my job is to focus on baby and nothing else. Sorry, the house is going to be a mess and THAT'S OK! **This baby is only going to be a baby once and this time goes by faster than you might think. Enjoy the time. There will always be dishes to do, laundry to fold and groceries to shop for but that baby is only a baby for a short time. Take advantage of it and learn to multitask to get things done and priorities the things that are important.  #8 Accept help when its offered. Don’t forget to ask If you and your partner have good communication during this new time in your lives, you will be set up for success when it's time to ask for help. My biggest issue when I first became a mother was that I felt this need to be Super Mom!. If I get help from someone else or my husband had to ask me, I felt like a failure. If I needed help, then that means I am not a good mom, right? WRONG! just like a new job, you get time to train with someone and ask all kinds of questions. You get to have guidance and if I need help, I can raise my hand and ask for it. That doesn't make me a bad employee. It makes me resourceful and more knowledgeable about my new job. This same mindset applies to parenthood. If I need help, I raise my hand. There is no shame in asking for help. You are not a bad mom and you are not a failure. Another great note would be to take the help when it is offered. My family always wanted to help if the baby was crying. I felt ashamed again that I took the help without being asked if I needed it. Don't do this to yourself. Take the help!  #9 There is more than one way to do things. I am stubborn. Have been all my life. It is my way or the highway when it comes to most things (I'm still working on this...). When it came to parenting, I thought my way of doing this was the best and only way. Again, wrong! Because I stayed home with the baby, I thought I knew him better than anyone else. I mean, I was with him ALL DAY! I knew what he liked, didn't like. We had our routine and I knew exactly how he wanted his bottles. When my husband would be home and do things with him, I would constantly be correcting him. Granted, he was learning how to do things slower than me because he worked outside of the home. But I needed to realize that there isn't just one way to make his bottle. There isn't just one way to change his diaper. I needed to back off and give my partner the opportunity to learn on his own. And, if it wasn't exactly like we do things, thats ok! He needs to have his own way to burp the baby. He needs his own way on how he tickles the baby. It doesn't and shouldn't be just like my way. Relax and calm down if your partner struggles. Let them struggle because that usually the best times to learn.  #10 Enjoy each moment because it goes by too fast. No one every really stressed to be how fast time goes. Sure, everyone says "enjoy these moments because in the blink of an eye, your child is walking, talking and independent". I wish someone would have grabbed me by the face and looked me in the eye and told me "You have no idea how fast this time will pass. Your baby is only a baby once. Cherish every single diaper change. Every feeding. Every giggle. Every snuggle. There is nothing more cruel than time." I thought he would be a baby forever. There were times that I could not wait for him to be able to crawl or for him to start walking. Now, I realize that I wish I would have held him longer or cuddled more. Now, he doesn't want to cuddle or be held. He just wants to be on his own and do his own thing. I will never have that boy as a baby ever again and thats the hardest thing to realize. I will never be able to breastfeed him or watch him roll over for the first time ever again. He isn't a baby anymore and time took that away from me. Enjoy each and every moment with them because before you know it, they are not babies anymore. They will instantly start growing up and there is nothing you can do about it. What are some things you learned as a parent that you want to share with new or current parents? Comment below!
Read More  Dear 2018, What a year it's been! This really is the most wonderful time of the year. It's a time of reflection, family and a time to bring as much joy to the world that we live in.  During the holiday season, I tend to spend a lot of the time reflecting of the past year and taking a look at my goals that I wanted to achieve. This year most of my time was focused on being a mother, wife and blogger. I have been so fortunate to be able to stay at home with my little man and work on all my mom goals. A few goals I had revolved around learning how to parent, controlling my patients and enjoying as much time as I possible can with my son.  Another part of this was dedicated to family. We made it our goal so visit and spend time wit all of our family. This included making extra time in the day to enjoy our home together as a family of 3. A few of those goals were spending less time on the computer/phone, taking trips as often as we could and making an effort to get together with the entire family for dinner at least one a week.  Lastly, this time of the year brought me one of the greatest accomplishments I wanted. I created MY BLOG! Finally, after a few years of thinking about doing it, I finally found some time for myself to create Mrs. DIngman Mama. It has been one of the most rewarding and exciting things I have done for myself. Motherhood brings a lot of struggles, but one of the best supports I have had is through blogging and sharing my stories of body image, motherhood and every day ups and downs.  Thank you to everyone who had stuck with me through this year. I am hoping the new year brings everyone so much love, happiness and goal crushing adventures!
To the New Year! 2019 is going to be one for the books! - Love Always, Kristyn Dingman What BIG goals are you planning in 2019?  Inspiration You never know whom you just might inspire today or whom you may be inspired by. These last few months I have seen nothing but unconditional support from other woman all over social media. I love seeing others who struggle with self love finally open up about their feelings with complete strangers. It brings so much joy into my life when I hear or see these stories. One of the biggest influencers for me has been am amazon woman named Meg Boggs. She is an inspirational blogger and is an absolute delight to follow. She started a really great moving called ‘This is postpartum’ and it starts again November 6th, 2018. Post a photo of your Postpartum story and use the hashtag: #this_is_postpartum or #thisispostpartum FOLLOW HER ON INSTAGRAM @meg.boggs Or check her out here There is nothing more refreshing than seeing a variety of women going through the exact same things I am, yet we all look different. There is not one way to parent. There is not one way to look. There is not one way to feel. There is not one way to be happy. There is not one way to cry. There is not one way to struggle. There is not one way to recover. There is not one way to see beauty. There is a myriad of ways to do everything in this beautiful world. Stop judging other on how they take on life’s journey. Everyone has their own story and we all get the beautiful opportunity to live that story how ever we choose. Share your postpartum story this year using hashtag #this_is_postpartum or #thisispostpartum Can’t wait to see the outpour this year!!! Happy first birthday my Benjamin Dear Benjamin, It has been 365 days since you were in my tummy. Its been 365 days since it was just you and I together. It’s been 365 days since I could completely protect you from the outside world. This past year has been such a great adventure for your dad and I. We are so in love with the little man you are becoming. Your silly personality and short temper are showing more each day. We can’t believe an entire year has already passed. This year has been full of diapers, kisses, cuddles, watching movies, tears, lots of laughs and plenty of sleepless nights. Watching you learn how to roll over and crawl have been so amazing. We even got to hear you say “dada” and it brought tears to our eyes. You are growing up so fast and we wish time would just stand still for a moment. As soon as they laid you on my chest, I was so nervous and excited all at the same time. I became your mother and you became my son. We had already started to grow our love for you before you were even born, but as soon as you arrived, we just knew you would be our new focus and love. You had so many firsts this year and I cannot wait to see how you will continue to grow this next year. I can remember your first smile and your first time eating solid foods. You are such a strong little spirit and we absolute adore everything about you. We know you have such a bright future ahead of you and we will be there for you every step of the way. You are going to do big things and we cannot wait to witness your succeed. We love you so much baby boy. Love always and forever, Your Parents   Nope, they will probably not remember a single bit of the festivities, but this is more of a photo opportunity and a scary realization for you as a parent that your little baby is growing up. There are a few things you can do to make this day as stress free as possible. Sure, go ahead and hire an event planner and spend a fortune on the celebration. I am not about wasting money so lets break it down as cheap as possible!  Tip #1 Depending on your little ones birthday, maybe pick a theme that is after a major holiday. Example: Halloween – monster theme Easter – Little bunnies Christmas – Stars or snow themes 4th of July – Red, white or blue themes party Thanksgiving- Pumpkin or fall leaf theme Spring- Flowers This will allow for decorations to be clearance or on sale so you can snag them for the big day as cheap as possible.  Tip #2 DIY Decorations Pinterest is a great place to find DIY options for party decorations. If you find some great ideas, go to the dollar stores to find the supplies. They tend to have plenty of craft supplies to recreate anything you find. Make everything at home by using old boxes or digging through your recycle bins.  Tip #3 Find some good food options in your budget You can plan the party to work around the type of food you have. If you have the party from 2-4 then you may not need to provide lunch or dinner. It’s a part of the day that doesn’t require anything to be served besides finger foods. If you pick a lunchtime, try to do a build you own sandwich bar. It’s a cheap way to give people the option to customize their meals. If you pick a dinnertime option, try to do a crock-pot theme. You can plan it ahead of time and it will stay warm throughout the party. Plus, crock pot dishes tend to be on the cheaper side of foods.  Tip #4 Pre-take photos Odds are, you will not be able to stage too many pictures to remember the big first birthday. Don’t stress! Take photos a week or so before the party. This will ensure you get the cute photos you want without making everyone stop the party. Plus, you can enjoy the real party without forgetting the memories.  Tip #5 Don’t worry about cleaning the house It’s going to get messy and no one will notice. I first was stressing about getting the house in order, but then I realized that people were not coming to check out my unwashed floors. They were there to see the big boy on his special day so don’t worry, no one will care that you kitchen table it full of mail and unfolded clothes.  Tip #6 The Cake Find a local bakery or even an independent pastry chef on Swip Swap to make your cute cake. I was able to find a local woman who did our cake for only $40; which is cheap compared to some of these fancy locations who wanted to charge over $150 for a 6 inch cake. Also, I got our cupcakes made at our local grocery store. You may not believe it but the bakery at your grocery stores will work with you on any kind of project you are looking to do. I was able to bring in a photo of the cupcakes I wanted and they were all excited to be able to get creative. They were amazing and SO affordable! $5.00 for a dozen!  Tip #7 Birthday gift ideas Odds are, your little one has plenty of toys and you are not really looking to expand your toy pile in the corner of your living room. You pick them of 238854 times a day so maybe see if there is another option for your guests. Asking for money can be awkward, but it can be done is a polite way. Let your guests know that your little one will take money to go toward their college fund or savings account. See if your guess would do a book collection rather than toys. There are also a lot of great subscription services that would be nice to have for your baby. There are food, clothes and educational subscription services that would be a good fit over another doll or truck.  Tip #8 Enjoy the Day Just like this past year, your baby’s big day is going to go by fast. Enjoy the moments with family and friends who are there to celebrate with you. Let everyone know how much you appreciate them coming out to celebrate. Sit down and enjoy a plate of the food you paid for as well as a cold beer or nice glass of wine because you deserve it! How did you plan for your little ones first birthday party? What theme did you go with?
Comment below and check out more photos on Instagram  As a first time mom, one of my biggest fears was traveling with a baby. I have heard too many horror stories from other moms about their journey’s as a family with a baby baby tagging along. We hesitantly made plans to visit some family in California in October to meet our son for the first time. When we clicked the “Flight booked” button and I got an email confirmation with our itinerary, my heard started to race. I had lists and to do errands to run to get us prepared for this unfamiliar voyage ahead. Our first airplane ride, car rental and hotel check in as a family of three. As they days approached, I was going through everything to make sure we were 100% prepared for this trip (it was only 4 days long). Running around and making sure our house was also ready for us to leave was a task too! While we were leaving, we planned to get the entire house painted from top to bottom, so a lot of prep work needed to go into this project. As we laid our heads down to sleep the night before our trip, I was tossing and turning from anxiety. Everyone knows that I HATE flying, so my nerves were being triggered left and right. I think I got about 4 hours of sleep when our alarms when off and we needed to hustle to leave the house on time.  All our bags are packed and we are loaded up in the car heading toward the airport. Surprisingly, I am calm and just trying to stay focused. We park out car, find our gate and head to security. What’s great about Sky Harbor International Airport is that they allow families’ traveling with infants to skip the standard security check so that was nice. We made it and with plenty of time to spare!   The clock is ticking and we are getting closer and closer to boarding the plane. I am more concerned with how Ben is going to do and not as focused on my own anxiety for flying. We get in our seats and I was able to give Ben a bottle right as we are taking off. As soon as we reach altitude, he falls asleep and stays asleep the entire flight (1 hour and 40 minutes from PHX - SAC). We could not have asked for a better flight! Not to mention the flight itself was not full so we had the entire row to ourselves.  We land and get our bags at baggage claim and head to get our rental. We were able to pick from about 15 different card and we decided to go with a new 2018 Dodge Mini Van. I have always told myself that I would never get a van but after this trip, I think it might be my new car!  We are now headed for the hotel. After about a 20-minute drive we arrive and check in with no issues. We had a crib sent to our room for the baby and we get settled in before we headed off to visit with family. So far so good! It’s time to finally introduce Benjamin to the California family who has only seen pictures. Everyone fell in love and he was such a trooper with all the love and attention he received. He was able to meet his cousins too for the first time and we could not have asked for a better trip. Jeremy and I got to also meet our nephew for the first time too who is 2 months older than Ben. We just enjoyed ourselves and embraced all the love we could get in the short trip we took. We were able to do a few fun activates while in Sacramento. We made our way up North to High Hill Ranch. This place is BEAUTIFUL! There were gorgeous scenery with Pines, colorful oaks and plenty of apple cider. They make their own donuts, hayrides, pumpkin patches, fudge, apple picking and so much more. The entire ranch was covered in local vendors and plenty of food options. It was such a perfect place to spend the day with the family enjoying the fresh air and amazing food. We try to make it out to Sacramento at least once a year to visit family. With the baby tagging along, it has changed how we travel for sure! I am not going to lie; it is stressful but so worth having him with us on our adventures. He was a trooper the entire trip and with one adventure under our belts, we are ready for more!  What are some travel tips you can give when it comes to traveling with infants or children? Comment below and make sure to Follow Me on Instagram for more photos and content. High Hill Photo: http://www.edc-farmtrails.org/member/high-hill-ranch
Apple photo: https://handbookofnaturestudy.com/2010/10/apples-autumn-series-challenge-day.html/  Picking the right shade of gray for your home can be a challenge. When it comes to gray tones, picking the right shade can make our break your homes interior design. When they say 50 shades of gray, it’s more like an infinite amount of shades. How do you pick the right one?  We headed to our local hardware store to start looking at all the different options. After about 45 minutes of standing there with my finger in my nose and an overwhelming array of possibilities, I started to feel dazed. My mind started to play tricks on me and I wasn’t getting anywhere. I would pick up a swatch and say, “yes I found my gray”! But then, I would move a few shades down and find another shade that I thought was the same color. Once I compared the two I could see tones of blue, green or purple in each gray. How can you pick the right one????!?!?!? After battling back and forth between colors and a nauseating overload, I decided to leave empty handed. This was a big decision for our new house and I had to make sure I was making the right one. I headed home and jumped online to see what others were doing about color choices in their homes. After some research I found some great tips and tricks when it comes to picking that perfect shade of gray. Now, time to test the theories... My husband and I found a few photos of kitchen and living rooms from others who have painted with grey colors and found out what color and brand they used. We headed back to the store and without looking too hard into the other colors, we had the tec make up samples of the 4 colors we decided to go with based on the online research. One of the tricks we learned was to make sure to test the colors on multiple walls around your home: Living room, kitchen, family room, office, stairway, master bedroom and bathroom. We placed all 4 colors on the wall and wrote below what colors they were. After letting the paint dry, we went back to our locations to rate each color. We changed the lighting from natural light to artificial lighting to get a feel for each color. We began to rate each room based on our favorite colors we placed on the walls and then compared our answers. This seemed to be a great way to get multiple sets of eyes on the colors without feeling like they are meshing into each other.   We finally decided on a gray!!! The process was so easy and simple. We are going to go with the Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray. It is going to be exactly what we are looking for in a gray shade. It’s not blue, it’s not green and it’s not brown. It feels like an authentic true gray that doesn’t sway one way on the color spectrum. We can’t wait to get this project started and show you the after photos of our home! Stay tuned   First off, let me just say that Flagstaff, AZ is one of the most wonderful places to visit. My husband and I went to college at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and we adored the city. If we ever have the opportunity to move back, I am sure we would pack up and leave in a heart beat! This was our first mini road trip with the baby and he did such a great job. It was a spur of the moment decision to pack up and head up to Northern Arizona, and it was so worth it! He was such a trooper and slept the entire 2 hours it took us to get up there. The entire drive is a scenic experience. Every turn is pure beauty. Mountains, desert landscapes, open fields and meadows all lead the way into Coconino National Forest which is covered in great pines and aspen trees.
 Nothing beats Flagstaff’s ability to literally take your breath away. At 12,000 elevation, you may experience some shortness of breathe while walking around down town, but don’t sweat it because there are plenty of great bars and restaurants to stop in and take a rest. One of our favorite spots to hit for something tastes is Pato Thai Cuisine right in downtown Flag. They are a smaller location with great service and fooooood! Ben really enjoyed himself in the fun and exciting atmosphere.  One of the really neat features of Flagstaff is the great railroad system that is still used today. The trains that storm through town are always so fun to watch. Kids get so excited to see the big train chug by with all its power.
 After the waves of nostalgia crashed into us, we decided to head off to see the rest of the city we loved so much. We headed up North toward Snow Bowl at the bottom of Mount Humphrey’s where you can ski, hike, camp or just enjoy nature. We were able to capture the Fall leaves changing around the base of the mountain. By this time the baby was pooped, it started to rain and we needed to hit the road. A perfect way to end the day was with some great sunsets we watched on the way home. Nothing beats the sunsets that we have here in AZ. Read more about AZ living. With a 25 degree difference only 2 hours away, it was nice to be back home in our own neck of the woods. The great thing about Flagstaff is that it is only a 2 hour drive North for us to be able to be in a complete different world. Many do not know that Arizona has snow or 4 seasons in some locations. Flagstaff is a great place to raise a family, ski, go to school or just enjoy the outdoors. If you ever get a change to visit, it is worth the trip.  |
-Hello-I'm Kristyn from sunny Peoria, Arizona. I'm married to my amazing husband Jeremy, a mother to our incredible boys Benjamin and Bowen. I love inspiring and empowering others to see their true beauty and fight against the stigmas that society has created about beauty. 
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