Spa Trips & Different Rules

My husband and I recently came back from a wonderful trip to Nemacolin Woodlands Resort! We mainly went for the spa and the highly-rated restaurants, but definitely want go back for the winter or summer activities once our daughter, Sadie, is a little older. The property is just outside of Pittsburgh, PA and it is stunning. I recommend paying it a visit and here are a few reasons why:

1. Amazing spa: We went for 2 days of treatments and left feeling so relaxed and replenished. My favorite treatments were the facial (part of the woodlands classic package) and the hot stone shirodhara. The facial was so relaxing I drifted into sleep, and my face was glowing afterwards. The hot stone shirodhara really helped work through some muscle pain & tightness I’d been feeling (and it also felt so good!) In both cases, the masseuse was great about asking and understanding my personal needs, which I really appreciated.
2. Delicious food: The restaurants did not disappoint. Although the décor was very understated, the meals went above and beyond my expectations. Every dish not only tasted exquisite, but looked beautiful when served!
   
3. Spectacular service: We stayed in the Chateau where we had a butler (which in itself was awesome and made me realize I need a butler everyday) but the service was fantastic anywhere we went on the resort. We felt very welcomed and waited-on the entire time we were there.
4. Magnificent surroundings: The landscape and architecture on the property are beautiful. The Chateau displays art throughout the halls and attempts to push the limit on how many chandeliers you can have per square inch. 

There are also a wide variety of family activities and kid-friendly restaurants/areas, which is why we hope to return with Sadie. (There’s even pet care for those interested!)

Sadie and our dog, Wally, stayed with my in-laws in Philadelphia while we were away. Using our experience from Adult Week, we learned FaceTiming a couple hours before bedtime was best so Sadie wouldn’t miss us before going to sleep.

My in-laws have watched Sadie and Wally several times now. Even though they have different rules than I do, the little ones fare well in their care and are happy and healthy when I return. There were only a couple new things Sadie and Wally picked up that I had to teach them not to do with me; as long as I was consistent and firm, they picked up on my rules vs. my in-law’s rules pretty quickly.

We stayed at my in-law’s house for a couple days after our spa trip. I found when my MIL and I were together with the little ones, establishing who was in charge at that time reduced confusion on what the rules were and who would take the lead should chaos ensue. Since we were at her house, I handed over the reins a little more and I think it worked well.

Overall, it was a positive way to bring in the New Year and I hope you had a great holiday too!

Sadie & Wally Update: 20 Months-Old

Happy Fall! 🙂 Sadie is 20 months old! I can’t believe how fast everything is going. I truly love this age – her personality is in full bloom, she really understands things, and she is learning so fast! Here are some of the things she has been up to with our puppy, Wally:

 

What is Sadie currently into? She’s really into getting “on” and “in” things – the couch, the chairs, the beds, her toy baskets & boxes – you name it! When she gets on our bed, she calls for everyone else to join her, including Wally, who was previously not allowed on the bed. (oh no!) Then she will climb down and yell “Ah-f!” telling everyone else to get off. I’ve held onto the rule that the bed has to be made for us to play this game so that Wally’s hair doesn’t get on the sheets.

 

What is her favorite activity with Wally? Sadie loves to call Wally’s name – she refers to him as “Nine” or “Nine-knee” (don’t ask me where that came from) – and she will look for him in the apartment or he’ll come running to her. Whenever she comes home from an outing, the first thing she yells when you open the door is “Niiiiiine!” and she’ll run to his crate indicating he should be let out.

 

Is there anything Wally does that always makes Sadie laugh out loud? Yes! Sadie thinks Wally is hilarious. She bursts into a fit of giggles when he sniffs her hair/neck or when he gives her kisses all over. Unfortunately, she also thinks it’s hilarious when Wally gets yelled at or when he tries to attack the vacuum. She literally cackles like an evil character in a movie. Truly like siblings.

 

Is there any toy/object Sadie is very attached to at this age? Sadie loves cats. She likes to see them in the pet store, she likes to read about them, and she likes clothes with cat designs. One day after we moved into our new apartment, I saw a cat outside of our window and pointed it out to her. Now, every morning she goes to that window and screeches “Mmmm!” (that’s meow) and looks for the cat. Wally happily assists her in her search.

 

Any funny things they both get excited about? When I ask “Should we take Wally outside?” they both freak out. Sadie starts yelling “Ah! Ah! Ah!” kind of like a battle cry, and runs to her shoes. Wally starts running in circles. It is an immediate reaction and happens every time.

 

What has been a change you’ve made recently? Sadie used to love to give Wally treats. She’d run to where his treats were stored and say “Ga-kum?” which, clearly, means treat. I’d have Wally do a trick, let Sadie give him the treat as a reward, and then she’d run away clapping. During that time, we’d been trying to figure out why Wally’s stomach had been getting so upset – it was the treats! Sadie was actually more sad about this than Wally. She’s finally stopped asking to give him treats because I’ve said “No, it’s hurts his tummy,” a bajillion times. Now she likes to help fill his water bowl. Also to note, since we stopped giving Wally the treats and put him on Science Diet Sensitive Stomach, all tummy problems are gone!