A couple of times of year we enjoy taking the kids on our "big vacations". Usually one in early spring and one over the summer. As a homeschooling family, we are blessed to be able to travel on dates where places will, hopefully, be less crowded. We aim for missing spring break and travel late in the summer when back to school has already happened. 

For our summer vacation this year, we enjoyed 5 days on Mission Beach and then decided to spend 3 more days up the coast in Carlsbad. We have been wanting to take Greyson, who was about to turn six, to Legoland California but wanted to go when we knew he could ride most of the rides and when he would appreciate the park. 

I have shared our favorite rides, eats and features below as well as the not-so-favorite-parts as they pertained to our particular family dynamic. We traveled in August with a 6 year old (he turned six the day we went! a super fun birthday day!) and our 1 1/2 year old daughter.  Read below and then comment your most and least favorite aspects of the park below too. 

I'm sorry, but would this be Nosh & Nurture if I didn't mention the theme park food FIRST? I mean I know travel is BIG around here, but food, namely SAFE and HEALTHY food is where it's at for us, so let's get into it. 

WHAT WE LOVED: Ok, I have to give Legoland MAJOR PROPS because I wasn't expecting much (Disney knocks it out of the park with allergy-friendly options so I knew I had high standards) but Legoland EXCEEDED my expectations. They not only had gluten-free and vegan options at almost EVERY eatery (and there are TWELVE!) but they had HEALTHY options at every one too. The restaurants were clean and beautiful and their market-style Urban Kitchen in Fun Town was a farm-to-table dream. 

The small snack kiosks and  markets were also a favorite. We sipped Suja juices when we got warm and enjoyed peanut- and inflammatory-oil free almonds and cashews and fruit cups. 

For lunch we dined at the Pizza and Pasta Buffet in Castle Hill. The chef prepared my gluten-free and dairy-free spaghetti bolognaise separate and I felt so safe. For dinner we could have snagged gluten free gourmet burgers in Mini Land, but instead went back to our hotel for cake to celebrate the birthday boy. 

WHAT COULD USE IMPROVEMENT: Honestly, I can't knock a darn thing. The special order pasta did take an additional 30 minutes to make, and the kids got quite antsy waiting for me to eat after they had eaten, but it was worth it to feel safe. I wouldn't say that was a CON, just something to keep in mind for timing with your party. 

Again. Exceeded my expectations. I felt like there was so much to do, and with it still being summer the park was quite crowded. It was nicely spread out so it didn't FEEL busy, but the wait times were 10-25 minutes on the small rides and up to an hour for the bigger thrill rides. 

​WHAT WE LOVED: That there were so many options and various ride levels for big kids and adults. Grey and I LOVED riding the Coastersaurus. It's one of three thrill-roller coasters that aren't TOO scary for little ones but fun enough for the older set to enjoy. Grey's favorite ride was Driving School. Kids ages 6-12 can drive their own Lego-inspired car around a little city. It gives them freedom and fun all in one. Kids 3-5 can drive the Junior Driving School track version too! The boat rides were SO fun for the whole family, exploring Mini Land and Fairytale Brook, it was a nice relaxing and shaded ride we all enjoyed. 

WHAT COULD USE IMPROVEMENT: The rides are where we were let down the most for OUR particular family set up. There were only THREE rides in the whole park Lexi could ride. Being not yet 2, she was too short to ride even some of the tamer rides because of the way they have the seats set up. We made the most of the day and she loved just seeing all the Lego statues because they were her size, haha! We probably won't return until she is older/taller and they can experience rides together. We took turns riding the rides with Grey while she played. Also, the toddler train ride is the shortest, saddest ride in the park. Lexi was so excited to ride something and it was super hard to find, went in one circle and even she was disappointed. 

A MUST SEE: You HAVE to explore the Adventure's Club. Before we went I thought it sounded kind of boring, haha, but seeing it and exploring the different rooms, they did SUCH a good job and we all LOVED the walkthrough, immersive experience. 

The activities did make up for some of the lack of rides we were able to enjoy. 

​WHAT WE LOVED: Grey LOVED being able to build Lego at every turn. From building our own Ferrari's we could race to building a rocket ship he could "send to space", the park isn't short on hands-on-activities for kids. And since little ones can't ride many rides they do have an epic toddler play town and splash pad area. 

WHAT COULD USE IMPROVEMENT: I think activity wise, it was pretty well thought out and well executed. 

As someone who visits Disney parks on the regular, I am used to seeing A LOT of staff and a very clean park, so again, high standards when I visit other parks. 


​WHAT WE LOVED: The park was very well-kept and clean. I felt safe letting my kids walk around and play, and the staff we did encounter were very nice. 

WHAT COULD USE IMPROVEMENT: There didn't seem to be much staff around aside from those operating rides and eateries. I got lost once and wanted to ask someone for direction and I was on my own for quite a while. 

We so enjoyed our one-day in Legoland. I would suggest making it a two-day adventure if you have older kids or would like to get in all of the rides.

One day was perfect for us with our kids at the ages that they are. We even had time to shop (for way to many Lego sets) before leaving the park. 

A very fun, well-rounded, tiring day at a new, fun theme park we plan to visit again.

Have you been? What did you think? I'd love for you to share your park tips and favorites with our readers below! 

Darling Disney fans! 

Hello hello! This is my first official Disney post since launching our Disney IG 'Mini Ears Travel' and I am EXCITED to get back to traveling with our sweet family and taking you all along for all of our adventures. 

Today I wanted to bring you a guide to all of the YUMMY and DELICIOUS gluten-free finds at Disneyland's California Adventure Parks Food and Wine Festival. 

And for you who are here for all things travel and can partake in ALL the goodies - I have my husband and sons favorites mapped out below as well! 

But I know you didn't come here for the romantic flashbacks, you came here for THE FOOD. So below I have compiled a list of what us gluten-free foodies can safely enjoy at the festival going on from March 4th-April 26th as well as what each member of our family is MOST excited to try! 

I can't go on with what we are most excited to try without mentioning the Sip & Savor Pass. Getting the most value and allowing you a "passport" book if you will to try multiple items at a lower cost, its the best deal. It includes eight entitlement tabs redeemable for select food and nonalcoholic beverages at Festival Marketplaces and tasting-size portions at participating dining locations.

Guests 21 and over can also choose to purchase an array of creative and artistic alcoholic beverages as well. 

Ok, now on to what we will be trying on our trip! And make sure you follow along on Instagram at @miniearstravel to watch our adventures and hear our food reviews! 

We are SO excited to take you along on our adventure, make sure to follow along March 27-30th to see us sip and savor all the goodies live! 

Are you in the parks for the festival this year? Is so, we'd love to see what you loved. 

Leave in the comments below what you want to see us try! 

After months of closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic, theme parks across the country are starting to reopen with numerous safety precautions in place. It can be a lot to keep track of, so we’ve compiled a list of our most popular Southern California and Florida theme parks with reopening dates. ​


When will theme parks reopen?

With so many reopening dates announced, some pending approval, and other theme parks already opened, it’s hard to keep track of them all. We’ve put together a list of our most popular theme parks in Southern California and Florida to help you know when and where you can go. We’ve also included proposed dates that are awaiting approval for planning purposes. If a firm date is listed, that means the dates have been approved. We have listed all attractions in order of opening date - earliest to latest. 

To view the schedule of opening dates for Seaworld, Universal, Disney, Knotts and more click through to the full post of dates here. 


To get discounted tickets, rooms and vacation packages, visit my page on Get Away Today here. Use my promo code NURTURE10 for an extra $10 off any vacation package. 

Hey fellow Disneyland goer, heeeeeeeeey! 

If you've landed here you either

A. Love Disneyland like we do and read blog posts about it like we do.

B. You are headed there and wanted to peruse a guide to dairy free treats in the park for ideas.

or 

C. You have food allergy kiddos, or have food allergies yourself, and you are seeking super safe ways to enjoy treats in the park.

While I wrote this post for all of the above, my heart writes these posts for the families who feel lost while traveling. Who don't know where to begin and need a friend - one who's gone there before and waded in the unknown waters of navigating menus and taking phone calls with park chefs and testing foods for safety. THAT'S where my passion for this comes from. My hope for you is that you will EMBRACE traveling yourself or with your kids. That you will find MANY options of food you can TRULY enjoy EVERY DAY. Not settling for the plainest one or two options on the menu like I did in the start of my journey.

Today, I'm writing a post on our FAVORITE dairy-free park treats and drinks! And because we are 100% gluten-free all of these items are that as well! A more comprehensive allergen-friendly park food guide is in the works, but we had SO much fun staying cool and sampling dairy free beverages, ice creams and treats in Disneyland and California Adventure that I had to share. 

All of the dairy-free delicacies are separated by park + land below to make it easy to navigate the parks with this guide.

This past week we took Grey to Disneyland to celebrate his third birthday and we were hosted by the cute + retro Howard Johnson hotel in Anaheim. We were also asked to take over their Instagram, and if you followed along their stories on August 20th, you got to see some amazing behind the scenes fun of our Disney day, including our first trip to Galaxy's Edge and tons of gluten free and dairy free park eats!! 

We had SUCH a good time and I wanted to write a full post on the top ten best parts of the Hojo Anaheim, because there are a few things we would have missed had we not gone looking and I don't want anyone to miss out if they book a stay!

And speaking of booking a stay, I have partnered with them to offer my readers 15% your stay or 20% off if you're an Annual Pass holder! With their already amazing rates, you can't say no to an extra dose of Disney. Read on to see the hotel highlights and snag the code. 

When timed, our walk from our room to the gates of Disneyland was just over seven minutes. That was with 4 of us, including a toddler. Amazing. No shuttle cost, no parking costs. 

If someone in your party can't walk that distance or if there is inclement weather, there IS a shuttle available from the HoJo Anaheim for a very low and reasonable rate. 

Have you eyed cuuuuuute photos taken in the oversized orange HoJo chair? Now YOU and your fam can hop in and say "cheeeeese". Grey LOVED how big it was and I loved getting cute family photos before even getting into the park. It was fun to be able to send family back home postable pics on our first day in the hotel.
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As a gluten-free and dairy-free traveler, a kitchen, kitchenette or food prep station is a MUST. We travel often to timeshare resorts or Air B&B's to fit this criteria, however, I was pleasantly suprised to see that the HoJo provided a mini fridge (that was so spacious!), a microwave and a Keurig. I got to start our mornings off with a piping hot cup of coffee (extra flavors, decaf and tea available in the gift shop) and a cup of hot oatmeal and chilled fruit. It was a wonderful start to a busy Disney day! 

The shower was also fantastic (I'm a water pressure and temp snob, haha) and they even provided a cute rubber ducky for Grey for post-park bathtime. 

In addition to in-room amenities, the gift shop was PACKED with goods. From discounted Mickey Ears and cute HoJo shirts to snacks and all the essentials you may have missed while packing. 

I think I was just as excited as Grey when, upon check-in, the staff greeted him with Disney-worthy enthusiasm, a balloon animal pirate sword and pirate sword! 

Grey said "this vacation is so fun!" on the way to our room, so I knew we were off to a good start. They also had temporary "If I'm Lost" tattoos you could add your number too, which helps gives parents a little more peace of mind 

There is something about a retro design that makes being near Disneyland that much better. The HoJo Anaheim's Building One (and soon to be building two, three and so on as they roll out more of the renovation) has implemented a retro design that feels both luxuriously modern as well as vintage, reminiscent of Disney in the sixties. 

After busy days in Disneyland and at the water park we needed great nights sleep. Their beds, bedding and pillows envelop you and are so extremely comfortable it made it hard to leave to hit the parks early each day. Even my toddler slept wonderful! Thank you HoJo. 

From booking our room and checking in, to meeting our needs during our stay and through the check out process, the staff was extremely friendly. With how many customers they serve each day, they always had a smile on their face and were willing to help us with what we needed. 

In the newly renovated Building One, you can request a view of Disneyland. You get a fantastic birds eye view of Matterhorn Mountain and the Guardian's of The Galaxy Tower. 

The first night we checked in we snuggled up on the patio in our jammies and watched the fireworks show and it was amazing.
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It was such a simple booking process and the price was so fair for how close we were to Disneyland! We had our trip booked in under five minutes and we were able to use a fantastic coupon code as Annual Passholders. 

I have that coupon code to share with my friends too, so that you guys can start making your magical memories too! 

This was probably one of the BEST hotel additions I've ever experienced in my 30+ years of traveling. I instantly regretted not booking an extra day outside of visiting Disneyland just so we could relax in our hotel and let Grey enjoy a FULL day at Castaway Cove. The hotels on-site water park for little ones of all ages, he spent a good two hours post check-out before we drove home playing with other guests, swimming and using the fun water features. 

That view though.

​Seriously, any vacation that includes views of the water I count as a favorite vacation.

And now, any vacation that includes Grey is super special. Because, seeing anything through the eyes of a little man who hasn't experienced these things before makes me melt into a puddle of happy goo. 

At just ten weeks old Grey took his first official trip with mom + dad! We hadn't planned on traveling with him so young, but Mr. Charming's work set up a work event he needed to be at and it was taking place on Coronado Island in California. Our options were to A. Go with him, stay in a beautiful resort and take baby to see the beach or B. Leave me and baby at home, leaving me to mom it up on my own for 4 days.

We, of course, chose the former. 

We stayed at the Loew's Coronado Bay Resort, and I must say, for health conscious travelers this is THEE place to stay on the island. It's beautiful expansive grounds make for a scenic place to get your steps in and the dining options allowed me to not have to wander to far off to find good eats while I was alone at the hotel with baby. 

​And check out the beds. Our king was heavenly and gave us a ton of space to sleep soundly with Mr. Charming, myself and baby in his travel co-sleeper. Although I didn't get to sleep as much as I would have wanted to in that glorious bed, the slow, sleepy mornings and post-lunch cuddles with baby made up for it.  

The day that Mr. Charming worked, me and Grey did a little impromptu photo shoot in the room because the light was spectacular. After his morning bath, I strapped him in our baby carrier and wore him downstairs to find some yummy nosh. 

There was a great little cafe on the grounds, where we also had breakfast and dinner as a family during our stay, and this little juice bar, Juice Therapy, had a delicious selection of fresh pressed juices and it was so Instagram photo-worthy I had to make a stop here. 

Once we got some juice, Grey and I headed to the gift shop for some organic chocolate as a treat for mama. I chose a decadent Cherry Chocolate bar that I snacked on a bit as we perused the gift shops. 

Aside from the eats we found at the hotel, you can check out the following gluten-free and dairy-free friendly nosh spots while on Coronado Island in sunny California. 

Sheerwater
Located at the Hotel Del Coronado, highlights include gorgeous views and an extensive salad, meat and seafood selection for the gluten- and dairy-free crowd. 

Burger Lounge
Grass-fed, quality beef burgers in a trendy locale that offers gluten-free buns. A note: Frys are no cooked in a dedicated fryer, so skip the spuds and just enjoy the burger.

Il Fornaio
Waterfront views and gluten-free Italian make this a swoon-worthy date location. 

Have you dined on Coronado Island? I would love to hear your favorite places to grab a bite or take in the views. We also hopped back over to the mainland to grab In n Out one night, because, YUM. 

This past weekend I was in Los Angeles for a work event. Mr. Charming and I rented a darling home in Toluca Lake in a beautiful, peaceful neighborhood and explored many neighboring cities and beach towns on my time off. 

I had one of the best Italian meals of my life, all gluten-free and vegan, and I had to share my top seven list of healthy eats in Studio City, CA where the crew and I spent a lot of our time while I was in town. Make sure to check out #1 to read about the best pasta in Hollywood. 

​About: After going through a drastic renovation to make it a modern piece of eye-candy in Studio City, Vitello's offers live entertainment (which was amazing) and delicious Italian options for gluten-free and non-GF foodies. 
Favorite Selections: Hands down the gluten free Capellini. The freshest ingredients I've tasted on the West Coast. The gluten-free pasta was cooked to perfection, the olive oil was pure and clean, the tomatoes had a kick of spice, the large garlic cloves were divine and the basil was fresh and delicate. A 10+. My non-GF husband RAVED about the lasagna. 
Location: 4349 Tujunga Ave, Studio City, CA 91604

We all have dreams and goals in life. Big, huge, life changing dreams - like the perfect job, marrying a great spouse, having beautiful and healthy children. You know, the big life dreams.

But then sometimes... we have silly dreams. Dreams, that when they come true, just bring us joy. Because they are fun, they are things that bring back good memories or make us feel warm & fuzzy. Those things. This post is about that kind of a dream.

So, when I saw that Mr. Charming and I could visit Central Perk, it gave me the same giddy feeling I had when I was first living in Hollywood. Making my way all those years ago. And I knew I had to visit and sit my derriere upon that famous orange couch. Having met Jennifer Aniston (One of my favorite actresses, I attended one of her actor studio interviews), Matt Leblanc (met him twice, at an awards show and on Jay Leno) and Matthew Perry (sat with him at the MTV Awards) in my time working in Hollywood, you would think this wouldn't thrill me as much as the next guy. But oh, did it ever. I'm easy to please and like I said, silly dreams and all. You have to chase those too. Especially those. It just makes life more fun. 

Also a big Gilmore Girls fan, I so just admitted that to thousands of people, cool. Whatever. I'm secure with it. I was ecstatic to see so much of the shows set still part of the tour. Mr. Charming and I got to visit Lorelai's house, Luke's diner and walk through the town square. 

Being in Burbank just for the day, we didn't do much restaurant hopping, however, we did grab healthy Paleo sand which fixings at Gelson's Market in Burbank. Similar to Whole Foods, or other upscale market, they are good for splurging on vacation or for specialty items. 

There are also food trucks EVERYWHERE in this area and throughout Hollywood. Especially around the studios since all of those working in the studios and on the lots need to grab a quick meal. Outside of Warner Brothers there was a Vegan Organic food truck and another healthy looking one - but I didn't want to risk it, so I headed to Gelson's. 

After enjoying our fun-filled two hour tour (we also got to see all the memorabilia from Harry Potter! And got to wear the sorting hat - I got Gryffindor, what what! Mr. Charming got Hufflepuff, but I still love him just the same, haha.) we enjoyed lunch and made our way to Newport Beach to kick back at the beach house, exhausted and on cloud 9, ready to explore the eats and sights of another city! 

What are some of the little dreams that you got to experience that just MADE YOUR DAY? :D I would love to hear your experiences and hear your happy moments!  Leave it in the comments below! 

Since we were camping nearby in Santa Barbara on El Capitan State Beach, we thought we'd take a day trip up to Solvang. It was pure charm. When I was just a little girl, around the age of two, my mom brought me here. I visited again when I was six or so, when we brought my baby sister.

If you've ever been to Solvang, CA you will know that everyone who visits must take the obligatory Dutch shoe photo. I now have three of these photos. One at two. One at six. And now one at thirty one.

Mr. Charming and I had previously took an adventure through Long Beach in 2009 to celebrate his birthday, which I wrote about here, but on our recent eight day California Coastline Adventure we hit it up again so that I could show Mr. Charming the Aquarium of the Pacific. My favorite aquarium! It's huge and you can literally spend hours here. They even have a penguin exhibit, (if you know me you'll know my love for them and if spirit animals were a real thing, a penguin would be mine) and I even adopted a baby penguin.  (translation, I gave them money to feed one for a year, but I really would've rather taken a furry critter home with me. I think my baby schnauzer would've loved the buddy.) We started the day with protein smoothies, and each day I left Mr. Charming a card at the table or on his pillow to start our day. Then it was off to the aquarium! 

After the aquarium we decided to walk around the harbor and then drive around to find lunch. And that's when it happened... That's when I fell in love with this city and have decided, if we move back here, Long Beach is in the high running to be a city of choice based on the healthy culinary fare options alone. And then I could visit my little penguin babies as often as I'd like. Haha. Ok, well maybe that wouldn't happen, but the food. Definitely the food. 

We stumbled upon a shopping center that not only housed a Trader Joe's and a Whole Foods, but it also was home to THREE cafes that I could choose from to eat at. ALL three organic, ALL three with gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options. It was café courtyard heaven. Our first stop was Roots Gourmet, we perused their menu and though I could have a few of their options, they used soy oil in most of their dishes, and I was trying to avoid soy 100% on the trip as I usually do. Next was a great place called My Fit Foods, which offers prepackaged meals and snacks that are gluten-free or dairy-free or both, I almost snagged a crudité platter and chicken breast there but had one more place to check out first before committing. Our third stop was the winner, Veggie Grill. Found in most California beach cities, Veggie Grill offers an extensive allergen-free menu and just generally HEALTHY food options and I ordered a variety of foods to sample. Their grilled asparagus was topped with sea salt and fresh lemon juice, I also had the sweet potato fries which were cooked in rice bran oil, not paleo, but healthier than the questionable soy oil. And I also ordered a salad topped with fire roasted carrots & beets,. Which by the way, carrots, from now on, should ALWAYS be fire roasted. Divine.

I highly recommend adding Long Beach to your California coast tour if it's in your plans. Though we didn't spend anytime in this city oceanside, the eats and sights are worth a visit. And don't forget the other famous sights I mentioned in my first Long Beach post.

We wrapped our day back at the beach house where we baked up a decadent gluten-free and refined-sugar free strawberry pie. Just a pie crust made of egg and tapioca starch and cooked strawberries served with sugarless coconut milk vanilla ice cream. It was the perfect compliment to a chilly seaside evening.