In collaboration with Hotel Andaz in Scottsdale, Arizona
Happy August! I am typing this post in disbelief that we are already in August. Brody and I took a Mommy and Daddy trip this past week to one of our favorite places, ARIZONA! “Again?!” you ask? Yes! We love Arizona. If you were able to read this post here, you saw that we took the kids two weeks ago to Arizona. Scottsdale is such an easy trip for us and the kids love it. We took Noelia when she was 2 for the first time and we fell in love with the state. The hot weather, the dreamy landscapes and tropical feel is right up our alley. We can definitely see ourselves moving to Arizona in the future but for now we will just travel there often! Our Mommy and Daddy getaway to Andaz Scottsdale was just what we needed to unwind and refresh.
Brody and I felt a tug on our hearts to take some time to spend alone before the craziness of his school year starts. Brody is a teacher for a local school district and he will be facing the hardest year in his teaching career. COVID definitely has been a burden on our education system and his school has decided to go forward with the 2020-2021 school year in person. There are so many mixed opinions and emotions out there whether or not school-age kids should be going back to school. Teachers and the education system as a whole are having to make decisions that are not easy. God bless our educators! I felt that us getting away to focus on our relationship and have quality time together would help us come back to our kids and our jobs refreshed. Leaving the kids will never be easy for me, but I have to realize its good to getaway every once in a while. I didn’t leave Noelia for a few days until she was almost two. I had some Mommy guilt knowing I was leaving Reina way sooner than I had left Noelia. To be honest, I had a lot of mommy guilt in general. I know not everyone gets the opportunity to take solo trips with their spouses and putting it on Instagram to see made me feel guilty.
Will people judge me? Will people think I don’t care about COVID? Will Moms shame me for leaving our girls behind with family?
All of the above went through my mind! Guess what? It was the opposite! I got so many positive messages from fellow mothers telling me how it important it was to do what we were doing; spending time alone. I tend to forget how many times I put Brody on the back burner unintentionally. The girls are naturally put “first” and I have to really try to remember that Brody’s needs matter, too. We were gone from Monday to Thursday and it was exactly what our relationship needed. We had so many rich conversations that week. We did all the little things that we tend to forget (or can’t) do when we have our girls with us; holding hands, discussing our feelings, expressing our fears, and actually just being as a couple. It was much needed!
Our Andaz Scottsdale Bungalow Room
I love how the rooms were spread out. We felt like we had so much space.
Character corners of our room. I somehow managed to forget to snap a photo of our king bed!
The shower was divine!
Private tanning area
We were so incredibly pleased with our room. It had plenty of space and character. The pool was only a short walk away. The staff did a great job at assisting us getting any extra water we needed or face masks to be out in public. The only part of the stay that would have been extra sweet was if the fitness center was open. Due to COVID, all fitness centers in Arizona are closed. Brody and I simply utilized the beautiful landscape of Arizona and created our own workouts outdoors! We hiked at Camelback Mountain (ahhh-mazing, BTW), took walks, and utilized the hotel grounds for sprints and body-weight movements. We had such a great experience with Hotel Andaz that I am already thinking about sending my parents to Andaz for their own couples escape!
The staff at Andaz did an excellent job and making sure everyone was safe during COVID. Pool seating was minimized, all restaurant seating was spaced far enough apart, and face masks were required while out of your room. At this time, the fitness and spa areas are closed.
See all of the room options that Hotel Andaz has to offer HERE.
Photos from the Camera Roll
So many gorgeous corners on the Andaz property!
Their breakfast every morning was out of this world! I tried something new every morning. The above Coconut Yogurt Granola Bowl was my favorite. I even asked for the recipe! It was so good!
The fruit looked (and was) so fresh and yummy that I just had to get a close up!
Brody’s breakfast of choice everyday; egg white omelet with potatoes!
Pool and mountain view every morning at breakfast
One of my favorite swimsuits!
We definitely couldn’t do this when we had the girls! 😉
Our 5am hike at Camelback Mountain! This was probably one of my favorite experiences with Brody. It was very challenging but the views were breathtaking. We got up at 4:30am so we could get some water in us and I could pump. We were back to our hotel by 8am for breakfast. Now THAT’S a morning! We chatted with a lot of the locals on the mountain. Most do this hike before they go to work!
A lot of people recommended we try BLANCO, a Mexican restaurant right next to Andaz. It was SO good and they give you a lot of food.
God Bless self timer!
One last dip before we headed home that evening
Back home to our girls!
Thank you, Andaz Scottsdale for having us! This was a trip we will never forget. Reconnecting with Brody was just what my heart needed. The days at home get long and busy and we all tend to forget the little things. I want to ensure that our girls grow up knowing their parents LOVED each other and they did all they could to keep a strong unit with God at the center. We are far from perfect, but we know we will always fight for each other (as long as Brody continues to give the good grabs!) ;).
Are you an avid Pinner? It would mean the world to me if you could Pin this image below!
