What do Rambutans, Rain Makers, and Wooden Trains Have in Common?

Living in Thailand with my two blonde-haired tots, we encounter some interesting opportunities. A few cases in point . . .

Exhibit A: Just last week when Katelyn and I took a little shopping trip to Lemon Farm, the organic grocery store down the street, a booth set up outside the store was promoting the sale of organic rambutans. As we exited the store, their photographer asked if he could take pictures of Katelyn holding a rambutan in front of the booth. Organic rambutan modeling? When in Rome . . .

First solo photo shoot

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Not All That Glimmers is Gold

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This post is going to be very different from most. We’ve traveled to some incredible places and found wonderful things to do as a family in Thailand and in the region, but that’s not to say that we haven’t had our share of busts as well. I’ve been thumbing through a lot of mom blogs lately and it is shocking how many are sponsored. I realize that virtually all of my posts offer gleaming reviews of the places we’ve stayed and things we’ve done, and that is because I want to share our best experiences with others.

Well, not today. Today I’m going to outline some of our not-so-great experiences. You might be shocked by some of these; you might disagree, and that’s completely okay. They are just things that didn’t work out for us for one reason or another. So, let’s get this non-party started.

1. The Greenery (Khao Yai)

We are no strangers to Khao Yai. We love Khao Yai. Usually we stay at the Kirimaya/Muthi Maya (which I do highly recommend), but this time we wanted to do something different – so we stayed at The Greenery. The place does a good job of luring you in with its website – fancy pictures, beautiful scenery, things for kids, etc. What really drew us to the resort was that they have a small water park onsite – which looks like a lot of fun, but in reality, it’s not fun at all. Every few minutes a bell rings and a huge bucket of water comes crashing down on everyone’s head. This scared the sh*t out of my little one and it made Logan super-cautious. To top it off, the room was expensive and not that great. It was a bust, for sure.

After The Greenery, I think we’ll probably stay loyal to the Kirimaya/Muthi Maya (pictured here)

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What’s That? Bacon and Egg Ice Cream, You Say?

June 22, 2013January 31, 2015Leave a comment

Nutella and chocolate-flavored ice cream at Creamery

It’s 10pm and both Logan and Katelyn are sleeping. I should be sleeping, but instead I’m writing to you about ice cream. Priorities. Continue reading →

Phuket with Kids Done Luxe

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Trapeze flying, batik painting, and organic vegetable planting. Milk and cookies at turn-down. A bakery with a selection of old-school American candy. A pool with water fountains, giant turtles, a life guard-assisted slide, and continuous bubbles. Free popsicles from noon until three every day. Two baby elephants walking the resort’s extensive property and occasionally playing in the surf. A newly-renovated kids club. Giant scoops of ice cream atop home-made waffle cones. You guys, this is the place: the JW Marriott Phuket.