MAUI, HAWAII ... WITH FAWN DESIGN

Oh Maui! How we loved you! We took our little family of 4 to Maui of the holiday season for 2016. Best decision ever! Sometime the holidays can feel stressful with all the parties and activities, not to mention the Utah cold! Heading somewhere warm and relaxing was just what we needed! This post is sharing some of favorites things from Maui! As well as some tips we learned a long the way!

Where we stayed:

The majority of our trip we stayed at the Honua Kai Resort. Overall we were really happy with this place!

Pro's

• Large rooms with Kitchens, bath tub and laundry. With little kids we feel these are so helpful and make your trip a lot more relaxing.
• Awesome swimming pools! Also feel important with little kids who have a hard time or don't love the ocean.
• Great free wifi, important for us since we have to work while we are away.
• Free Parking and Valet (tip at your own discretion) 

Con's:

• A bit of the drive from the airport.
• Only one restaurant on the resort (Duke's), this is a semi con because at least there is one! And the food is great! If you like a variety of options within walking distance then this might not be the place for you. Tons of place only a short drive (3-5 minutes).

For a few days at the end of our trip we stayed at the Grand Wailea Resort. This is easily the greatest place I have ever stayed. Period.

Pro's:

• Everything you'd want from a 5 star establishment!
• Most amazing swimming pool! Perfect for all ages! They even had a "baby beach" which was a pool with sand! It was a hit with our Georgia.
• Lots of restaurants at the resort.
• The service is top notch! 

Con:

• It can be pricey, but you for sure get WAY more than you pay for! Sign up for their newsletter because they do specials on extended stays! 

The main intention for staying there was so we could be closer to the airport, since we had a red eye home with two babies!

**Tip** Most flight from Maui to LA are a red eye, and they get delayed all the time! And not just a few minutes, but several hours. It might be worth it for you to have your hotel an extra day even if you aren't sleeping there. Our original departure time was 11:00 PM, that already is pretty late to try and find something to do with two kids under two after hotel check out. Our flight was delayed THREE times. It's departure time was now 2:00AM the following day!! We were so so glad we had our room for that day! Not sure what we would've had done!

Overall, we were really pleased with both places we stayed! 

Favorite places to eat:

1. Mama's Fish House. This is a must stop in Maui! You need a reservation for sure! It is on the pricey side but it is worth it! Go for an early dinner so you can see the amazing beach property!
2. Maui Taco's. They have several locations on the island. Best fish tacos I have ever had! They also serve a mean breakfast burrito! A great filling and inexpensive option!
3. Duke's. This was the restaurant on our resort. We loved it! Ate their a bunch! Great selection for all 3 meals. Great place to watch the sunset!

The majority of restaurants in Maui take reservations, and you for sure want them! 

There are a lot of outdoor adventures for you to do in Maui! From surfing to hiking to the Road to Hana, being bored is really difficult. With our girls being so young (1.5 yrs. and 6 mo.) our plan was to spend time at the beach and pool, and that is about it! If they were older we would have done more of the adventures! We did attempt the Road to Hana! Within about 1 hour and a half Georgia was over being in the car! We decided we didn't want to risk an unpleasant long car ride with her. I know some of you reading that are probably shocked! Or maybe not?! Haha I have learned that Id rather pass on certain things if I know it will not be very enjoyable! There is always next time! Which we would FOR SURE got back to Maui!

If you're into golf Maui has amazing courses! My husband loves golf more than just about anything (except his girls of course :) ). Being able to play in Maui was an unforgettable experience for him!

**Tip**Traveling with golf clubs and kids can be really tough! That was one of the hardest parts at the airport! For the way home we decided to try Ship Sticks. They pick up your golf clubs from the hotel (or course) and ship them to your home! It was amazing and such a lifesaver! Made a huge difference coming home. They didn't pay us or anything, we used their service and were really impressed and wanted to share to all the golfers with families out there!

Things I am glad we brought:

I'd say I am a medium packer! I definitely could bring a lot less, but I also think I don't bring a bunch of stuff I don't need! 

1. Gathre Mat: If you don't own a Gathre mat, you need one! great alternative to a big bulky blanket! They are seriously perfect for the beach!

2. Swimsuits: I love a great swimsuit! I personally wear lots of one piece swimming suits because I'm chasing Georgia around! Some of my favorite brands are; Kortni Jeane, Raising Wild and Rad Swim. This suit is from Rad Swim.

3. Fawn Design Bag, in Brown: Obviously I don't leave the house without my Fawn! The beach is no exception! Since the bag is faux leather it is water resistant! The inside pulls out making sand no match for this bag! 

4. Girl's Swimsuits: I love nothing more than buying my little girls swimsuits! I don't know why! But I love them! Its a good idea to buy them at the end of the summer when they go on sale and you can stock up! Some places I love are Swim Zip, Old Navy, and Gap. This cute suit is also from Rad Swim, they have matching mommy and me suits too! 

5. Sunscreen: Yes you can buy this in hawaii! But I like to bring some with me so right when we get to hawaii we can head to the pool or beach and not have to look for some! Same with swim diapers! We love Sun Bum brand! Smells so good!

6. Beach Towel: I like to have a really nice towel for myself and the girls, you can spend a lot on a good sized and quality towel in hawaii. If you have the room (and a washing machine at your hotel) I recommend bringing one! I can't say enough good things about My Havlu towels! We love love love them!! They are perfect for the bath, pool or beach! And they're not cheesy!!