5 Things to Do in Joshua Tree with Kids

So the husband and I were coming up on 8 YEARS of marriage (GASP!) but with a 9 mos old, COVID, Monkey Pox and a 1st grader, taking a real vacation (without the kids) wasn't realistic #wompwomp so we decided to stay local and take a family trip to JOSHUA TREE!

We drove the 2 1/2 hour ride the Thursday before Labor Day and arrived at the GORGEOUS VILLA SUNEOS right before midnight.

The house was gorgeous and not far from stores. There was a starbucks, walmart, dollar tree, Sallys Beauty, Jack In the Box, Burger King, and more within a 20 min drive....which is CLUTCH when you are traveling with kids.

I was impressed to say the least.

I also LOVED seeing this Black Lives Matter sign along the main road <3

Our first full day there was Friday. When we woke up in the morning we were greeted by the VERY friendly neighborhood dog, Sasha - which the owners had pre-warned us was really friendly and wouldn't bother you if you left him alone (which we did).

I pre-arranged our family photographer to come up because I could tell from the pictures on the airbnb website, I was going to LOVE the vibe and aesthetic of the house.

Outside of a quick run to Starbucks and Juice It Up! (which was about 15 mins away), we stayed in most of the day preparing for the shoot (which turned our AMAZING!)

By Saturday, we were READY to explore! We got an early start so that we could get out and make our way to Joshua Tree National Park!

I made of list of all the exhibits and attractions I wanted to see while we were at the park so that we could be efficient! and with temperatures above 100 degrees, efficiency was KEY.

We paid the 30$ entrance fee (they only accepts Cards, NO Cash), grabbed our park map and got going.

First up was taking a picture of an ACTUAL Joshua Tree which the park is named after.

You can find these all over the city/town, so you don't have to take a picture AT the park...you'll run into man during your stay.

Then we drove to the first stop on my list, QUAIL SPRINGS.

Once you're in the park, you IMMEDIATELY notice how Insane the rocks are. They are massive and have the most interesting shapes. It's hypnotizing to look at. We took a few flicks

Then we drove some more. I LOVED how every stop had a bathroom! Exploring with 2 kids (6yrs and 9 mos), you never know when a restroom will be needed, so I was extra grateful for these.

Next on my list was Hidden Valley and the JUMBO ROCKS, which held true to its name.

And then the incredible SKULL ROCK! which, listen. if you are going to go all the way out to Joshua Tree you HAVE to stop at Skull Rock!

The great thing about Skull Rock, unlike some of the other exhibits, is that its right Off the street! You can pull your car to the side of the road, grab a pic, get back in and carry on through the park! It was the best and it was just FUN to see a rock shaped like a skull.

We tried to hit Arch Rock...but like I said, it was over 100 degrees and with 2 little ones, I couldn't risk venturing so far off the beating path to grab the pic, But if you can, you absolutely should! the pictures I've seen of it are great!

Last on my list was the INSANE Cholla Cactus Garden...I mean come on, have you EVER seen a CACTUS GARDEN! It lived UP to the hype!

Overall, we spent about 3 hours in the park (including the stops we made + pics + driving out) and it was worth every penny!

We drove back to the airbnb - I packed groceries with us for the trip because I didn't see any restaurants I wanted to eat at when I was researching for our trip (I recommend doing the same!)...so I made some dinner (baked chicken legs, cabbage and rice...and wine because, come on), we did some s'mores

at the fire pit and headed to bed!

Overall, I would DEFINITELY recommend a weekend stay in Joshua Tree...not longer than that though because honestly. Truly, theres not a TON to do but a day or 2 is perfect to explore and do something different AND I could recommend Villa Suenos more! its clean, aesthetic and the owners were very responsive!

So here are my things to do:

• get a great Airbnb (Villa Suenos is perfect even for a family)

• Have a day planned for Joshua Tree National Park and hit:

  • Qual Spring Picnic Area

  • Boyscouts Trail

  • Intersection Rock

  • Skull Rock

  • Arch Rock

  • Cholla Cactus Garden

• Bring food to cook at Airbnb

• On your way out, take some pics at the windmills!

• If you have enough time, go shopping at Cabazon Outlets

Byeeeeee

McKinley Nailed 6 - Baking Birthday Party | Nailed It Birthday

You can find everything in my AMAZON STOREFRONT

Last December McKinley and I fell in love with the show Nailed It on Netflix. It was kid-friendly, funny and with 6 seasons, we could watch episode after episode for daysss. Which was perfect because Makyah was only weeks old, so we were not leaving the house.

One day after finishing an episode, I asked McKinley if she wanted a Nailed It themed party for her 6th birthday and she was ALL IN...so naturally I started a board Pinterest to start brainstorming how to pull it all together!

and here's HOW I did it:

INVITATIONS:

I'm a CANVA girl. So I hopped on there and found a dinosaur birthday invitation that I could easily manipulate. I wanted to make sure the invitation conveyed EXACTLY the kind of party guests could expect, so I came up with this:

DECOR:

I, thankfully, have a decor vendor I've been working with for 3 years now. She does all my parties and does an incredible job EVERY TIME, so I knew she wouldn't disappoint on this one. I didn't know the EXACT look I wanted but I sent her these images and said I wanted it to look like a bakery with balloons, graphics, and table set-up.

Then I went on Amazon, Walmart and the DOLLAR STORE and racked up (storefront)! I bought candy, mini baking supplies (spatulas, spreaders, cupcake pans, etc) and disposable drinking straws and pipe cleaners because I was determined to make these adorable whisks I saw on Pinterest:

Ultimately my girl PULLED IT OFF! Here's the finished party look:

Baking Birthday Party Activities:

I knew I wanted the kids to decorate and personalize their own Aprons! So I hopped on Amazon and found some children's aprons and chef hats, markers, glitter pins, felt shapes, and stickers for the kids to decorate with and they had a blast doing so!

BAKERTAINER! You've never heard of it right? ME EITHER! I knew I wanted to have a baking competition at the party but couldn't figure out how! (and I knew I couldnt do it!) So I searched a few different hashtags on instagram (#bakingparty #naileditparty ) and found Baking With Melissa She's a self-proclaimed Bakertainer...which means she handles the baking and entertainment for your party! she was PERFECT! (and available, thankfully). Her price includes the set-up and supplies, I just needed the tables! The kids were put on teams and did 4 rounds of cupcake decorating - all according to a theme they agreed on. It was ADORABLE!

TAKE HOME GIFT!

I LOVE a good take home gift after a party and I was determined to find something cute and on brand for the party...so when I discovered these individual sized cookie kits (Amazon), I was ecstatic! I bought enough for the guests and they all raved about ho cute they were!

It was all in all a Great day. The kids had a blast and the parents kept telling me how much they loved the theme and my BIG 6 year old was happy! Mom Mission COMPLETE!