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The Lodge in Verbier, Switzerland

5/24/2019

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Each month we sit down as a family for a family meeting to talk what’s going well, what our needs are and, as a travel blogging family, where we see ourselves traveling next. At this months meeting our toddler stated he wanted to “stand in a real castle” on our next endeavor. We’ve been tossing the idea back and forth to begin international travel with him now that he’s almost three and so our wish list of places has begun to grow.

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I was extended an amazing travel deal that I wanted to further gift to you, my international travel readers, at Sir Richard Branson’s breathtaking hotel The Lodge. One of Virgin’s Limited Edition Retreats, it is located in Verbier, Switzerland, an area that offers exceptional scenic hiking in the summer, skiing in the winter, exceptional Swiss dining year round and views like nowhere else in the world.
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"An outdoor Jacuzzi, stunning mountain views and flowing bubbles await when booking one of the chalet’s nine beautiful bedrooms”

​The all-inclusive luxury retreat features daily dining and drinks offering both Swiss and International cuisine prepared by Michelin-trained chefs – a highlight sure to be any travel foodies dream come true. We personally always opt for all-inclusive, especially when traveling internationally so we can be sure to eat well and have access to a variety of dishes that are healthy for us. As we personally opt for a master suite when we travel for more space, the chalet offers two master suites and seven bedrooms for a total of nine luxurious options.

The rooms, which feature rich wood paneling and authentic modern European furnishings, are both luxurious and inviting. The jewel tones against the natural elements make the Lodge's rooms a beautiful retreat from an exhilarating day exploring Verbier. One of my favorite touches is the cozy fireplace, where we can cuddle and take in the expansive views from the floor to ceiling windows.

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During the day, guests can breathe in the fresh Verbier air with gentle hiking, a morning yoga session or relaxing among alpine trees in an on-site hammock. The resident beauty therapist can also help you unwind before a leisurely drive into town, which is just a five minute walk. The charming town offers an array of charming boutiques.

While we love expansive resorts where we can relax, it’s always fun to explore the city where you’re staying and its always a plus when there are amenities within walking distance.

Not short on activities, you can also soak in the indoor or outdoor jacuzzis, take a swim in the pool, take a steam or entertain friends or your travel party in one of the two bars or party room. 

And lastly, while we opt for more family friendly options, thrill seekers can also mountain bike, go paragliding or hit the canyons.


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The Lodge is offering a free night stay when you book four nights. Valued at $930.00 USD, travelers can take advantage of this offer June 14th-September 22nd 2019.

Rates include accommodations at The Lodge, breakfast, light lunch and dinner. All drinks 
including premium branded, spirits, wine and beer and house champagne. A dedicated team and all taxes. 

Blackout dates may apply as well as all our normal terms and conditions. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer and stays must be for a minimum of four nights and there is a maximum of one free night per booking. This offer cannot be used for cancelled then reinstated bookings.

Call 1-877-577-8777 to book, or you may email enquiriesusa@virginlimitededition.com
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Las Vegas With Toddlers: The Best Activities

5/14/2019

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Our spring kicked off with a trip to Las Vegas just us three, my husband, myself and our two and a half year old. Visiting a city as busy and as adult-centric as Las Vegas, we prepared our itinerary a little more rigid than we normally would. As a couple who had frequented Las Vegas often prior to becoming parents, we knew a couple of things to avoid once we had our little guy in tow. Those things we avoided namely being -

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  1. Being out too late after dark. More of the shadier characters and advertising of unsavory shows and features are more prominent after dark. The nights we did stay out late we made sure we were in one of the higher end hotels shopping or enjoying a dessert after dinner.   
  2. Venturing off the Strip. Las Vegas as a city isn’t the best area. We knew ahead of time where a Whole Foods was located to pick up food for our room, we knew from previous trips with my food intolerances we had plenty of choices for restaurants right on the Strip, and having been to Fremont Street (old Vegas) a few years back I knew it wasn’t an environment I wanted Grey exposed to.
  3. We made it a trip in the spring because summer in Nevada is entirely too hot with how much time you’re spending walking outside. It reaches temps over 100 degrees, so it’s something to keep in mind – aim for spring or fall.
  4. We made the investment to pay to valet at each hotel we visited to minimize walking in the crowds on Las Vegas Blvd.​

Now that we’ve covered a couple of the things NOT to do with a toddler in Las Vegas, let’s talk about all of the things you CAN do. We visited Friday through Monday and we still didn’t do EVERYTHING that was available to us. We had a packed, fun-filled four days. You just have to know what’s available. Below are our favorites and extra suggestions!
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Avengers STATION (so many photo opp stations!)
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Grey loved all the dress up props

Treasure Island 

This was by far our favorite. I know, I know, you should save the best for last but I wanted to start our trip here because I knew it'd be epic to Grey and so I found it fitting to start the post here too. If you have any Marvel fans or pirate fans in your brood, you'll want this at the top of your list.

- Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N
Located inside Treasure Island hotel and casino, this has to be one of the most well done attractions on the Strip. Disney quality, clean, interactive and SO fun. It was worth the higher end ticket price. 

- Pirate Ship
No longer a show, it's still cool to take the kids outside to see the massive pirate ship in the water on the property. 

- Pirate Shop
Grey LOVED perusing this shop and we ended up purchasing pirates gold, a really cool faux leather treasure chest and pirate guns for play battle that he enjoyed doing with daddy throughout our entire trip.

Showcase Mall, NYNY Hotel and Casino (and all the sugar)

- M&M World 
When I asked Grey what he wanted to do when we went to a Las Vegas, he replied with "get a candy treat". We don't do much sugar at home, so he knows when we travel he normally gets to choose something. Boy or boy was it an OVERLOAD of options. The four story, 28,000 square foot M&M World has ENDLESS candy and merchandise options to please any age 1-100. Grey walked away with a small cup of multicolored milk chocolate M&M's and a lollipop. 

- Hershey's Chocolate World
As if that wasn't enough of a toddler sugar high, Hershey's Chocolate towers over the strip directly across the street inside the famous New York New York Hotel and Casino. It boasts a S'Mores bar, milkshake shop, cookie counter and sections devoted to all of their famous candies. Since little man had gotten to choose M&M's, we opted for daddy and Grey to share a chocolate covered strawberry here. For us with dairy intolerance, there was one option by a high end Hershey's partner that was high quality dark chocolate and dairy free! So I was pleased to see that. The NYNY Hotel is also home to a thrilling roller coaster fun for the older age kids.

Caesar's Palace

We headed into Caesar's at the end of day 2 for dinner because there is a Smashburger for us gluten free and dairy free travelers! A tip: Download the Find Me Gluten Free App, it lets you know of safe Gluten Free restaurants in your area and shows you real time reviews. After dinner we strolled through the Forum Shops and found the following attractions to be great for kids.

- Caesar's Palace Fall of Atlantis Animatronic Show 
This was under construction on this trip, but we have seen this before and Grey would have LOVED it. A perk? It's free!

- Aquarium
This giant 50,000 gallon aquarium is also a free way to relax, take in the shops and let the kids watch the colorful fish swim while you get a breather. 

- Trevi Gelato
This gelato stand, located by the Forum Shops replica of the Trevi Fountain, offers many dairy free flavors! We enjoyed bowls of strawberry gelato after a scrumptious dinner and all of our walking. 
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Someone is excited to be at M&M World
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Dairy-free Strawberry Gelato at Trevi

Mandalay Bay

An oasis in the desert, when I think Mandalay Bay I think of sun, water and great shows. For littles the thing to do here is the aquarium!

Shark Reef Aquarium - 
With over 2,000 species of fish and animals this aquarium is a must see. You can even interact by feeding sting rays, shark or turtles in their Aquarist for a Day program. 

Mirage

Another favorite! We were blessed with a beautiful 75 degree sunny day and it was the PERFECT day to see animals, enjoy some iced drinks and let Grey run out energy in the sunshine. 

Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat - 
Created by Siegfried and Roy (who we got to hang with in the garden on our last trip!) you can come face to face with nature's most beautiful and intelligent animals in this serene habitat. Grey LOVED seeing the lions and got to see a tiger roar, which basically made his day. The multiple gift shops also helped us grow our animal and book collections, haha. A plus: they sell Usborne books IN the park! We LOVE those! 

The Volcano! -
Seriously cool and one of Grey's favorite memories, the Volcano erupts each night at 8, 9 and 10. A little late for little ones, but we caught the earliest show post dinner and headed back to bed after. It only lasts a few minutes, is located in the waters outside the Mirage Hotel and Casino and is seriously worth getting a good spot for. 
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Our cutie posing with a grass tiger
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Checking out the dolphins in the underground tunnel with daddy

Circus Circus

All the fun of a day at the circus. Grey didn't end up wanting to do as much here as we had thought, but we still spent about two hours here after naptime and got to fill part of an afternoon!

Adventuredome - 
With games and rides for all ages, the Adventuredome is a large indoor theme park. You can see a lot of the Adventuredome in our highlight video. The best rides for tots? The plane ride, carousel  and our favorite - the hot air balloons!

The Midway - 
A bit pricey per game, it was fun to choose our favorites and play traditional boardwalk style games!

Circus Acts -
Another free activity, the midway level of Circus Circus presents live acrobats, jugglers and more throughout the day! Grey loved sitting in the stands and taking in a short show tailored for shorter attention spans.

Excalibur

I wanted to book end the post with two great locales, especially you boy mamas. All things castles and knights, this was the first place that made Grey gasp in excitement when we arrived to the Strip. He's in a knight and dragon phase and he couldn't wait to explore the big white, blue and red castle. He's now asking if our next vacation can be visiting a REAL castle. So we're working that out, haha. 

Tournament of Kings - 
One of the coolest dining experiences on the Strip, and one of the most kid-friendly, Tournament of Kings showcases knights on horses, jousting battles and delicious fare you eat with your hands. And a plus? They can make the entire meal gluten AND dairy free if you speak to them about your allergies while making your reservation. 

​The Fun Dungeon
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Similar to Circus Circus' Midway, we preferred Excalibur's Fun Dungeon between the two arcades. It felt cleaner. And while the games were just as pricey, Grey was able to play two games on his on where he won stuffed animals, thus making his night!
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The rest of our trip was spent shopping the Grand Canal Shoppes of the Venetian, playing with our new toys at the resort and taking in the lights as we drove back to our resort each night.

Have you visited Las Vegas with little ones? What DO's or DON'T's would you add?
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Nosh & Nurture was born of this journey I am on to better the health of myself, my family and those around me.  What started as a simple compilation of recipes has grown to a all-around lifestyle journal with ways to incorporate organic products into your home, pantry and beauty cabinet.  I also include stories on pregnancy, new motherhood, travel, Proverbs 31 marriage, and spiritual health, as I am a Christian who couldn't do any of this without my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. For more of my story you can click here. 

All recipes are gluten-free and dairy-free with a lot of soy-free, grain-free, sugar-free options. 

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