A luxury playground for families.....Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort

We just left my grandfather's today around lunch time....although I am bummed to leave my fam I was still pumped to get to the beach.  These toes were made to be buried in white sand. 

Arrived at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort and was amazed. The sheer size of this place is just crazy.  You can see where every detail has been thought of and they are ready to please. 

I call it a playground for families but it really is perfect for any one.  There are so many different areas to choose from that you can basically customize your vacation to fit your needs. 

We are right on the golf course, a beautiful view and in a quiet little area of the Southside area of Sandestin called, Tivoli.  We are literally a few steps from the pool in our part of the village too, which is where B and the kids are now while I have a little chat with you.

Like I said before, the resort alone is just amazing.  There is so much going on here that it might even seem a bit overwhelming.  Until, I remember that I am on vacation and vacation means relaxing on the beach sans makeup and stress. 

I have a feeling that the kiddos won't let us sit still for long so lucky for us, Sandestin offers all kinds of things to keep the kids entertained.  T and B are already eyeing the YOLO boards and G will try just about anything once.  R is content just playing in the sand for hours (which I am completely cool with). 

As a Sandestin guest we have access to all kinds of cool stuff, just a flash of our guest card allows us to try out tennis, kayaking, YOLO boarding, Adventure Bay (think Wipeout!), bikes to rent and a ton more. 

We have access to our Tivoli community pool and also the beach side pool at Finz. 

Baytowne Wharf provides everything you may need from shopping to eating and especially fun.  I have a feeling that my kids will love it there and not want to come home. 

I wanted to tell you guys about the tram system too!  There is a tram that can pick you up and drop off you off at little points all through the resort. Smart thinking, Sandestin, smart thinking. 

I am pleasantly surprised that even though the resort is so large it has a community feel.  I have seen people of all ages here having fun. 

We made a quick stop at the beach this afternoon after getting all settled in and that is one thing that didn't surprise me at all.  The Emerald Coast is as beautiful as ever, just reminds me why we make this trek each year.  I have to admit that we usually don't go the "resort route" and that this is new to us but I love it.  On the part of the beach where the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has chairs and umbrellas to rent there is also an area for adults to enjoy a few drinks and another area for all concessions.  There is a beach side restaurant and plenty of little outdoor shower areas where you can get the sand off before heading up for a bit to eat. 

I can't wait to get out there tomorrow and have a complete beach day full of sun, sunscreen, feet absolutely covered in sand, water I can see through and searching for shells. 

I have felt completely pampered just walking into this resort and have been truly impressed with the all of the people I have been in contact with here.  Very helpful and sweet as can be.  Our unit was prepared with thoughtfulness and I appreciated it.

In Tivoli, we are staying in a 3 bedroom/ 3 bath townhome. The master suite is beautiful, with a jacuzzi tub and a french doors opening up to the back patio where I know I will be enjoying a nice cup of coffee in the morning.  The ceilings are high, and make it feel like a 2 story unit.  All of the lighting and details are immaculate and the art and decorations are gorgeous.  The living room has enough seating for probably 15 people, and the dining area is perfect. 

Our patio was a huge surprise, it is so much bigger than most patios at a vacation rental.  It also has a table, chairs, swing and grill to make the vacation complete. 

I really feel at home here and the kids and B do too.  They didn't even fight over rooms! (gasp!)  R and G decided they would be in the "bunk room" which has 2 sets of bunk beds....they both get a top bunk.  T gets his own room and bathroom, and he's stoked.  Our boys share a bedroom at home so any time they don't have to sleep in the same room, they don't.  We are in a downstairs unit and like every hotel, condo, etc....it sounds like hippos might be living above us but that's okay.  It's understandable, every one has to walk, right? Grrrr...

I will leave you now to enjoy pictures of our home away from home.  More to come tomorrow.  Until then, don't forget to check out Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort for yourself.  Their prices start out really reasonable and this part of Florida is just great.  You can find Sandestin on Facebook and Twitter too!  If you aren't already following me on Twitter and Facebook you may want to start now so that you can keep up with all of our adventures.  You can find all of that info right on the sidebar. 

Master suite

Master suite...doors to the patio

Living room into kitchen and dining

Not sure what kind of dance is going on there...

I am totally digging this tree art and need to find some for my own home

Living room

Dining table

Patio

Bunk room!

T's room

my three little birds...

Tivoli

Happy summer, my friends.

Lake fun

We have been having such a great time just enjoying family.  We spent 2 nights and 3 days and Compass Lake, a place where I have tons of childhood memories.  The kids have been there just a few times but this time they are all old enough to remember all of the fun things they did. 


The outdoor shower was a huge hit, as always.  What kid (or grown up) doesn't enjoy an outdoor shower? We had sandy feet for 3 days straight and loved it.

Spending the 4th of July on the lake was a ton of fun and watching my husband, T and my cousin try to make cheer worthy fire work displays was even more fun.  
When we got back to my grandfather's after the lake house my sister and my brother in law had already made it here so we have had a blast of a sleepover. 

My sister lives in Austin, which is only about 3 hours from me but with her work and our crazy schedules this has been our first vacation together in a long time.  

JUMP!

R waiting for her own dock jump

Lighting fire works for the 4th

Father/Son dock jump!

B loving on G while hanging on the dock

R and my cousin's pup, Penelope

My three water bugs

Night time turtle hunting

My girl and me

T made it up on the skis!  His first time to ski and he made it up on his secong try.

My sis and me laughing....as usual.

Tomorrow we leave my grandfather's and head to Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort for a little more fun in the sun.  I can't wait to see the resort, I've heard some wonderful things about the place and can't wait to see it for myself.  We will be letting you know about while we're there, including pictures of our digs and the resort itself.  Stay tuned....

Day at the Waterpark...

Thursday I took the kiddos to a water park nearby and by nearby I mean an hour and a half away (this is Texas, that's normal).  It is the perfect size, not too big where you could lose the kids in a heartbeat.  All of the slides are fun and they have plenty of areas for kids of all ages. 
I went on one slide....didn't realize how fast I would be going.  As I popped out of the water, so did a little something else. But a minor wardrobe malfunction didn't put a dent in my day.  
T was at camp so I took G, R and my niece.  The girls spent most of their time on the Lazy River and watched G go down slide after slide.  I also let G reapply my sunscreen...which wasn't a good idea.  I now have an extremely fashionable "tan line" that consists of splotches.  Don't worry, it will catch on.  Soon, all the cool kids will be sporting one. 
I spent a whopping $12 at the snack bar, which I'm pretty proud of.  The great thing about this place is that you can bring all the food and drinks you want so I packed a lunch for all of us, granola bars, water, and juice boxes.  Their treat was Dippin' Dots at the snack bar.  
I didn't bring my fancy schmancy camera, all I was armed with was my stupid Blackberry, so enjoy...

My poor boy with his black eye.   He and another boy had a head on collison in Tae Kwon Do the other day. He's pretty proud of it.

Doing the Cupid Shuffle

The girlies and me

The monkey boy

He did the Criss Cross about 20 times.....

My niece trying to make her way across

R making it.....wobbly, but still making it.

The girls in the Lazy River

Accidental splits!

G and my niece went on all of these slides except for the white one.  And they loved it.

I would say they had a good time....wiped smooth out!

 

And another one bites the dust.....

It was a long weekend for my family yet I still feel like it didn't last long enough!  The hubby was off work for Good Friday....the big kids were not (due to a snow day that had no snow back in Winter).  So....what do we do?  We wait until 10 am (when they are counted present) and....YANK them out to head to the beach!  While I drove the get away car from the Elementary school the Hubs made sandwiches for everyone and packed up the cooler.  Good Friday was definitely fun.



My Macho Man





Snack Time!

 Saturday was a fun filled day as well.....if you don't count B's phone taking a swim in the pool and now he (conveniently) has this fancy schmancy new one. 
Sunday, of course was Easter and the church service was awesome!  We spent plenty of time with my dad, who was in town for the week.  My sister came down from Austin and even hid eggs for the kiddos.....she was SO good that we still have 5 more to find. 



I couldn't find the right dress for Easter Sunday so I dug deep in the closet and found this classic from about 4 years ago.





You're never too old for an Easter Egg Hunt...especially when there is money in those eggs!!

 I almost forgot G's Easter party at his preschool!  His teacher is amazing and always pulls out all the stops.  I signed up for an Easter dessert and bought everything to make from-scratch cupcakes.  Then I remembered that 4 and 5 year olds don't really eat a whole cupcake at a school party....they lick part of the icing, take a bite or two and then move on to the next sweet treat.  So, I decided on the box mix and decorated with chocolate icing and Nerds!  They liked them just as much....and I didn't feel any heart palpitations when I saw a whole cupcake in the trash.  



My other Macho Man



Using water colors on their hard boiled eggs

Confetti Eggs!