Graco Influencer Event 2020

Hi everyone! Happy New Year :) This is officially my first blog post of 2020.

Earlier in December, I was accepted into a special partnership with Graco! They hand-selected a few influencers to their HQ in Atlanta, Georgia. I was one of the lucky girls to be chosen by Graco's team to be part of their special influencer event. All travel expenses, food, and transportation was covered thanks to Graco! I'm so excited to share my experience with ya'll and tell you all about Graco's newest products.

Although short, the two days that I spent in GA was nothing short of amazing! 

My first day consisted of mostly traveling and getting settled into the hotel. They booked us rooms at the W Hotel in Buckhead, GA. I absolutely loved my room and the overal decor/vibe of the hotel - it was super hip. Graco scheduled a Welcome Dinner at 6pm so that all the influencers and Graco team members could meet and get to know each other. We went to an amazing Italian restaurant called Storico Fresco. The food was absolutely delicious!! We had our own customized pre-fix menus.

Graco gave us a welcome goodie bag when we checked in!

How freaking adorable is this nametag?!

The beautiful table scape at Storico Fresco.

I honestly had so much fun learning about the newest Graco products and meeting all of the Graco team members! (Check my Graco highlights on my IG to follow along!) Graco rented out a gorgeous Airbnb house and decorated it so beautifully!!

We even got a mini yoga session in, which was such a treat! 

After a yummy breakfast, we broke off into groups and learned about the new products for their 2020 Registry Collection. It was so amazing hearing about an idea come to fruition and seeing the actual product in front of you. These girls go above and beyond with their creativity and innovation. I was so genuinely impressed with each and every product they talked about. We are huge fans of the Graco 4ever car seats and pack n plays! Did you know that Graco was the first company to invent the Pack n Play?! I had no idea! They’re also one of the oldest baby companies in the market - they’ll be turning 65 this year!

Introducing the Sense2Snooze Bassinet! Click HERE

Modes Nest Travel System CLICK HERE

Great quality leather on the handles!

EveryStep 7-in-1 Highchair! Click HERE

TrioGrow SnugLock LX 3-in-1 CLICK HERE and 4Ever DLX carseats! CLICK HERE

Sense2Soothe Swing Click HERE

After a scrumptious catered lunch, we all headed to the Graco crash test facility. 

This was so cool to see because you never really think about the BTS aspects of a product. We saw some really innovative machines at the facility and also observed a real crash test for a car seat! 

One of the senior engineers showing us a miniature version of a carseat made from a 3D printer!! How cool is that!?

This was one of the testing sites and this mama was working even though she was due any moment! Talk about commitment!

They go above and beyond with their crash testing - more than what is required! This year, they've included the side crash testing and the rollover testing to their safety standards (even though it is not required!).

You'll see the new label "Protect Plus" on all of their newest carseats to indicate the updates on their safety standards.

This is what I love and appreciate about Graco. They take so much pride in their work and genuinely want to improve and further their products to make OUR lives easier. They’re also prettttty darn safe, which is a HUGE plus when you’re a mama. Gotta protect our babies!

I’m probably leaving out so many other details but these past two days is exactly what I needed. Thank you so so much to Graco and their team for inviting us and educating us about your products. It was truly special!

Til next time, Graco!

#GracoLove2020 #Graco

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Aruba - My Travel Diary

ARUBA 2019

My family and I went to Aruba just a few weeks ago and had an amazing time there. We opted for an AirBnB house instead of a high-rise resort. Mostly because of the high cost but also because we wanted a bit more privacy. Our grandparents were supposed to go with us but backed out last minute due to health issues. We were all really bummed about this because it was supposed to be a four generation trip for us. Plus, this might have been the last chance they had of going anywhere.

We decided to make the most of it and have fun especially since we had Everly with us. It was her first time in Aruba and we couldn't wait to show her the beach and pool. She is a water baby after all!

Here are a few pictures from our recent trip to Aruba. If you are going to Aruba soon and have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below!

Everly & Grandparents ♥ 

Everly & Grandma ♥ 

Palm Beach, Aruba - Twinning with my girl, Ev!

Our little family photo taken at our AirBnB backyard oasis.

I love her little 'fake' smile. It cracks us up!

We went on an epic UTV adventure to the desert side of the island! It got dusty!

We trekked our way down the cliff so we could take a dip in the natural pool! We even got to snorkel a bit.

Aruba's Natural Bridge, which is part of the Arikok National Park. Yes, they have a national park there!

Posing in front of our UTV - I got to drive on the way back! It was so fun.

One of the stops from our UTV Tour by De Palm Tours. 

Daddy & Daughter Time!

I'm so glad Everly received 6 weeks of swim lessons before this trip! 

We went to the pool every single day - Thanks Airbnb!

She had a blast. I miss this place already!

It's always a blessing when your baby takes a nap on the beach!

Cooling ourselves off with an Acai Bowl from Eduardo's Beach Shack!

Look how blue the water is...Beautiful! Taken at Eagle Beach.

Since it was super windy, we hid under the umbrella & played with the sand.

One of the fish fillets we had in Aruba - absolutely delicious! 

@ Madame Janettes

My amaaaaazing almond crusted grouper dish. So so good.

@Screaming Eagle Lounge & Restaurant

One of the coolest dining experiences we've had! Dinner in bed?! YES PLEASE! 

@ Baby Beach - this beach was PERFECT for Everly and other kiddos. The water was so shallow and calm!

Can you just picture yourself there now? :)

Watching her sleep in my arms makes my heart so happy. My baby forever.

Overall, it was a great family trip. It was nice to see my brother and his wife, too! I can't wait to have more family adventures in the future. It is a HUGE help having other family members lend their hands with Everly. It was a little tough on the day we left due to the long wait times at customs and then the flight itself. Everly was cutting new teeth left and right so she was pretty miserable. I'm so relieved that the people on our flight were understanding and didn't give us dirty looks. That would've added to the stress piling up. I took a picture of Everly sleeping on my chest on our flight back home because I realized that she's never going to be this little again. She's only going to get bigger and that makes me feel so sad but excited at the same time. We love her so much. 

I mean, look at those cheeks! Just want to squeeeeeeze them!!


I hope you enjoyed my Aruba pictures! Let me know if you are traveling to Aruba any time soon. It really is a beautiful island with warm weather all year round. If you'd like me to create a separate post on Things To Do in Aruba, then just leave a comment below! I would love to give you some tips and suggestions.

Thanks for reading my first travel post!

Love,
Liz ♥ 

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